Soft Window Light

ROLE

Act as a senior professional portrait retoucher, photographer, lighting artist and AI image-editing specialist. Perform a controlled, production-quality lighting adjustment to the uploaded photograph.

Treat the source image as the absolute ground truth for all visible content. Modify illumination only. Do not reconstruct, add, remove, replace or reposition any visible element.

EDIT — SOFT WINDOW LIGHT

Relight the existing subject with the visual quality of soft natural daylight commonly produced by a large window.

IMPORTANT: "Window light" describes ONLY the desired quality and character of the illumination.

It does NOT mean that a window or light source should be created, shown, added or made visible anywhere in the photograph.

Do not visualize the source of the light.

Do not modify the background to explain the lighting.

Do not add anything behind, beside or around the subject.

DESIRED RESULT

Transform the existing illumination into soft, flattering, directional natural daylight.

Create:

* a clearly brighter light-facing side of the face;
* smooth gradual falloff toward the opposite side;
* soft dimensional shadows;
* natural facial contouring;
* luminous but controlled skin highlights;
* attractive highlights in existing hair;
* subtle realistic eye catchlights where appropriate;
* gentle contrast between highlights and shadows;
* slightly warm, natural daylight tonality;
* realistic depth and dimensionality.

The transformation must be clearly visible when comparing before and after, while still looking like an authentic photograph.

LIGHTING STYLE

Use the appearance of a large, diffused natural light source positioned outside the photographed frame.

The source must remain completely unseen and undefined.

Choose whichever off-camera direction best complements the subject's existing pose and scene lighting.

Apply the illumination according to the subject's actual three-dimensional geometry.

The light-facing cheek, forehead, nose, hair, neck, shoulder and other exposed surfaces should brighten naturally according to their orientation.

Allow illumination to wrap gently around curved surfaces.

The opposite side should transition progressively into soft shadow rather than becoming abruptly dark.

Maintain enough ambient fill to keep facial details visible.

Do not create strong backlighting.

Do not create a glowing outline behind the subject.

Do not create a rim-light effect.

Do not place a bright light behind the subject.

Do not make the background brighter merely to imply a light source.

BACKGROUND LOCK

Treat the entire existing background as LOCKED PIXELS in terms of content and structure.

Preserve the background's:

* objects;
* architecture;
* walls;
* windows if already present;
* furniture;
* textures;
* patterns;
* edges;
* colors;
* perspective;
* depth of field;
* brightness relationships.

Do not generate, remove, enlarge, replace or redesign anything in the background.

Most importantly, DO NOT ADD:

* a window;
* a window frame;
* curtains;
* blinds;
* doors;
* openings;
* lamps;
* light fixtures;
* glowing panels;
* bright rectangles;
* light sources;
* artificial light patches;
* frames or borders at the image edges.

The requested transformation must be achieved entirely through realistic illumination of EXISTING image content.

NO VISIBLE LIGHT SOURCE

There must be NO newly visible source responsible for the illumination.

Do not attempt to explain where the light comes from.

Do not depict the source.

Do not generate environmental evidence of a new source.

The viewer should simply perceive that the subject was photographed under attractive natural daylight.

FACIAL LIGHTING

Use soft directional illumination to enhance the existing three-dimensional structure of the face WITHOUT altering that structure.

Preserve exactly:

* face shape;
* eye shape, size and spacing;
* eyebrows;
* nose;
* lips;
* cheekbones;
* jaw;
* chin;
* ears;
* expression;
* gaze;
* natural asymmetry;
* perceived age.

Lighting may make existing contours more visible, but must never reshape them.

Keep skin texture photographic and natural.

Preserve pores, fine lines, freckles, moles and other visible characteristics.

Do not beautify or reconstruct the face.

HAIR LIGHTING

Preserve the exact hairstyle and individual hair structure.

Allow existing strands facing the illumination to become naturally brighter.

Create subtle warm luminosity and tonal separation within the hair where physically appropriate.

Do not create glowing hair edges.

Do not add a halo.

Do not simulate backlighting.

Do not change hairstyle, length, volume or color.

COLOR & TONAL RESPONSE

Use neutral-to-gently-warm natural daylight.

Warm illuminated skin and hair very subtly while maintaining accurate skin color.

Do not apply a global warm filter.

Preserve natural color relationships throughout the photograph.

Create smooth highlight roll-off.

Retain recoverable highlight detail.

Keep shadows detailed.

Avoid excessive contrast.

Avoid HDR processing.

PRESERVATION

Outside the requested lighting adjustment, preserve the uploaded photograph exactly.

Do not alter:

* identity;
* anatomy;
* facial features;
* expression;
* hairstyle;
* body proportions;
* pose;
* hands;
* clothing;
* accessories;
* jewelry;
* tattoos;
* scars;
* freckles or moles;
* background content;
* objects;
* architecture;
* text;
* logos;
* composition;
* crop;
* camera position;
* perspective;
* focal-length appearance;
* depth of field;
* aspect ratio.

Do not introduce any new visual element.

REALISM

Preserve the original photographic character.

Match existing:

* skin texture;
* hair detail;
* fabric detail;
* image grain;
* sensor noise;
* sharpness;
* focus falloff;
* compression characteristics.

The edit should resemble professional photographic relighting, not image regeneration.

AVOID

* visible windows or newly generated windows;
* visible light sources;
* backlights;
* lamps;
* glowing background areas;
* bright objects behind the person;
* window frames;
* image-edge frames or borders;
* rectangular light patches;
* projected window shapes;
* curtains or blinds;
* rim lighting;
* hair halos;
* fake light rays;
* volumetric beams;
* lens flare;
* flat brightness gradients;
* global exposure increases;
* harsh sunlight;
* studio-light appearance;
* plastic skin;
* excessive skin glow;
* excessive warmth;
* altered facial features;
* altered background;
* AI-generated artifacts.

FINAL QUALITY CONTROL

Compare the output directly against the source before finalizing.

Confirm that:

1. The photograph contains exactly the same visible people, objects and environment as the source.
2. No window, lamp, light source, frame, border or background element was introduced.
3. There is no artificial backlight or glowing area behind the subject.
4. The subject now has clearly visible soft directional daylight.
5. One side of the subject is naturally brighter while the other transitions smoothly into soft shadow.
6. Facial geometry and identity remain unchanged.
7. Hair and skin respond naturally to the illumination.
8. The lighting transformation is noticeable without becoming artificial.
9. The result resembles a photograph captured under beautiful natural window illumination.
10. The only meaningful difference between the source and output is the QUALITY, DIRECTION, BRIGHTNESS AND TONAL CHARACTER OF THE EXISTING LIGHTING.

OUTPUT

Return one polished final image only.

Preserve the original aspect ratio, framing and resolution whenever possible.

Do not add captions, borders, watermarks or explanatory text.