Drag and drop or click to upload a JPG, PNG, or WEBP image. The Warm Sunrise style is applied immediately as the default.
Light Leak Effect
Add warm, golden, or cinematic light flares to any photo. Choose a style, set the intensity, and download instantly. Free, no signup.
How to Add a Light Leak Effect to a Photo
Select Warm Sunrise, Golden Hour, Purple Haze, or Cinematic Red. Each uses a different gradient position and colour palette to match the mood of your photo.
Drag the Intensity slider from 1 (subtle hint) to 5 (strong cinematic flare). Click Download to save as a PNG at full resolution.
What is a light leak effect?
Light leaks originate from analogue film photography, where imperfect camera bodies would allow stray light to expose the film, creating colourful streaks and washes across the frame. Rather than ruining the photo, these accidental effects became prized for the organic warmth and imperfection they added. Today, the light leak look is a deliberate creative choice used in portrait photography, music visuals, brand content, and social media to add mood, nostalgia, and energy.
How the effect is created
Layercy's light leak tool draws your image to an HTML canvas, then overlays multiple radial and linear gradient layers at low opacity. Each preset positions its gradients differently — Warm Sunrise places an orange radial gradient at the top-left with a soft accent in the opposite corner; Golden Hour runs a warm amber linear sweep from the right edge; Purple Haze adds a magenta-violet glow from the bottom-right; Cinematic Red uses a deep red radial from the top-right paired with an orange accent at the bottom-left. The Intensity slider maps to the overall opacity of the overlay stack, from barely perceptible to visually dominant.
When to use a light leak
Portrait photography — warm light leaks add a flattering golden tone to skin and create a natural vignette in reverse. Lifestyle and travel content — the golden hour and sunrise presets complement outdoor shots already shot in warm light. Album artwork and music visuals — the cinematic red and purple haze presets match the aesthetic of electronic, pop, and indie music branding. Social media thumbnails — a light leak makes flat studio shots feel more dynamic and editorial. Vintage and film edits — combined with a grain or vintage effect, light leaks complete the analogue film look.