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Photoshop composite tutorial: a subject on a digital backdrop

A complete composite in ten steps, using Photoshop's own tools: no actions or plugins needed.

Updated 7 min read By the Digital-Backdrops.com team

On this page 6 sections
  1. Before you start
  2. Set up and cut out
  3. Blend the subject in
  4. Groups and seated poses
  5. Scenes to practise on
  6. FAQ

Short answer: open the backdrop, place your photo on top with File > Place Embedded, mask the person with Select > Subject, scale them with Free Transform, match light and colour with clipped adjustment layers, and paint a soft contact shadow under them.

Before you start

Our backdrops are flat JPG files, not layered PSD templates. That keeps them simple: the backdrop is your bottom layer and everything you add sits above it. Download the free 1280 x 853 version first to try the look, then repeat the steps on the high-resolution file for the final image. Your layers and masks scale up if you placed the subject as a Smart Object.

Look at the scene page before you shoot or pick your photo. It tells you:

  • where the light comes from (left, right, front, above, or soft all round), and whether it is warm, neutral or cool;
  • how many people fit, and whether the scene suits standing or seated poses;
  • where to place people in the frame.

Match before you edit

A subject lit from the left on a scene lit from the right will never look right, however good the mask. Pick a scene whose light matches your photo, or flip your subject horizontally (Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal) if nothing in the photo reads backwards.

Set up and cut out

  1. Step 1: Open the backdrop

    Open the backdrop JPG in Photoshop (File > Open). Pick the shape of your final image: landscape (2880 x 1920), portrait (1920 x 2880) or square (2880 x 2880). It opens as a single Background layer.

  2. Step 2: Place your subject photo

    Choose File > Place Embedded and pick your photo. It arrives as a Smart Object on its own layer above the backdrop, so you can scale it without losing quality. Press Enter to commit.

  3. Step 3: Select the subject

    With the photo layer active, choose Select > Subject. Photoshop selects the person. Then open Select > Select and Mask, use the Refine Hair button or the Refine Edge Brush on hair, and set Output To: Layer Mask.

  4. Step 4: Check the mask

    Alt-click (Option-click on a Mac) the mask thumbnail to see it in black and white. Paint with a soft black brush to hide leftovers and with white to bring back missing edges. Alt-click again to return.

Blend the subject in

  1. Step 1: Scale and position

    Choose Edit > Free Transform (Ctrl+T or Cmd+T). Drag a corner to scale; the proportions stay locked. Place the feet on the floor line and compare the person with a door, chair or arch in the scene.

  2. Step 2: Match brightness and contrast

    Add Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves above the subject and clip it (Alt-click or Option-click the line between the two layers). Now the curve changes only the subject. Lift or lower it until the subject sits in the room.

  3. Step 3: Match colour

    Try Image > Adjustments > Match Color on a copy of the subject, with the backdrop as the source and a low intensity. Or add a clipped Color Balance or Photo Filter layer: warm for warm scenes, cool for snowy ones.

  4. Step 4: Add a contact shadow

    Make a new layer under the subject, set it to Multiply, and paint a soft black shadow where the feet or seat touch the floor. Blur it with Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur and lower the opacity to 40 to 70%. Add a longer, fainter shadow away from the light.

  5. Step 5: Wrap the light

    Where the scene has bright light behind the subject, paint a little of that colour onto the subject's edge on a clipped layer set to Soft Light. A few pixels is enough.

  6. Step 6: Unify and export

    Add a little grain over everything (Filter > Noise > Add Noise, about 1 to 2%) so subject and backdrop share the same texture. Then File > Export > Export As, JPG, sRGB.

Keep each change on its own layer. If the client wants a different scene later, drag your subject group into another backdrop of the same shape and adjust only the scale, the curves and the shadow.

Groups and seated poses

For a group, cut out each person or the whole group as one layer, then scale the group as a unit so heights stay right. The back row needs less shadow than the front row. For seated poses, shoot people on a chair or bench of a similar height to the seat in the scene, mask the real chair away, and paint the shadow where they touch the seat, not on the floor.

Scenes that fit four or more people are marked on each scene page and can be filtered on the browse page. The Christmas Family rooms are built for groups with sofas and benches.

Scenes to practise on

Studio scenes with light from one clear side are the easiest place to start. These are good first composites:

The painted canvas and plaster wall scenes in the portrait collection are also forgiving, because the background is softer than the subject. For print sizes, read digital backdrop resolution.

The high-resolution files are up to 2880px with no watermark, and come with lifetime access.

Frequently asked questions

Are the backdrops PSD files with layers?

No. Each backdrop is one flat JPG in sRGB. That is all you need: the backdrop is the bottom layer, and your subject, shadow and adjustments are the layers you add on top.

Which Photoshop version do I need?

Any recent version of Photoshop works. Select > Subject and Select and Mask are in current versions. In older versions, use the Quick Selection tool and Refine Edge instead.

Can I do this in other editors?

Yes. Affinity Photo, GIMP, Photopea and most mobile editors can stack layers, mask and add a shadow layer. The steps are the same; the menu names differ.

Why does my subject look pasted on?

Usually one of three things: light from the wrong side, no contact shadow, or a hard bright edge around the hair. Fix those first. See the common mistakes list.