How to Add a Person to a Photo?

How to Add Someone to a Picture like a Pro

Have you ever taken a cool picture only to notice that one of your friends wasn't in the shot? Or perhaps you lost a loved one just before a big event, but still want them to be in your photos? Whichever it is, you have probably googled "how to add a loved one to a photo" only to learn that it is a painstaking process.

But don’t give up just yet! There is a way to photoshop someone into a picture without much effort. Do it with PhotoWorks, a perfect photo editor to add a person to your photos effortlessly! Just a couple of brush strokes and mouse clicks and — boom! — the person you need is in the picture. Scroll down to either read a step-by-step guide or watch a video tutorial on inserting someone into an image with PhotoWorks. We’ll also cover typical situations when you might need to add people to photos. Additionally, you’ll find alternative ways that you can compare and eventually pick the program that works best for you.

Before

After

Add your relative or friend to a special photo

How to Edit Someone into a Picture Step by Step

Let’s get down to work. The photo editing process will take mere minutes, so get your images ready and follow the steps below.

Step 1. Install and Run PhotoWorks

Download this smart photo editor and follow the wizard instructions to install it to your PC or Mac.

Download

For Windows 11, 10, 8, 7

Download

For macOS 12 and higher

Step 2. Pick the Change Background Tool

Open the photo of the person you want to cut out. Switch to the Tools tab and choose the Change Background tool. Use the green brush to mark the person and the red brush to paint over the background. The program will automatically remove the backdrop.

Remove the background of the picture to cut out the person

Step 3. Fine-Tune Your Selection

On the next screen, use the red brush to erase any chunks of the background left. Use the green brush to restore parts of the person that are missing. Adjust the background opacity to see any missteps better.

Correct the border between the person and the background

Step 4. Add People in a Photo

Click Select New Background Image and choose the picture you want to add the person to. Resize the layer and move it around to find the perfect spot. Adapt the layer colors to the rest of the picture for a better blend.

Put the person onto the picture and adjust the size and the color palette of the layer

Step 5. Save Your Finished Picture

Save the layer you added as an image with a transparent background in case you want to use it later. Then save your improved picture with the deceased loved one in a suitable graphic format.

Save your improved picture as JPEG, PNG, or TIFF

It only took 5 steps to add someone into a picture! No tedious manual selection or fiddling with complicated tools required. PhotoWorks did everything automatically thanks to its content-aware AI.

Want to see it all in action? Check out our detailed video tutorial on incorporating your loved one into photos below:

All done? Don't finish off with photo adjustments here! Perfect the shots in a couple of clicks using other features of the program. Here are a few ideas for you.

What Else You Can Do with PhotoWorks:

• Straighten a photo with ease
• Fix a blurry picture in no time
• Quickly add stickers to photos
• Make a color picture black and white in one click
• Hit a few buttons to make a picture look like a polaroid

Top 5 Situations for Adding People to Photos

You may want to include a person in your photo for various reasons, from creating memories of the deceased loved one to artistic expression. Here are some of the most common:

1. Making Memorial Photos with a Deceased Relative

Commemorate your loved one who has passed away

This is a way to honor the memory of a loved one and keep it alive for years to come. You can create a sense of togetherness despite their physical absence by including them in family portraits or other significant photos. PhotoWorks allows you to edit a person into a photo without much effort.

2. Adding Absent People to Event Photos

Add your brother photo who missed your graduation due to a business trip

Whether it’s a wedding, birthday party, or graduation, sometimes someone special is unable to attend due to unforeseen reasons. Editing allows you to add someone who missed that special event to the photographs, bridging the physical gap. This way everyone will be a part of the celebration. You can even insert yourself into a picture if you weren’t able to attend, creating a full memory for the occasion.

3. Including a Person in a Vacation Photo

Make a cool vacation photo with a friend who missed their flight

Travels don't always go as planned. Delayed flights and other circumstances can mean that someone is missing from a vacation photo. By digitally inserting the absent person into the scenic holiday snapshot, everyone can feel connected to the shared experience, despite being apart.

4. Updating Family Portraits with New Family Members

Add new in-laws to existing family portraits

As families grow and evolve through marriages and newborns, the need to update family portraits arises. If you’ve recently welcomed a new spouse or child into the family, you might want to include them in your existing family portraits. Are you asking yourself, "How can I add a person to a photo like this"? And why shouldn’t you? Simply use PhotoWorks to reflect the acceptance of new relationships within the family circle.

5. Assembling a Team Photo with All the Members

Combine individual portraits of team members in uniform into one team photo

In professional settings, team photos are a way to showcase unity and collaboration. However, due to busy schedules or remote work arrangements, it's not always possible for all team members to be present for a group photo. Editing allows you to create a cohesive team image without having to gather everyone in one place for a photo.

How to Add a Picture to a Larger Photo

Another common editing task is combining photos into one, and PhotoWorks has the tools to help you do this with ease. To add a picture to a picture, simply open both your base image and the smaller photo you want to insert. Use the Change Background tool to cut out the object from the smaller image, then insert it into the larger picture. Resize and adjust the colors to ensure the new image blends seamlessly. Save the final result, and you’ve successfully combined two photos!

Check out how to add a photo to a photo with PhotoWorks for a detailed step-by-step guide.

How to Add a Person to a Photo — Other Ways

Apart from PhotoWorks, there are a couple of other software, mobile apps, and online photo editors to check out. Let’s see which alternative might be right for you to use when inserting people into images.

Overlay a Person on a Photo with GIMP

Want to add a deceased loved one to a photo free on your Linux computer? Opt for GIMP. Click Open to select a picture, pick Paths, click around the person, and choose Selection from Path to copy the selected area. After that, open the other photo and paste the copied part by hitting Paste in the Edit menu.

Include People in Images with Photoshop

Need pro-level accuracy? Then don’t hesitate to use Photoshop for incorporating a lost loved one in pictures. lt’s a well-known photo editor, but some users consider it too hard to use. To add a picture to another picture, open a file, choose the Lasso Tool, and select the object. Now go to Edit, pick Copy, open the destination photo, and paste the selection.

Try adding a person to a picture with Adobe Photoshop

Add Someone to a Pic with Mobile App

To edit your pictures on the go, download a mobile app from Google Play. Once it’s installed, you can easily cut out a part of a picture and insert it to another. There’s an option for iOS-based devices as well — try Snapseed. It’s packed with tools for various purposes — simple adjustments, cropping, expanding, adding frames, etc. To add someone to a photo, choose a picture from your gallery, tap Double Exposure, add the photo with a person, move it, adjust opacity, and export the file.

Edit Photos to Add People Online

Don’t worry if your storage is full — just edit images online. This is how to crop someone into a photo in a program called PhotoScissors. First, upload an image, extract the needed part of the photo, and add the other picture in the Background tab. Then open the Foreground tab to move and resize the image.

See the table below for a comparison of which features are available in each of the tools we’ve just covered.

FAQ: How to Add a Person to a Photo

1. How can I add a person to a photo online for free?

There are several online tools that let you add a person to a photo online for free, such as PhotoScissors or Fotor. While these free tools may offer basic functionalities, they often come with limitations like watermarks or lower resolution. For more advanced features without these restrictions, you might consider using paid tools which offer greater accuracy.

2. What is the best app to insert a person in a photo?

If you’re looking for a straightforward way to insert a person in a photo, PhotoWorks and Adobe Photoshop Express are great options. While both programs use advanced AI to make the process seamless, apps like PicsArt and Canva also provide easy drag-and-drop features, although they may not offer the same precision as desktop software. These apps can be ideal for beginners or casual edits.

3. How do I add a person from one photo to another?

To do this, tools like PhotoWorks and Photoshop are your best bet. They use advanced selection and background removal tools, allowing you to cut out the person from the original image and seamlessly place them into a new one. Make sure to adjust the lighting, shadows, and color balance for a natural-looking result.

4. How to add people to a picture on an iPhone?

For iPhone users, apps like Adobe Photoshop Mix or Superimpose X are excellent choices. These apps let you import photos, cut out elements, and place them into new backgrounds. They feature intuitive touch gestures, but it’s important to fine-tune the positioning and lighting to ensure the added person blends well with the rest of the photo.

5. Can you add someone to a photo using Photoshop?

Yes, definitely. Photoshop provides powerful tools like the Lasso tool, Content-Aware Fill, and layer masking to seamlessly insert a person into another image with high precision. However, mastering these tools takes practice to achieve flawless results. If you're new to Photoshop, watching tutorials can help you learn the nuances of blending and color correction.

Final Thoughts on Adding People to Photographs

Here we’ve shown you how to add someone into a picture with computer software, mobile applications, and online photo editor. Now all you need to do is choose the right program according to your computer or phone capabilities, experience, and needs. If you’re still undecided, we recommend starting with PhotoWorks — it’s easy to master and doesn’t take up too much space. Or experiment with other apps — you have plenty of options on the table. Get it done today!