10 Ways to Add a Person to a Photo

Wondering how to add a person to a photo? Maybe a friend of yours has missed a party, or you just want to create a collage for the fun of it – whatever the case, technology has got your back. 

Modern photo editing software opens a wide field of possibilities to anyone. You can do quite intricate forms of photo processing in a few clicks, and if you are willing to put your back into it – the sky’s the limit to what you are able to do. Read this guide, and you will learn 10 tricks you can pull to add someone to a photo.

Do a Ghost Photo

One of the easiest things you can do is take an existing image, reduce its opacity, and lay it over another picture, creating an effect of an ethereal presence. This is a good way to make more subtle collages. Or memes.

Ghost photos are also great for creating mementos of dear people gone. However, images like this warrant their own discussion. You can learn many more ways of paying tribute from this guide on how to add a deceased loved one to a photo.

Take a Picture while Taking a Picture

If you want someone to be physically present in the shot no matter what, you can grab a portrait or a photograph of that person and take a group shot with it. That might look a bit silly, but it is about appreciation first and foremost.

Make a Full-Size Cutout 

This way to add a person to a photo is even sillier. If your friend cannot be present at an event, make a full-sized print of them to carry around and take pictures with. Your friend will be happy to get such photos, and the party will be much more fun. You can even decorate the cutout for greater impact.

Use Photoshop

The list of photo editing software, that can stand on par with Photoshop in terms of capabilities, would be rather short. Adding a person to a photo is but a fraction of what this software is capable of. With Photoshop, you can achieve the most seamless and natural-looking results possible. If you are willing to climb up the steep learning curve, that is. There are plenty of comprehensive tutorials, but it is not a program for beginners.

Use a Specialized Photo Editor

Instead of all-encompassing photo editors, you may also resort to more simple programs designed to perform a specific operation, such as adding someone to a photo. For example, you can add a person in Photoshop Express even if you are completely new to photo editing. Unlike most Adobe products, Photoshop Express is very straightforward and easy to use. And in case it is not up your alley, there are plenty of other available tools.

Do Double Exposure

This is a way of combining the photos, resulting in one final picture retaining elements from both original ones. Is it useful for merging a group shot with a photo of another person? Absolutely. However, it requires some trial and error to get cool-looking results. However, there are a lot of photo editors that include a double exposure feature to make it much easier.

Do a Collage

Another way to keep people together in one image is to make a collage. You are not exactly adding anyone anywhere, but this is much easier to do for people with no editing experience. There’s even no need to install anything, you can make a photo collage using online resources with ready-to-use templates.

Hire a Digital Artist

A professional digital artist can do an incredibly believable job of adding someone to an image (or removing them, if you feel like it). If you are willing to involve a specialist, then your job is to provide good source material – some pictures can be simply incompatible. There are a lot of websites, such as Etsy, where an artist for hire can be found, if there are no artists among the people you know.

Hire an Analog Artist

You can even turn this hiring idea up to eleven and find a painter, who will make an actual painting based on your outlines. This makes a great present for any occasion or a great piece of decor. Just imagine that hanging on the wall of your living room.

Just Lay it Over

One thing to keep in mind is that the intent is often more important than the execution. Sometimes taking a picture of someone and just slapping it over another is good enough. And nearly any photo editing app out there is capable of doing it.

And now you know how to edit someone into a picture. Next time you face a situation when someone is missing from a photo, you’ll be armed with at least 10 creative ways to add them in!