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Brighten Images
with Relight AI
Transform Dark Images to Bright Pictures

Struggling with dark photos? Our image brightener tool is your go-to solution to easily brighten pictures and photos.

Image Brightener - Light up dark images in post-processing
RelightAI
Original
Apply RelightAI
© golyak

Control every aspect of light in the photo

Adjust lighting and exposure based on image depth.

RelightAI builds a 3D depth map of your image.

Balance background and foreground.

Fix different light sources on different objects for a natural effect.

Use a single image lightening tool for portraits & landscapes.

Landscape, real estate, and portrait photographers can get perfect results in a click with Luminar Neo’s AI editing tools.

Before After
© SeventyFour

Backlit portrait

Naturally relight face features.

Change

Work precisely on backlit portraits

Relight AI detects people in portraits, from close-ups to group shots. No need to crop, mask, and do tons of manual work for a well-lit image.

  • Adjust the backlighting in a portrait and easily lighten up your dark photos.

  • Get equally good results on group portraits.

  • Apply a set of edits as a Preset to all photos in a series.

  • Works with PNG, JPEG, and raw file formats.

Image Brightener: Brighten Photos & Pictures Effortlessly

An application & plugin. For macOS & Windows

4.8

based on 3000+ reviews on TrustPilot about Skylum Software

Before After
© Kotenko

Overexposed landscape

Balance skies, background and foreground.

Fix

Make your landscape pictures brighter

When photographing landscapes, there can be a lack of light due to dull weather. If the flash failed during your photo shoot, brighten an image with a virtual flash!

  • Lighten your composition to make it how you imagined with a single slider.

  • Tone down a bright background to switch accents with a convenient editing tool.

Before After
© AGDBeukhof

Rim light

Get rid of halos and add more depth.

Flash

Reduce rim light

Give depth to your photos and brighten them in a click. Relight AI detects objects automatically, so removing halos is effortless.

  • Get a balanced result even with lighting from below.

  • Place a virtual backlit lighting in any part of the image.

See what customers say about Skylum Software

Rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 3,678 review on Trustpilot

Image Brightener: Brighten Photos & Pictures Effortlessly(3)

Advanced yet easy-to-use photo editor for everyone

Designed by Skylum for MacOS and Windows

Work also as plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom and Apple Photos®

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AI image enhancement

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Raw editing

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Layers support

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Non-destructive
editіng

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Lens correction

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Clone tool

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Dodge & burn

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Color enhancement

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Crop and resize

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Batch processing

Image Brightener: Brighten Photos & Pictures Effortlessly(4)

GenSwap

Replace specific elements

Effortlessly swap elements in your photos with AI-generated visuals that seamlessly integrate with the rest of your image.

Luminar Neo features: Supercontrast - Experience the power of perfect color contrast

GenErase

Eliminate distractions

Remove unwanted elements from your images and seamlessly fill in the gaps with elements that match the surroundings.

Luminar Neo features: Supercontrast - Experience the power of perfect color contrast

GenExpand

Break the limits of the frame

Extend the boundaries of your photos, whether you're creating landscapes or portraits, by adding more space to them.

Luminar Neo features: Supercontrast - Experience the power of perfect color contrast

Supercontrast

Experience the power
of perfect color contrast

Precisely adjusts tonal contrast with six distinct controls spanning highlights, mid-tones, and shadows.

Luminar Neo features: Supercontrast - Experience the power of perfect color contrast

EnhanceAI

Achieve an instantly captivating photo with an all-in-one tool

Control up to a dozen adjustments including shadows,highlights, contrast, and tone with one AI-powered tool.

Luminar Neo features: Enhance AI - Achieve an instantly captivating photo with an all-in-one tool

SkyAI

Increase the vibrancy of your photos by replacing a dull sky

Seamlessly replace the sky, taking into account its reflection in water for maximum realism.

Luminar Neo features: Sky AI - Increase the vibrancy of your photos by replacing a dull sky

AtmosphereAI

Add a unique
mystical mood

Place fog, mist, or haze in your photo
with content-aware AI.

Luminar Neo features: Atmosphere - Add a unique mystical mood

Sunrays

Let the sun shine
in your photo

Add beautiful rays of sunshine and control
their glow intensity.

Luminar Neo features: Sunrays - Let the sun shine in your photo

Erase

Clean, mess-free
photos in one click

Remove unwanted objects or details for fast,
easy, and realistіc results.

Luminar Neo features: Erase - Clean, mess-free photos in one click

Remove Powerlines

Get rid of annoying
power lines

Clean up your cityscapes with the power of AI.
No masking needed.

Luminar Neo features: Remove powerlines - Get rid of annoying power lines

Portrait Background

Experiment with
fun portraits

Remove the background and transport
people to a different location.

Luminar Neo features: Portrait Background - Experiment with fun portraits

RelightAI

Fix backlit photos
in an instant

Light up dark photos in post-processing and get total control over the lighting in your photo.

Luminar Neo features: Relight AI - Fix backlit photos in an instant

FaceAI

Retouch facial
features naturally

Add face light, remove dark circles,
enhance lips, and do so much more.

Luminar Neo features: Face AI - Smooth skin in a heartbeat

BodyAI

Shape the body

Add volume to or remove volume from the torso
or abdomen to enhance natural beauty.

Luminar Neo features: Body AI - Shape the body

SkinAI

Smooth skin
in a heartbeat

Automatically retouch a person’s skin
and eliminate imperfections.

Luminar Neo features: Face AI

Portrait BokehAI

Create a dreamy
bokeh effect

Simulate an out-of-focus background effect
without the need for a special lens.

Luminar Neo features: Portrait Bokeh AI - Create a dreamy bokeh effect

Color Harmony

Get precise
color control

Fine-tune adjustments like brilliance, warmth,
and balance with advanced tech in simple sliders.

Luminar Neo features: Color Harmony - Get precise color control

Structure AI

Sharp details,
natural look

Reveal a great deal of detail while keeping
people’s faces and skin natural.

Luminar Neo features: Structure AI - Sharp details, natural look

Discover Luminar Neo features

Image Brightener: Brighten Photos & Pictures Effortlessly(23)

GenSwap

GenErase

GenExpand

Supercontrast

EnhanceAI

SkyAI

AtmosphereAI

Sunrays

Erase

Remove Powerlines

Portrait Background

RelightAI

FaceAI

BodyAI

SkinAI

Portrait BokehAI

Color Harmony

Structure AI

6 reasons why Luminar Neo is the best photo editor for you

Why Luminar Neo is the best photo editor - Easy to use

Easy to use

Accessible to everyone thanks to an intuitive and user-friendly interface.

Why Luminar Neo is the best photo editor - AI-powered

AI-powered

Replace skies, enhance landscapes and portraits, all with AI-powered tools.

Why Luminar Neo is the best photo editor - Editing tools

Editing tools

Enjoy a wide range of instruments including layers, masking, and local adjustments.

Why Luminar Neo is the best photo editor - Available everywhere

Available everywhere

Use it on Windows, macOs, or as a plugin for Photoshop & Lightroom.

Why Luminar Neo is the best photo editor - Multiform presets

Multiform presets

Achieve quick pro-level results, and a consistent look across your photos.

Why Luminar Neo is the best photo editor - Continuous improvement

Continuous improvement

Receive regular release of updates and new features.

One-click
solutions.
Pro results

RelightAI

Wondering how to brighten a picture? Make backlit photos shine. Highlight or darken any part of your image.

Powerline Removal

Get a clear sky without power lines. Transform your cityscapes, urban landscapes, or travel photos in a click.

Mobile sharing

Edit photos in a few clicks and seamlessly share them to your smartphone.

Portrait Background RemovalAI

Make a tedious background replacement quick and fun.

Dust Spots Removal

Automatically select and remove blemishes. As easy as that.

Lightning-fast engine

Thanks to a modular design, individual components of Luminar Neo can be optimized separately for the best performance.

Learn How to Make Photos Brighter and Add Captivating Light with Luminar Neo

Follow tips and tricks to lighten pictures.

An application & plugin.
For Windows & macOS

  • High-performance image editor
  • 24/7 technical support
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • Luminar Insiders community
View plans

Frequently Asked Questions

What is backlighting?

Backlighting is when the light source is behind the object or subject being photographed.

How can you enhance dark photos?

Photo editing software like Luminar Neo has AI tools that let you control foreground and background exposure independently. The Relight AI tool in Luminar Neo is designed to fix lighting imperfections in post-processing and lighten the images.

What is rim lighting?

Rim lighting is when backlighting in a photo highlights the contours of a subject and creates a dramatic and mysterious effect.

Is rim lighting bad?

Rim lighting may be a sign that your lens was dirty or that the backlighting was insufficient. However, during photo editing, you can compensate for this with relighting technologies such as Relight AI.

What if the light from behind the model was too bright?

Even if you take a portrait with backlighting, the natural light may be brighter. If this is the case, you can work on the foreground and adjust the lighting automatically. Place the right accents with AI tools in photo editor Luminar Neo.

How can you fix a backlit face?

To light up portraits, you don’t need to crop, layer, and recolor the image. Relight AI in Luminar Neo does all of this automatically. Using Relight AI, you can achieve natural lighting in three-dimensional space, even for images with poorly lit faces.

How to brighten an image using Luminar's Image Brightener?

Luminar Neo has a lot of features for brightening photos. You can use Enhance AI to immediately improve the overall quality of your photo, use Relight AI to add light to your photos, and get realistic results with full control over exposure, or other tools depending on your needs.

How to brighten the background of a photo?

You can use Relight AI to control the exposure of your photo, including the background. Alternatively, you can use Layers to apply local adjustments to balance background and foreground.

Why is the Image Brightener by Luminar Neo better than other photo brighteners?

The Image Brightener by Luminar Neo stands out due to its advanced AI technology, which intelligently enhances the brightness of images without overexposing them or losing detail. It's designed to preserve the natural quality and color balance, ensuring the brightened images look realistic and true to life.

Image Brightener: Brighten Photos & Pictures Effortlessly(25)
Image Brightener: Brighten Photos & Pictures Effortlessly(26)
Image Brightener: Brighten Photos & Pictures Effortlessly(26)

What is LuminarAI?

LuminarAI is an all-new application and plug-in and the first fully AI-powered image editing software in the world.


While Skylum is well-known for building software that taps into artificial intelligence for great results, LuminarAI is entirely different. 


We built LuminarAI with artificial intelligence at its core. Artificial intelligence saves you time and effort. Before, traditional editing software was outdated. It was time-consuming and hard to learn. It required effort and skills to get satisfying results. With LuminarAI, you can create great-looking photos much faster. It’s perfect for anyone, of any skill level. 


While other companies use artificial intelligence as a catchphrase, LuminarAI is packed full of truly smart technology. LuminarAI features many AI tools that allow you to get more done in less time. Innovations like SkyAI, FaceAI, BodyAI, IrisAI, AtmosphereAI and more give your images a memorable style and a competitive edge. Without sacrificing quality, speed or creative options.

How to download and activate LuminarAI?

Your download links will be waiting for you in your Skylum account.

NOTE: Your LuminarAI purchase is linked to the billing email address you provided. Use that email to log in to your Skylum Account or, if needed, create a new Skylum Account tied to that email address.

  1. Visit the login page here

  2. If you already have an account, sign in with Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, or your email and password.

  3. If you don’t have an account, you can create it here. Make sure to choose the same email used for the LuminarAI purchase. 

  4. If you have a Skylum account, but purchased LuminarAI using an email address not tied to it, you can merge your accounts into one in the My Software tab > Link my licenses section of your Skylum account. After that, please go to the inbox of your new email address and verify your email.

  5. In your account, you will see a My Software tab with all of your Skylum software, including LuminarAI.

  6. Find the tab with LuminarAI. Download LuminarAI by clicking the Download button. 


With LuminarAI we made the activation process easier and faster for you. There’s no need to remember your license number in order to use LuminarAI. Now you may activate LuminarAI directly from your account.

By default, all our software launches in trial mode when you first open it. When you start LuminarAI, you’ll see a window that prompts you to log in to your Skylum Account. 

To activate LuminarAI:


  • If you already have a Skylum account, sign in with a linked Google, Facebook, Microsoft, or Apple account, or sign in with your email and password.

  • If you don’t have a Skylum account, click Register and create a Skylum Account. You can sign up with a Facebook, Google, Microsoft, or Apple account, or you can sign up using your email and a password. 

  • If you have a Skylum account, but purchased LuminarAI using an email address not tied to it, you can merge your accounts into one in the My Software tab > Link my licenses section of your Skylum account. After that, please go to the inbox of your new email address and verify your email.

  • Congratulations! You’ve activated LuminarAI.

Still don’t see LuminarAI in your account? Our support team will help you with that.

What are the system requirements for LuminarAI?

LuminarAI should work on your computer as long as it meets the following minimum system requirements. 


For Mac:

    • MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, Mac mini, early 2010 or newer

      • CPU Intel® Core™ i5 or better

        • Memory 8 GB RAM or more (16+ GB RAM is recommended)

          • macOS 10.13.6 or higher. IMPORTANT: macOS 10.12 is not supported.

            • Hard disk 10 GB free space; SSD for best performance

              • Display 1280x768 size or better

              Starting from Update 3, LuminarAI runs natively on the M1 chip.


              For Windows:

                • Windows-based hardware PC with mouse or similar input device

                  • CPU Intel® Core™ i5 or better, AMD Ryzen™ 5 or better

                    • Open GL 3.3 or later compatible Graphics Cards

                      • Memory 8 GB RAM or more (16+ GB RAM is recommended)

                        • Operating System Windows 10 (only 64-bit OS) or higher. IMPORTANT: Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 are not supported.

                          • Hard disk 10 GB free space; SSD for best performance

                            • Display 1280x768 size or better

                            Are third-party plug-ins supported? (including Aurora HDR and Luminar 4)

                            In our other applications, third-party plug-ins are supported and send back the processed image as a new layer. 


                            One of the changes in LuminarAI is the switch from layers to a Local Adjustments tool and smart segmentation of our AI-powered tools. This is why there will be no third-party plugin support in LuminarAI. If you need to merge bracketed photos, we suggest using Aurora HDR in its standalone mode.

                            Can I use LuminarAI as a plug-in?

                            LuminarAI is a universal solution that can function both as a standalone editor and a plug-in.

                            Using LuminarAI as a plug-in, you’ll be able to bring creative and timesaving workflow to your host application. LuminarAI allows you to revolutionize the way you enhance photos but conveniently fits into your current workflow. 


                            LuminarAI can be used as a plug-in or extension for: 


                              • Lightroom Classic (starting from version 6)

                                • Photoshop (from version CS5)

                                  • Photos for macOS


                                  Does LuminarAI handle RAW files?

                                  Of course! LuminarAI RAW processing is based on our own powerful RAW engine. We regularly update our library and make our own improvements to provide perfect support for new cameras. You can check the full list of supported cameras here.

                                  Can I use other skies/textures/objects in LuminarAI?

                                  Yes, you can use your own sky textures and objects in LuminarAI.


                                  SkyAI will work with your own photos if they are in one of the following formats: JPEG, PNG and TIFF. Here are guidelines on preparing skies for best results. Augmented SkyAI will work with your own objects if they are in PNG format with the Alpha channel or JPG format with a fully black background.

                                  App Requirements

                                  macOS

                                  Mac Model

                                  MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, Mac mini, early 2010 or newer

                                  Processor

                                  CPU Intel® Core™ i5 or better

                                  OS version

                                  macOS 11.0 or higher.

                                  RAM

                                  Memory 8 GB RAM or more (16+ GB RAM is recommended)

                                  Disk space

                                  Hard disk 10 GB free space; SSD for best performance

                                  Display

                                  1280x768 size or better

                                  Windows

                                  Hardware

                                  Windows-based hardware PC with mouse or similar input device

                                  Processor

                                  CPU Intel® Core™ i5 or better, AMD Ryzen™ 5 or better

                                  OS version

                                  10 version 1909 or higher (only 64-bit OS)

                                  RAM

                                  Memory 8 GB RAM or more (16+ GB RAM is recommended)

                                  Disk space

                                  Hard disk 10 GB free space; SSD for best performance

                                  Display

                                  1280x768 size or better

                                  Graphics

                                  Open GL 3.3 or later compatible graphics card