How to Clone Yourself in Photoshop – Editing Tutorial

In this video you will be learning how to clone yourself in Photoshop by creating a composite from multiple images. This type of photography is called as Clone or Cloning Photography, where you take multiple shots of the same subject at varying positions and then edit all the photos together to form a single image which has duplicate subjects. Here’s the video:

Video Summary

This video from Creative Pad Media is a detailed Photoshop tutorial on how to create a “clone” effect—showing multiple versions of the same person in a single room.

Summary of the Editing Process:

• Automated Stacking and Alignment: The process begins by using Photoshop’s Scripts > Load Files into Stack feature [00:16]. Selecting “Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images” ensures that even if the tripod moved slightly during shooting, the layers are perfectly matched [00:42].
• Organizing Layers: The instructor emphasizes naming layers (e.g., “laptop,” “shocked,” “sleeping”) to stay organized [01:53]. The empty room shot is kept at the bottom of the stack to serve as the base environment [03:05].
• The Three-Phase Editing Approach:
  1. Phase 1: Rough Cuts: Using the Lasso Tool, rough selections are made around each clone [05:07]. These selections are turned into Layer Masks, which reveal the subject while hiding the rest of that layer to show the one beneath [05:54].
  2. Phase 2: Refinement: The instructor uses the Backslash () key to see a red overlay of the mask [11:24]. A soft black brush is used to smooth out sharp edges and hide unwanted objects (like light stands) that might have been caught in the initial rough selection [12:45].
  3. Phase 3: Perfecting Transitions: This phase involves switching between black and white brushes (shortcut ‘X’) to precisely include or exclude parts of the image [14:11]. This is crucial where clones intersect or where exposure differences between shots create visible seams [08:25].
• Handling Exposure Differences: If lighting changed between shots, the instructor suggests using brightness adjustment layers to blend the selections seamlessly into the background [15:40].

Important Links

Link to download the images used in the video:

Images used in the video

This video is from our Trick Photography course, which has 35 videos and 5 hours of content. Use the link below to access the full course on Udemy:

Trick Photography course