What is Relight Media?
“Get the lighting you wanted on set, without going back to set. The Pika Relight Media app takes any photo or video and rebuilds its light and shadow, based on a preset or your own manual adjustments. Your subject, framing, and motion stay exactly as you shot them.”
Photos and videos
“Takes any photo or video.”
Light and shadow rebuilt
Not just a colour filter: the lighting itself changes.
Presets or manual
“Based on a preset or your own manual adjustments.”
Shot stays the same
“Your subject, framing, and motion stay exactly as you shot them.”
Pika’s apps page lists it as a Featured App: “Relight any photo or video.” Preset names, manual controls, length limits and credit costs aren’t listed on the app’s page; check the app.
Sources: Relight Media and Pika apps.
When to use Relight Media
| Problem | Aim for |
|---|---|
| Flat, grey, overcast footage | Directional side light with some contrast |
| Harsh midday sun and hard shadows | Softer, warmer golden-hour light |
| Clips from different days that don’t match | The same light direction and warmth on every shot |
| Product looks dull | Bright key light, clean highlights, a soft shadow |
| Portrait lacks depth | Key light plus a rim light to separate the subject |
| Scene needs a different mood | Night, neon, candlelight or dramatic low-key light |
| AI-generated clip with odd lighting | Natural, consistent light that matches the rest of the edit |
How to use Relight Media
- Open Relight Media and sign in.
- Upload a photo or video.
- Choose a preset for a quick result, or use manual adjustments for control.
- Check the credit cost shown in the app, then generate.
- Compare with the original: faces, edges and motion should look unchanged apart from the light.
- Try a second look, then download your favourite.
Lighting terms that help
General lighting vocabulary; useful for choosing presets or describing what you want.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Key light | The main light on the subject |
| Fill light | A softer light that lifts shadows |
| Rim / back light | Light from behind that outlines the subject |
| Soft vs hard light | Soft light has gentle shadows; hard light has sharp ones |
| High-key vs low-key | Bright and airy vs dark and dramatic |
| Colour temperature | Warm (orange) to cool (blue) light |
| Golden hour | Low, warm sunlight near sunrise or sunset |
Lighting looks to try
Golden hour
Warm, low side light; great for travel and lifestyle.
Studio key
Clean, bright front light for products and presenters.
Moody low-key
Dark background, strong side light for drama.
Neon night
Coloured light and reflections for urban scenes.
Soft window light
Natural, flattering light for portraits.
Candlelight
Warm, flickering glow for intimate scenes.
These are general styles (ours). The app’s own presets may be named differently.
Before and after examples
Two photos and two clips, relit with Relight Media.
Example 1 · Flat portrait
Example 2 · Product on a table
Example 3 · Street clip
Example 4 · Interview clip
Relight Media vs Color Grade
| Relight Media | Color Grade | |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | Light and shadow (“rebuilds its light and shadow”) | The overall colour and look (“Give footage your look”) |
| Use it to | Fix direction, softness and brightness of light | Set a style or match colours across clips |
| Order | First | After relighting |
Color Grade guide: Pika Color Grade. The order is our suggestion.
Combine with other Pika apps
- Camera Director: generate new angles, then relight them all the same way.
- Product Shot: relight a product photo for a different campaign mood.
- Upscale: “Take any image or video to a higher resolution” after relighting.
- Pika Soundtrack: add sound to the finished clip.
Full finishing order: How to improve Pika video quality.
Common problems and fixes
| Problem | Try |
|---|---|
| Result looks artificial | Choose a subtler look closer to the original light |
| Skin tones look off | Warmer light, or correct afterwards in Color Grade |
| Shadows don’t match the new light | Try another preset or adjust direction manually |
| Clips in one edit look different | Use the same preset or settings on every clip |
| Very dark footage stays noisy | Start from the best-exposed clip you have |
Relight Media FAQs
Does Relight Media work on videos?
Yes. Pika says it “takes any photo or video.”
Will it change my subject or framing?
Pika says: “Your subject, framing, and motion stay exactly as you shot them.” Always check the result against the original.
Can I control the light myself?
Yes. Pika says it works “based on a preset or your own manual adjustments.”
How much does it cost?
The app shows the credit cost before you generate. See Pika pricing.
Is this the official Pika website?
No. pikaais.com is an independent informational guide.
Relight one flat clip
Pick a clip shot on a grey day and try golden-hour and studio looks side by side.
Open Relight Media ↗Next: Color Grade · Camera Director · All Pika apps
Sources: Pika Relight Media, Pika apps, Pika homepage and Pika Upscale, checked September 24, 2026. Images: Pika. Lighting terms, looks and tips are our own.