# Change lighting with Relight

> Use the Nodespell Relight Creative Tool to relight an image with key, fill, and rim lights on a 3D stage, or match the lighting of a reference image.

Source: https://docs.nodespell.com/creative-tools/relight/ · Last updated: 2026-11-10

Relight is the Nodespell Creative Tool for changing the lighting of an existing image while keeping it recognizable. You either design up to three lights (key, fill, and rim) on an interactive 3D stage with exposure, softness, and color, or you give Relight a second image whose lighting it should match. Each run returns a new image take.

## When should I use Relight?

Use Relight when the content of an image is right and only the light needs to change.

| If you want to                                    | Use                                                           |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Place and shape lights yourself                   | Relight, **Design lighting**                                  |
| Copy the lighting of another image                | Relight, **Match reference**                                  |
| Change content, not just light                    | [Image Editor](https://docs.nodespell.com/creative-tools/image-editor/)                 |
| Set a lighting style while generating a new image | [Cinematic Shot](https://docs.nodespell.com/creative-tools/cinematic-shot/)             |
| Adjust exposure and color without AI              | A color node; see [Color correction](https://docs.nodespell.com/edit/color-correction/) |

## Design new lighting

1. Open **Create**, select **All tools**, and choose **Relight**.
2. Add the image under **Source image** with **Choose assets**.
3. Leave **Relight method** on **Design lighting**.
4. Choose a **Lighting preset**, such as **Golden hour** or **Product softbox**. The preset sets up one to three lights.
5. On the **Lighting stage**, select **Key**, **Fill**, or **Rim** to pick a light, then drag it to a new position and adjust **Exposure**, **Softness**, and **Light color**.
6. Open **Lighting notes** to add mood, contrast, shadow, or preservation notes if needed.
7. Set **Generations** from 1 to 4, then select **Generate**.

## Match the lighting of a reference image

1. Add the **Source image**.
2. Set **Relight method** to **Match reference**.
3. Under **Lighting reference**, choose the image whose lighting should guide the result.
4. Choose **Reference influence**: **Subtle**, **Balanced**, or **Strong**.
5. Select **Generate**.

**Match reference** works only with models that accept two images. If the current model cannot, the method shows "Choose a reference-capable model to match a lighting reference."

## Relight controls

| Control                 | What it does                                                                   | Options or default                                                                                                                                                                     |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Source image**        | The image to relight                                                           | Required, one image                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **Relight method**      | Designed lights or a reference image                                           | **Design lighting** (default) or **Match reference**                                                                                                                                   |
| **Lighting preset**     | Starting light setup                                                           | Soft studio (default, 1 light), Natural window (2), Golden hour (2), Dramatic side light (1), Product softbox (2), Rim light (3), Neon contrast (3), Moonlight (2), Custom             |
| **Light role**          | Selects the light you are editing                                              | **Key**, **Fill**, **Rim**                                                                                                                                                             |
| Add light               | Adds the next light: **Fill light**, then **Rim light**                        | Up to three lights; switches the preset to **Custom**                                                                                                                                  |
| **Remove light**        | Removes the selected light; removing the fill light also removes the rim light | The key light cannot be removed                                                                                                                                                        |
| **Exposure**            | Brightness of the selected light                                               | −3.0 to +3.0 EV in 0.1 steps; key light default 0.0 EV                                                                                                                                 |
| **Softness**            | Shadow edge, from hard to soft                                                 | 0 to 100%; key light default 45%                                                                                                                                                       |
| **Light color**         | **Natural** white light or **Color light**                                     | **Natural** uses **Color temperature**, 2,000 to 12,000 K in 100 K steps, key light default 5,600 K. **Color light** offers Red, Orange, Green, Cyan, Blue, Magenta, or a custom color |
| **Lighting notes**      | Extra guidance not covered by the controls                                     | Optional                                                                                                                                                                               |
| **Lighting reference**  | Image to copy lighting from, in **Match reference**                            | Required in that method                                                                                                                                                                |
| **Reference influence** | How strongly the reference applies                                             | **Subtle**, **Balanced** (default), **Strong**                                                                                                                                         |

Editing any light, or adding or removing one, switches **Lighting preset** to **Custom**. Double-click the **Exposure**, **Softness**, or **Color temperature** slider to reset it.

## Use the lighting stage

The **Lighting stage** is an interactive 3D view of your lights around the subject.

| Action                     | Result                              |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Drag the control sphere    | Rotates the selected light freely   |
| Drag the X, Y, or Z ring   | Rotates around that world axis      |
| Drag the outer yellow ring | Rotates around the view axis        |
| Click a light              | Selects it                          |
| Arrow keys                 | Rotate around X and Y               |
| `Q` and `E`                | Rotate around Z                     |
| **Reset camera view**      | Returns the stage view to its start |

All stage gestures use the primary button, so they work on a trackpad. If the browser cannot show 3D, the stage reads "The 3D lighting preview is unavailable in this browser."

## Which models work with Relight?

Relight uses a fixed list of image models and has no **Featured** section.

| Model                   | **Design lighting** | **Match reference** |
| ----------------------- | ------------------- | ------------------- |
| Nano Banana 2 (default) | Yes                 | Yes                 |
| Nano Banana 2 Lite      | Yes                 | Yes                 |
| Nano Banana Pro         | Yes                 | Yes                 |
| Seedream 5 Pro          | Yes                 | Yes                 |
| GPT Image 2 Edit        | Yes                 | Yes                 |
| Flux Kontext Dev        | Yes                 | No                  |

In Create, when **Match reference** is selected, the picker lists only the models that support it. On the canvas, **Match reference** is unavailable while the node uses Flux Kontext Dev.

## Where does the relit image go?

Selecting **Generate** adds a model node to the current Level and runs it. Each result is kept as a [take](https://docs.nodespell.com/graph/takes/) and shown in **Results**. Nodespell stores the full lighting setup with the node, so selecting it later restores the method, preset, and lights. If a result holds lighting settings the node no longer has, Relight offers **Restore to node**, which writes them back without running anything.

## Common problems

| Problem                                                                                       | What to do                                                                                             |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| "Choose a lighting reference image."                                                          | Add an image under **Lighting reference**, or switch to **Design lighting**.                           |
| "Choose a reference-capable model to match a lighting reference."                             | Pick a model marked Yes for **Match reference** above.                                                 |
| "Match reference needs two local image slots. Disconnect the source input before generating." | The source comes from a connection. Disconnect it and choose the source image in the tool.             |
| The subject changes more than the light                                                       | Add a preservation note in **Lighting notes**, such as what must stay unchanged, or try another model. |

## Frequently asked questions

### How many lights can Relight use?

Up to three: a key light, a fill light, and a rim light. The key light is always present.

### Is the Relight 3D stage a real render?

No. The stage shows where your lights are. The AI model reads the setup as instructions and paints the new lighting; it does not ray-trace the scene.

### Can I relight using another photo's lighting?

Yes. Set **Relight method** to **Match reference**, add the photo under **Lighting reference**, and choose a **Reference influence**.

### Does Relight change my original image?

No. The relit image is a new take on a new node. The source stays unchanged.

## Related

- [Image Editor](https://docs.nodespell.com/creative-tools/image-editor/) — instruction-based edits
- [Cinematic Shot](https://docs.nodespell.com/creative-tools/cinematic-shot/) — lighting styles for new images
- [Color correction](https://docs.nodespell.com/edit/color-correction/) — non-AI exposure and color
- [Choose a model](https://docs.nodespell.com/creative-tools/choose-a-model/) — Relight model differences
- [Takes](https://docs.nodespell.com/graph/takes/) — compare lighting versions