[ AdSense leaderboard ]

Tutorial

Double Exposure Effect

8 min read · Intermediate · Updated 2026-04-24

The double exposure effect blends two photos into one striking image: a silhouetted portrait with a landscape, forest, or cityscape glowing through it. The look comes from in-camera film photography where two exposures hit the same negative. Photoshop replicates the technique in a way that is far more controllable than the original.

You need two source images: a high-contrast portrait against a clean white background, and a landscape with rich texture. Most tutorials online overcomplicate this. The actual technique is seven steps.

Setting up the composition

Step 1: Open the portrait and remove the background

[ Screenshot: Portrait isolated on transparent background using Select Subject and Layer Mask ]

Open the portrait. Run Select > Subject, refine in Select and Mask, output as a layer mask. The portrait should sit on a clean transparent background. (See the remove background tutorial for the full walkthrough.)

Step 2: Add a white solid color fill behind the portrait

[ Screenshot: Layer panel with white fill layer below the portrait ]

Create a new fill layer (Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color) and choose pure white. Place it below the portrait. The white background is essential because it will show through the lighter parts of the landscape later.

Partner

Don't have Photoshop yet? Try free for 7 days

Clipping masks and Screen blend mode are foundational Photoshop features. Available in every version, including the free 7-day trial.

Coming soon

Adding the second image

Step 3: Place the landscape image on top

[ Screenshot: Landscape image positioned over the portrait ]

Drag your landscape into the document and place it above the portrait layer. Use Edit > Free Transform (Ctrl/Cmd + T) to scale and position it so the most interesting part of the landscape sits over the face and shoulders of the silhouette.

Step 4: Clip the landscape to the portrait

[ Screenshot: Layers panel with the landscape clipped to the portrait silhouette ]

Right-click the landscape layer in the Layers panel and choose Create Clipping Mask (or hold Alt and click between the two layers). The landscape now only shows where the portrait silhouette is. Outside the portrait, transparent.

Step 5: Set the landscape blend mode to Screen

[ Screenshot: Blend mode set to Screen, showing the white background bleeding through landscape highlights ]

Change the landscape's blend mode from Normal to Screen. The dark areas of the landscape become transparent, letting the white fill below show through. The landscape's bright areas stay opaque, painting trees and sky onto the silhouette.

Polishing the effect

Step 6: Add a Curves adjustment to deepen contrast

[ Screenshot: Curves adjustment layer clipped to the landscape, S-curve applied ]

Add a Curves adjustment layer and clip it to the landscape (Alt + click between layers). Apply a gentle S-curve: pull the shadows down, lift the highlights up. This boosts the contrast of the landscape silhouette without affecting the portrait below.

Step 7: Tint the whole composition

[ Screenshot: Color Lookup or Solid Color layer at low opacity, tinting the scene ]

Add a Color Lookup adjustment layer at the top of the stack. Pick a moody preset like "Edgy Amber" or "Crisp_Winter". Lower the layer opacity to about 50%. The unified tint pulls the two photos together so they read as one image instead of two.

Pro tip: choose source images carefully

Double exposure depends on contrast. Portraits with clean silhouettes (clear sky behind, good rim lighting) work best. Landscapes with strong texture (forests, mountains, city skylines) work better than flat scenes (beaches, fields). Sourcing the right photos saves more time than any technique.

Want to go deeper?

The compositing course we recommend

Skillshare's photo compositing courses cover double exposure, surreal art, and advanced blending in depth. Free trial available.