by Carruto·Rendering
Images © Carruto. Used for product review; image policy.
Earns a place in the superhive library for pairing classic photography lighting presets with a camera-relative, parametric rig, all kept to portrait work without HDRI or environment management.
Portrait Lighting Studio is a Blender add-on built around a camera-relative lighting rig for portrait work. Instead of placing and tweaking lights manually, it provides classic portrait lighting presets used in photography, including Rembrandt, Split, Loop, Butterfly, Clamshell, Short, Broad, Rim, and Cross lighting. The system is fully parametric and works relative to the active camera and subject, so the lighting look stays consistent even when you change camera angles or framing.
Controls use photographer-friendly terminology rather than raw XYZ transforms, covering key angle, fill ratio in stops, rim intensity, height, size, and color. Separate targets handle lighting and camera framing, and one-click framing presets cover Head, Bust, and Full shots. The add-on works in both Eevee and Cycles and has no external dependencies.
It is aimed at character artists creating portraits or headshots, Blender users who want fast lighting without manual setup, and photographers moving into Blender. The tool focuses purely on portrait lighting and does not manage HDRIs or environments, keeping the workflow simple.
Portrait Lighting Studio is best for character artists creating portraits or headshots, Blender users who want fast lighting without manual setup, and photographers transitioning into Blender.
Portrait Lighting Studio is completely free to download and use.
Portrait Lighting Studio lists compatibility with Blender versions 4.2 through 5.0, so it covers the 4.2 release and later builds within that range. It is a Blender add-on and is marked as Blender Extension compatible. If you run a version inside that range, the add-on is intended to work as described. Check the developer's page to confirm the current supported version range before you install it on your setup.
Portrait Lighting Studio works in both Eevee and Cycles, so you can use its camera-relative lighting rig and portrait presets whichever of those two render engines your project uses. The lighting system is parametric and works relative to the active camera and subject, which helps keep a consistent lighting look even when you change camera angles or framing. For any engine-specific notes, the developer's page is the place to check before starting a render.
Portrait Lighting Studio has no external dependencies, so it runs as a self-contained Blender add-on without extra packages to install alongside it. It also focuses purely on portrait lighting and does not manage HDRIs or environments, which keeps the workflow simple and fast. The add-on covers portrait lighting and camera framing within Blender itself. See the developer's page for installation details specific to your Blender version.
Portrait Lighting Studio is listed as free in this catalog, and it is distributed under the GPL license. Licensing and pricing can change over time, so check the developer's page for the current terms before you download. The add-on is a Blender extension, and the developer's page is the best place to confirm how it is offered and any conditions that apply to its use in your projects.
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