Start with a light touch
Real leaks are accidents, so a believable one is usually partial. Between 40% and 70% strength reads as a happy accident, while 100% looks like a deliberate overlay.
FREE ONLINE PHOTO TOOL
Light leak filter.
Light leaks on any photo.
Let a warm streak of light spill in from the edge of your photo. Pick a leak, slide it around the frame, set how strong it is, and download a free JPG.
This free tool is a photo effect that processes your existing pixels. It works on still images, not video files, and it does not use the AI of the Stunna app.
Try it on our sample
Warm edge leak · Sample photo; the effect is rendered live above.
Let the light in.
Pick a leak, then place it and set how strong it is.
or drop it here · JPG, PNG, WebP · up to 20 MB
Free. No signup. No watermark. Up to 3000 px.
Get the full look in Stunna
Stunna’s Fire Fade look adds fiery sunset glow and film-burn edges to the whole scene with AI.
Try Fire Fade in StunnaTry the sample or choose your own photo.
Edited on your deviceNo account neededFree, watermark-free downloads
How to add a light leak to a photo
Choose a photo
Pick a JPG, PNG or WebP from your camera roll or computer. Photos with a bright wall, sky or skin tone near one edge show a leak best.
Pick a leak
Warm edge leak is the classic orange glow. Red film burn is hotter and blows out toward the edge. Rainbow prism adds a spectrum streak, and Faded corner is a soft glow in one corner.
Place it and download
Slide Leak position to move the light around the frame, set Leak strength, add grain or fade if you want more film, then download a watermark-free JPG.
What a light leak is, and how to make one believable.
A light leak is film getting exposed by light that was never meant to reach it. It happens when a camera back is opened too early, when a worn light seal or a gap in the body lets daylight creep in, or when a roll sits in a loose canister. Film is most sensitive to blue light and the red-sensitive layer sits deepest, so the glow that survives is usually orange, red or yellow, and it grows from the place where the light came in: the edge of the frame, or the gap between two frames.
This filter rebuilds that behavior from your photo. The leak is added with a screen blend, which only ever brightens, the same way extra exposure would. It is strongest right at the edge, fades inward on a smooth curve and wobbles slightly along its length so it does not look like a clean digital gradient. The hot core drifts toward yellow or white, while the outer reach stays red, which is how a real leak cools as it travels in from the gap. The look is deterministic, so the preview and your download match exactly.
To keep it believable, give the light a source: one side, one direction, and a photo with room for it to land. Match the grade too. A leak looks most at home on faded, warm, slightly grainy pictures, like the vintage filter or a disposable camera filter look, and least at home on crisp, cool, noise-free shots. Keep it off the face and let it fall across the background, a wall or the sky.
Try the free toolFour light leak looks
- Warm edge leak
- The standard light leak: an orange glow with a yellow core entering from one side. Slide it to the left or right edge for a classic roll-of-film feel. Pairs well with a warm film grade.
- Red film burn
- A hotter, redder leak that blows out toward the edge, like a back that was opened mid-roll. It is dramatic, so keep the strength moderate on portraits.
- Rainbow prism
- A narrow band that runs from red through yellow and green to blue and violet, like light bent through a lens or filter. It sits best at the top or bottom of the frame.
- Faded corner
- A soft round glow in one corner with a faded, lifted-black grade. The subtlest of the four, and the safest on a face. It suits golden hour scenes like the ones in our autumn portrait guide.
Same photo. Light spilling in.
A portrait against a plain wall with the Warm edge leak look: an orange glow entering from the right, a little fade and grain to match. Try Red film burn for a hotter version or Rainbow prism for a spectrum streak.
Try it on your photo
A few details make the difference.
Put the leak where the photo is empty
Slide Leak position until the light lands on a wall, a sky or a blurred background and leaves the face clear. Leaks that cover eyes and hands distract from the subject.
Add grain so the leak sits inside the picture
A smooth leak over a clean photo looks pasted on. A little grain and fade ties the glow to the image. For more control over grain, try the add grain to photo tool.
Pair it with the right frame
A leak on a casual snapshot looks like a throwaway roll. For the full look, see our disposable camera photo guide, or add an orange date with the timestamp camera.
Get the full look
in Stunna.
The free filter treats the photo you took. In Stunna, the Fire Fade look uses AI to add fiery sunset glow and film-burn edges to the scene itself. Free to download, with optional Pro features.
Free to download. Optional Pro features. AI results vary.
Explore Stunna’s AI looks
Light leak filter questions,
answered.
How do I add a light leak to a photo?
Upload your photo, pick Warm edge leak, Red film burn, Rainbow prism or Faded corner, then use Leak position and Leak strength to place the light. Download the JPG when it looks right.
Is this light leak filter free?
Yes. You can edit and download as many photos as you want with no account and no watermark. Downloads are JPG files up to 3000 px on the long edge.
Are my photos uploaded?
No. The effect is rendered in your browser, so the photo stays on your device. Closing the tab clears the session.
Can I add light leaks to a video?
No. This tool works on still photos only. It adds a light leak to a picture you already have, which suits posts, stories and collages.
What is the difference between a light leak and a film burn?
A light leak is a soft glow of stray light on film. A film burn is the extreme version, hotter and redder, where the edge blows out toward white. The Red film burn look gives you that stronger version.
Does the Stunna app have a light leak look?
Yes. Fire Fade is an AI look in the Stunna app with fiery sunset glow and film-burn edges. AI results vary, so compare it with your original.
Related guides
Photo tips and ideas that pair well with this tool.
- Warm Film Look: A Film-Inspired Edit for Everyday PhotosUse gentle color, intentional contrast, and restrained grain to give a camera-roll set a coherent nostalgic finish.
- Disposable Camera Photos: How to Get That Film LookShoot candid frames, keep the flash close, and add restrained texture for a nostalgic photo dump.
- Fall Photoshoot Ideas: Autumn Portrait Light, Layers and TextureA practical recipe for warm light, simple layers, a textured backdrop, and gentle contrast without turning skin orange.
- Golden Hour Photography: Better Sunset PortraitsFind warmer light, avoid the silhouette trap, and edit a sunset portrait while keeping natural skin tones.