Lumen Tool - Portrait Lighting Simulator

Desktop only. This tool works on desktop and modern tablets only. Mobile devices are not supported.

Free browser-based tool

Plan portrait lighting before you set up real gear.

Lumen Tool is an interactive portrait lighting simulator for photographers and creators. Explore how light position, angle, distance, softness and color shape a face before a real shoot.

Preview setups visually

Test key, fill, back and hair light ideas in a fast visual way before moving actual lights.

Understand light behavior

See how shadows, highlights, contrast and color temperature shift as you adjust the setup.

Go deeper in Advanced

Use saved setups, setup sharing, analysis tools, diagram view and setup view when you want more control.

About Blog Changelog Help

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Two looks for this head Realistic is a lifelike face with skin and hair. Neutral turns it into a plain artist's mannequin, so you only see how the light falls.

Analysis

Key:Fill ratio ?How much stronger the key is than the fill, worked out the same way the 3D view lights the face: brightness and distance together. 2:1 means the key lands about twice as strong as the fill. A relative comparison, not a light meter reading. -

Pattern ?Estimated from the lights that are actually on, their angle and height, and the direction you are viewing from. An indication only: the real result depends on the face, the skin and the modifier. A starting point, not a guarantee. -

Color temp diff ?The Kelvin gap between the lights that are on, and whether gels are in play. A bigger gap, or different gels, means more of a warm/cool mix. How visible that is depends on the shot. -

Key light (stops) ?How far this light sits below full power. 100% is the reference at 0.0 stops, 50% is one stop down. For comparing the lights in this tool with each other, not an exposure reading. -

Fill light (stops) ?How far the fill sits below full power. Compare it with the key to see how many stops apart the two lights are set. Not an exposure reading. -

Falloff (key) ?What moving the key light in or out does, compared with the middle of the distance scale. Distance in this tool is a relative scale, not metres or feet, so this is a comparison and not a measurement. -

Contrast ?Estimated from the relative key/fill balance and how soft the key is. Flat means even, low-drama light; harsh means hard shadow edges. An indication of the mood, not a measurement of the rendered face. -

Best experienced on desktop

Presets

Skin Tone

Backdrop

Lights

Key Light

Intensity80%-0.3 stops

Kelvin5500K

Height30

Angle45°

Distance50

Softness30%

Gel

Fill Light

Intensity40%-1.3 stops

Kelvin5500K

Height10

Angle315°

Distance50

Softness30%

Gel

Back Light

Intensity60%-0.7 stops

Kelvin6500K

Height50

Angle180°

Distance40

Softness30%

Gel

Hair Light

Intensity50%-1.0 stop

Kelvin5500K

Height70

Angle180°

Distance40

Softness20%

Gel

Value Study

3D model credits