Light up dark
photos in post

Get realistic results with full control over exposure. Create virtual backlighting in Luminar Neo.

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 map of image space.

Balance background and foreground.

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

Use a single tool for portraits & landscapes.

Landscape, real estate, and portrait photographers can get perfect results with AI photo tools.

Before After
© SeventyFour

Backlit portrait

Naturally relight face features.

Change

Work precisely on backlit portraits

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 set.

  • Illuminate backlighting portrait in a dramatic way.

  • Get equally good results on group portraits.

  • Apply edit as a Preset to a photo series.

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

Place accents over multidimensional landscapes

While taking backlighting photography, there can still be a lack of light due to dull weather. If the flash failed during your photo shoot, get a virtual one!

  • Illuminate composition, as you imagined it.

  • Bring down a bright background to switch accents.

Before After
© AGDBeukhof

Rim light

Get rid of halos and add more depth.

Flash

Reduce rim light

Give depth to your photos in a click. AI detects objects automatically, so removing halos becomes effortless.

  • Get a balanced result even with lighting from below.

  • Place a virtual backlit lighting in any area on the image.

View customer review on RelightAI,
made to photographers’ feedback

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

Check out some other cool Luminar Neo photo editor tools

Unleash your creativity with signature AI tools

Before After
© Cuma Cevik
Before After
© Maryna Yurlovska
Before After
© Maryna Yurlovska
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© Thomas Karagiannis
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© Javier Pardina

SkyAI

Portrait BokehAI

Enhance

Erase

SkinAI

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

Easy to use

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

AI-powered

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

Editing tools

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

Available everywhere

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

Multiform presets

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

Continuous improvement

Receive regular release of updates and new features.

One-click
solutions.
Pro results

RelightAI

Make backlit photos shine again. Highlight or darken any part of your image.

Line RemovalAI

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

Mobile sharing

Edit photos on the go and seamlessly share them to your smartphone.

Portrait Background RemovalAI

Turn a tedious background replacement into a quick and fun thing.

Dust RemovalAI

Automatically select and remove blemishes. As easy as that.

Lightning-fast engine

Designed as a module system its parts now can be optimized separately, for the best performance.

How to make captivating light in your photo

Follow tips and tricks for balanced and bright images.

An application & plugin.
For Windows & macOS

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is backlighting?

Usually, it’s when the light source is behind the photography object or subject.

How to fix a picture that is too dark?

Get convenient photo editing software like Luminar Neo. It has AI tools that let you control the foreground and background exposure independently. RelightAI is designed to fix lighting imperfections in post.

What is rim lighting?

It’s an effect objects have on backlit photos. This lighting highlights the contours of a subject and creates a dramatic and mysterious effect.

Is rim lighting bad?

Rim lighting may be a sign your lens wasn’t clean enough, or that the backlight was insufficient. However, during photo editing, you can compensate for this with relighting technologies like with RelightAI.

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

Even if you took a portrait with backlighting, the natural light may be brighter. Work on the foreground and switch the light automatically. Place the right accents with AI tools in Luminar Neo.

How can you fix a backlit face?

To light up portraits you don’t need to crop, layer and recolor the image. RelightAI in Luminar Neo does this automatically. Photos with poorly lit faces get natural lighting in three-dimensional space.

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 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.

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 10.14.6 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