# Animate a photo into a video clip with AI

> Start from your own photo — a product, a room, a portrait, a landscape — and describe how it should move. The model keeps your picture and adds the motion.

Turn a still photo into a moving shot: drop in the picture, describe the motion and generate it with Seedance, Kling, Veo or Wan. Or use a free camera move instead.

- Page: https://cutluma.com/tools/image-to-video
- Open in the editor: https://cutluma.com/login?mode=register&next=%2Feditor%3Fguest%3D1%26tool%3Daigen%26mode%3Di2v
- Access: Part of the paid plans (the editor itself is free)
- Maker: CutLuma (https://cutluma.com/)

## How it works

1. **Drop in a photo** — Your own picture or one you made with AI images. It becomes the first frame of the clip.
2. **Describe the motion** — “The camera circles the sneaker while light sweeps across it.” Pick a model; the price shows in dollars first.
3. **Use it in your edit** — The clip lands on the timeline or in the gap you selected, sized to fit. Add text, music and captions, then export.

## Why CutLuma for this

- **Your picture stays your picture** — Image to video starts from the exact photo you give it, so the product, room or face matches the rest of your video.
- **Sometimes a camera move is enough** — A slow zoom or pan on the still costs nothing and often looks just as good. The panel suggests it before you spend.
- **Four models to choose from** — Seedance 2.5, Kling 3 Turbo, Veo 3.1 Lite with sound, and Wan 3.0 — different looks at different prices.

## FAQ

**Is image to video free?**

The AI version is not: it runs on paid models and needs a paid plan, a top-up pack or, on Pro and Business, your own fal.ai API key. Adding a camera move to a still photo is free in the editor.

**What photos work best?**

Sharp pictures with a clear subject and some space around it. Describe one simple motion; asking for many things at once gives messier results.

**Can I animate a photo of a person?**

Only people who have agreed to it. Don’t animate photos of real people without their permission.

## Related

- [How to make AI B-roll for your video (without paying per credit)](https://cutluma.com/guides/how-to-make-ai-b-roll)