How to Photoshop Someone into a Picture (Step-by-Step)

(Last updated on August 29th, 2023)

Summary

• The article teaches how to use Adobe Photoshop, a popular and powerful photo editing software, to photoshop someone into a picture in a realistic and convincing way.
• The article explains the steps involved in the process, such as selecting the person, copying and pasting them into the background, adjusting the size and position, matching the lighting and colors, and adding shadows and effects.
• To photoshop someone into a picture: select person > refine selection > output as new layer with mask > copy and paste into background > resize and reposition > flip (if needed) > match lighting and colors > add shadows and effects.
• The article provides tips and tricks for improving or experimenting with different techniques and effects, such as using high-quality photos, similar perspectives, compatible colors, multiple adjustment layers, layer masks, smart objects, and more.
• The article encourages the reader to practice and share their results with others in the comments below.
• The article includes references to various sources that explain how to use different tools and features in Photoshop.

Have you ever wanted to create a photo collage with your friends, family, or celebrities? Or maybe you want to make a funny prank by photoshopping someone into an unexpected situation? Or perhaps you want to enhance a portrait by adding someone else’s features or accessories?

Whatever your reason, photoshopping someone into a picture can be a fun and creative way to express yourself and impress others. But how do you do it in a realistic and convincing way?

In this article, I will teach you how to photoshop someone into a picture using Adobe Photoshop, the most popular and powerful photo editing software in the world. Photoshop has many tools and features that allow you to manipulate images and create stunning composites.

By following these steps, you will learn how to:

• Select the person you want to photoshop
• Copy and paste them into the background photo
• Adjust their size and position
• Match their lighting and colors with the background
• Add shadows and effects to make them look more natural and realistic

Ready to get started? Let’s go!

Why Photoshop?

Before we begin, you might be wondering why we are using Photoshop for this tutorial. Photoshop is the best software for this kind of project because it has:

• Powerful tools that let you select, copy, paste, transform, adjust, blend, and mask any part of an image
• Creative options that let you add effects, filters, styles, and layers to enhance your image
• Professional results that let you create high-quality and realistic composites that look like they were taken with a camera

If you don’t have Photoshop installed on your computer, don’t worry. You can click here to buy it or get a free trial. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Step 1: Select the person

The first step is to select the person you want to photoshop into another picture. You need to choose a suitable photo of them that matches the resolution, angle, pose, expression, and lighting of the background photo.

For example, if you want to photoshop someone into a beach scene, you should choose a photo of them wearing casual clothes, smiling or laughing, and facing the same direction as the sun.

Once you have chosen your photo, open it in Photoshop and use one of the selection tools to make a rough selection around the person. You can use the object selection tool or the quick selection tool for this.

To use either tool:

• Go to the toolbar on the left side of the screen and click on the icon that looks like a dotted rectangle with an object inside it.
• Choose either rectangle or lasso mode from the options bar at the top of the screen.
• Draw around the person and release your mouse button.

You should see a moving dotted line around the person, indicating that they are selected. Don’t worry if the selection is not perfect at this stage. We will refine it later.

Next, we need to refine the selection using the select and mask feature. This feature lets you adjust parameters such as radius, feather, contrast, and decontaminate colors to make the selection more accurate and smooth.

To use this feature:

1. Go to the options bar at the top of the screen and click on select and mask.
2. A new window will open with your photo and your selection.
3. On the right side of the window, use various sliders and buttons to modify your selection.
4. On the left side of the window, use some of the tools to manually edit your selection.
5. Change the view mode of your selection by clicking on the icons at the bottom of the window.
6. Once you are happy with your selection, output it as a new layer with a layer mask by choosing output to: new layer with layer mask from the drop-down menu at the bottom right corner of the window.
7. Click OK.

You should now see a new layer in your layers panel with your selection and a layer mask. You can rename this layer by double-clicking on its name and typing something like “person”.

Step 2: Copy and paste the person into the background

The next step is to copy and paste the person into the background photo. You need to choose a suitable photo of the background that matches the resolution, perspective, composition, and mood of the person photo.

For example, if you want to photoshop someone into a beach scene, you should choose a photo of a beach that has enough space for the person, a similar horizon line, and a sunny atmosphere.

Once you have chosen your photo, open it in Photoshop and use the move tool to drag and drop the person layer into the background photo. To do this:

1. Click on the person layer in the layers panel, holding down your mouse button, and dragging it over to the background photo tab.
2. Release your mouse button when you see the background photo.

You should now see the person layer on top of the background layer in your layers panel. You can rename this layer by double-clicking on its name and typing something like “background”.

Next, we need to resize and reposition the person using the free transform feature. This feature lets you scale, rotate, skew, distort, or flip any part of an image.

To use this feature:

1. Go to edit > free transform or press ctrl + T on your keyboard.
2. You should see a bounding box around the person with handles on each corner and side.

Use these handles to resize and reposition the person by doing any of the following:

• To resize the person proportionally, hold down shift and drag any of the corner handles inward or outward.
• To resize the person from the center, hold down alt and drag any of the corner handles inward or outward.
• To reposition the person, click anywhere inside the bounding box and drag it to where you want it.
• To rotate the person, move your cursor outside the bounding box until you see a curved arrow and drag it clockwise or counterclockwise.
• To flip the person horizontally, right-click inside the bounding box and choose flip horizontal from the menu.

You should try to match the size and position of the person with the background as much as possible. For example, if you want to photoshop someone into a beach scene, you should make sure that their feet touch the sand, their head is below the sky, and their body is aligned with the horizon.

Once you are happy with how the person looks, press enter or click on the checkmark icon at the top of the screen to apply the transformation.

You may also need to flip the person horizontally if they are facing the opposite direction of the light source in the background. To do this, go to edit > transform > flip horizontal or press ctrl + H on your keyboard.

Related Links

• Invert Colors in Photoshop
• Use the Paint Bucket Tool in Photoshop
• Invert a Selection in Photoshop

Step 3: Match the lighting and colors of the layers 

The third step is to match the lighting and colors of the layers to create a realistic composite. This is one of the most important and challenging steps in the process, as it requires a lot of attention to detail and fine-tuning.

To match the lighting and colors of the layers, we will use adjustment layers, clipping masks, blending modes, and layer masks.

Adjustment layers are layers that let you modify the tone and color of an image without affecting the original pixels. Clipping masks are features that let you apply an adjustment layer only to a specific layer. Blending modes are features that let you change how a layer interacts with the layers below it. Layer masks are features that let you hide or reveal parts of a layer without deleting them.

To match the lighting and colors of the layers, follow these steps:

1. Create an adjustment layer for the person layer. Go to layer > new adjustment layer and choose one of the options from the menu, such as curves, levels, brightness/contrast, hue/saturation, or color balance. A new adjustment layer will appear above the person layer in your layers panel. You can rename this layer by double-clicking on its name and typing something like “adjustment”.
2. Create a clipping mask for the adjustment layer. Right-click on the adjustment layer and choose create clipping mask from the menu. You should see a small arrow pointing down from the adjustment layer to the person layer, indicating that the adjustment layer is clipped to the person layer. This means that the adjustment layer will only affect the person layer and not the background layer.
3. Adjust the tone and color of the person layer using the adjustment layer. On the right side of the screen, you will see various sliders and buttons that let you modify the tone and color of the person layer. Here are some tips on how to use them:
   • Use the curves or levels adjustment to change the brightness, contrast, and exposure of the person layer. You can drag the endpoints or the middle point of the curve or histogram to make the person lighter or darker, more or less contrasted, or more or less exposed.
   • Use the brightness/contrast adjustment to change the overall brightness and contrast of the person layer. You can drag the brightness slider to make the person lighter or darker, and drag the contrast slider to make the person more or less contrasted.
   • Use the hue/saturation adjustment to change the color and intensity of the person layer. You can drag the hue slider to change the color of the person, drag the saturation slider to change the intensity of the color, and drag the lightness slider to change the brightness of the color.
   • Use the color balance adjustment to change the balance of colors in the person layer. You can drag the sliders for the shadows, midtones, and highlights to add or subtract red, green, or blue from the person.

You should try to match the tone and color of the person with the background as much as possible. For example, if you want to photoshop someone into a picture, you should make sure that their skin tone is warm and tan, their clothes are bright and colorful, and their hair is shiny and sun-kissed.

• Change the blending mode of the adjustment layer. Go to the layers panel and click on the drop-down menu next to the adjustment layer name. You will see a list of different blending modes that let you change how the adjustment layer interacts with the person layer. Here are some tips on how to use them:
  • Use multiply mode to darken the person by multiplying their colors with the background colors. This mode is useful for creating shadows or adding depth.
  • Use screen mode to lighten the person by screening their colors with the background colors. This mode is useful for creating highlights or adding glow.
  • Use overlay mode to increase the contrast of the person by overlaying their colors with the background colors. This mode is useful for creating drama or adding texture.
  • Use soft light mode to blend the person with the background by applying a soft light effect. This mode is useful for creating harmony or adding realism.

You should experiment with different blending modes until you find one that suits your composite. You can also adjust the opacity of the adjustment layer by dragging the slider next to the blending mode menu. You can also change the blending mode and opacity of the person layer to see how it affects the composite.

• Use a layer mask to selectively apply or remove the adjustment layer on different parts of the person layer. Go to the layers panel and click on the layer mask icon next to the adjustment layer name. You should see a white thumbnail next to the adjustment layer thumbnail, indicating that the layer mask is active.

A layer mask is a feature that lets you hide or reveal parts of a layer without deleting them. You can use black and white brushes to paint on the layer mask and control the visibility of the adjustment layer.

To use a layer mask:

• Go to the toolbar on the left side of the screen and choose the brush tool.
• Choose a soft round brush from the options bar at the top of the screen. You can adjust the size, hardness, and opacity of the brush using the sliders or by pressing [ or ] on your keyboard.
• To paint on the layer mask, make sure that your foreground color is either black or white. You can switch between black and white by pressing X on your keyboard. You can also press D to reset your colors to black and white.
• Paint over the areas where you want to hide or reveal the adjustment layer. Here are some tips on how to use them:
  • Use a black brush to hide the adjustment layer on parts of the person that you want to keep as they are. For example, if you want to preserve the original color of their eyes, hair, or clothes, you can paint over them with a black brush.
  • Use a white brush to reveal the adjustment layer on parts of the person that you want to change according to the background. For example, if you want to match their skin tone with the sand, you can paint over them with a white brush.
  • Use a low opacity brush to create a smooth transition between hidden and revealed areas. For example, if you want to blend their edges with the background, you can use a low opacity brush to paint over them with a black or white brush.

You should try to create a seamless blend between the person and the background using the layer mask. For example, if you want to photoshop someone into a beach scene, you should make sure that their skin tone is consistent with the sand, their clothes are not too bright or dull compared to the sky, and their hair is not too dark or light compared to the sun.

You can repeat these steps for as many adjustment layers as you need until you are satisfied with the lighting and colors of the layers. You can also rearrange the order of the adjustment layers by dragging them up or down in the layers panel. The order of the adjustment layers affects how they interact with each other and with the person layer.

Step 4: Add shadows and effects

The final step is to add shadows and effects to enhance the realism and depth of the composite. This step will make the person look more natural and realistic in the background.

To add shadows and effects, we will use either a layer style or a duplicate layer with gaussian blur and opacity reduction for creating a drop shadow, and other effects such as reflections, lens flares, glows, or filters for creating a more dynamic and artistic composite.

To create a drop shadow for the person layer using a layer style, follow these steps:

• Double-click on the person layer in the layers panel. A new window will open with various options for adding styles to the person layer.
• Click on the drop shadow option on the left side of the window. You should see a checkmark next to it, indicating that it is active.
• Adjust the parameters of the drop shadow using the sliders and buttons on the right side of the window. Here are some tips on how to use them:
  • Use the angle slider to change the direction of the drop shadow. You should match the angle with the light source in the background. For example, if the sun is on the top right corner of the background, you should set the angle to around 135 degrees.
  • Use the distance slider to change the distance of the drop shadow from the person. You should adjust the distance according to the perspective and depth of the background. For example, if the person is close to the camera, you should set a short distance, while if the person is far from the camera, you should set a long distance.
  • Use the size slider to change the size of the drop shadow. You should adjust the size according to the size and shape of the person. For example, if the person is large and round, you should set a large size, while if the person is small and thin, you should set a small size.
  • Use the spread slider to change the spread of the drop shadow. You should adjust the spread according to the sharpness and softness of the person’s edges. For example, if the person has sharp and clear edges, you should set a low spread, while if the person has soft and blurry edges, you should set a high spread.
  • Use the noise slider to add or remove noise from the drop shadow. You should adjust the noise according to the quality and texture of the background, much like what we discuss in how to create halftone effects in Photoshop.. For example, if the background is smooth and clean, you should set a low noise, while if the background is rough and grainy, you should set a high noise.

You should try to create a realistic drop shadow that matches the lighting and perspective of the background. For example, if you want to photoshop someone into a beach scene, you should make sure that their drop shadow is warm and yellow, follows the direction of the sun, and fades away as it gets farther from the person.

Once you are happy with your drop shadow, click OK.

You should now see a small fx icon next to the person layer name, indicating that it has a layer style applied.

To create a drop shadow for the person layer using a duplicate layer with gaussian blur and opacity reduction, follow these steps:

1. Duplicate the person layer by right-clicking on it and choosing duplicate layer from the menu. A new layer will appear above the person layer in your layers panel. You can rename this layer by double-clicking on its name and typing something like “shadow”.
2. Move the shadow layer below the person layer by dragging it down in the layers panel.
3. Move the shadow layer slightly to the side and down by using the move tool or by pressing the arrow keys on your keyboard. You should move it according to the angle and distance of the light source in the background.
4. Blur the shadow layer by going to filter > blur > gaussian blur. A new window will open with a slider that lets you adjust the amount of blur. You should drag the slider to create a soft and smooth shadow. The amount of blur depends on the size and shape of the person. For example, if the person is large and round, you should use a high blur value, while if the person is small and thin, you should use a low blur value. Click OK when you are done.
5. Reduce the opacity of the shadow layer by dragging the slider next to the layer name in the layers panel. You should drag the slider to create a transparent and subtle shadow. The amount of opacity depends on the brightness and contrast of the background. For example, if the background is bright and clear, you should use a low opacity value, while if the background is dark and cloudy, you should use a high opacity value.

You should try to create a realistic drop shadow that matches the lighting and perspective of the background. For example, if you want to photoshop someone into a beach scene, you should make sure that their drop shadow is warm and yellow, follows the direction of the sun, and fades away as it gets farther from the person.

You can also use other effects such as reflections, lens flares, glows, or filters to create a more dynamic and artistic composite. For example, if you want to photoshop someone into a beach scene, you can:

• Create a reflection for the person by duplicating the person layer, flipping it vertically, moving it below the person layer, reducing its opacity, and adding a gradient mask to fade it out.
• Create a lens flare for the sun by creating a new layer, filling it with black, changing its blending mode to screen, and going to filter > render > lens flare. You can adjust the brightness, position, and type of the lens flare to match the sun in the background.
• Create a glow for the person by duplicating the person layer, changing its blending mode to screen, adding a gaussian blur filter, and reducing its opacity. You can also change its color by adding a hue/saturation adjustment layer with a clipping mask.
• Create a filter for the whole composite by creating a new adjustment layer with a photo filter effect. You can choose from different colors and densities to create different moods and atmospheres.

You can experiment with different effects until you find one that suits your composite. You can also adjust the order, opacity, and layer masks of the effects layers by using the same methods as the adjustment layers.

Tips and Tricks for Improving or Experimenting

Here are some tips and tricks for improving or experimenting with your composites:

• Use high-quality photos with good resolution, lighting, and contrast for both the person and the background.
• Use photos that have similar perspectives, angles, and compositions for both the person and the background.
• Use photos that have similar moods, themes, and styles for both the person and the background.
• Use photos that have compatible colors, tones, and temperatures for both the person and the background.
• Use photos that have clear edges, details, and textures for both the person and the background.
• Use multiple adjustment layers with different blending modes and opacities to fine-tune your composite.
• Use multiple effects layers with different blending modes and opacities to enhance your composite.
• Use layer masks with soft brushes and low opacities to create smooth transitions between your layers.
• Use smart objects to preserve your original images and edit them non-destructively.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and learned something new. Please share your results with me and others in the comments below. I would love to see what you have created. 😊

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have learned how to photoshop someone into a picture using Photoshop. You have learned how to:

• Select the person you want to photoshop
• Copy and paste them into the background photo
• Adjust their size and position
• Match their lighting and colors with the background
• Add shadows and effects to make them look more natural and realistic

By following these steps, you can create amazing composites that look like they were taken with a camera. You can also use these skills to photoshop yourself or anyone else into any picture you want.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)