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Upload Your First Photo

Start every design by uploading a photo of the house you're working on. Lumineer places your lights directly on the photo so your client sees exactly what their home will look like.

What you'll learn

  • How to upload a house photo
  • Supported formats and size limits
  • Tips for taking the best photos

Upload a photo

  1. Open the editor — Create a new design from your dashboard, or open an existing one.
  2. Upload your photo — You have two options:
    • Drag and drop a photo from your computer directly onto the canvas area.
    • Click the upload button in the center of the canvas and select a file from your device.
  3. Wait for processing — A progress bar appears while your photo is compressed and optimized. This usually takes 2-3 seconds.
  4. Start designing — Once the photo loads, the full editor appears with all your tools ready to go.

Tip: You can also upload photos from your phone or tablet. Lumineer works on any device with a modern browser.

Photo requirements

| Requirement | Details | |------------|---------| | Formats | JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC (iPhone photos) | | Max size | Photos are automatically compressed to 3MB and resized to 2048px on the longest side | | Orientation | EXIF rotation is handled automatically — portrait and landscape both work |

Tips for better photos

  • Shoot at dusk or early evening — Some ambient light helps show the house structure while giving a sense of how lights will look at night.
  • Step back far enough to capture the full roofline and any landscaping you plan to light.
  • Avoid extreme angles — A straight-on shot from the street gives the most accurate proportions for measurement calibration.
  • Overcast days work great — Even lighting without harsh shadows makes it easier to see where to place lights.
  • Include the whole facade — If you can't fit it in one shot, you'll be able to create multi-page designs with front, side, and back views in a future update.

What happens to your photo

Your photo is stored securely in the cloud. It's linked to your design and loads automatically every time you open the project. The original photo is never modified — all lights, colors, and effects are layered on top.

Note: Older designs created before April 2026 may store photos differently. They'll still work — Lumineer handles both formats automatically.

Next steps:

Next Draw Your First Light Strand