Have you ever considered adding a deceased person to a photo? It is not as difficult as some people imagine, adding a deceased person to a photo can be easy and an enjoyable process.
It is only natural that we want to include our loved ones, even after their departure, when we want to take a picture to mark a significant life event. It could be a graduation picture, or a wedding shoot or even a photo from having an occasion that you know they would have enjoyed.
Technology has made it possible for us to include those in our memory, in the new memories that we create. And you might have seen these pictures on social media and wondered if you could do the same.
We all have our ways how we can honor the memory of those that have left us behind, and including them in your pictures and remembering them when you go back to the pictures, is a perfectly valid way.
In this article, we will discuss 10 creative ways how you can add a deceased person to a photo.
10 Ways to Add A Deceased Person to A Photo
- Get a digital art
A way to add a deceased person to a photo is to find someone who can create digital art for you. Digital art is just like painting, but artists work with photo manipulation, therefore they can create images from a variety of different pictures.
They will need an existing picture of the deceased person to be able to merge them with your own. Online art sales websites like Etsy can be an option for you if you do not personally know any digital artist. You will be surprised that this kind of artwork is some of the best sellers on the website.
The good thing about this option is that the background can be impressive as well. You can also order a framed print of the final photo and hang it on your wall.
- Use a specialized photo editor
Quite often we take group photos, and then we realize that someone is missing in the picture. Or it may be someone you recently lost. But still, wouldn’t it be great to feature them in your pictures.
Some dedicated photo editors solved this problem. Such dedicated software has a straightforward process to help you include a missing person in your photos. You don’t need to know a lot about photo editing as well. One website that you can check out is PhotoWorks.
- Use a photo of them when you shoot
A less technical option is to include a picture of the deceased person when you’re taking pictures. This is a great way If you are planning a picture of a wedding or birthday party.
What you will need is a portrait of the missing person and it can easily be included in the frame when the picture is being shot. You need to be mindful that the picture needs to be big enough to be visible in the final photo.
So, take the time out to print a large portrait. If you can, get it printed from a photo printer and frame it. That way, the picture will look nice and full of details in the final photo, and you can include them by simply holding their picture frame.
Alternatively, you could create a collage in the background of your pictures with small photos that you already have of them. With this option, pre-planning is the key. All you need is a few pictures of the missing person then you can decide how to creatively include the picture in your shot.
- Order a full size cut out
Now, this idea might be a little out there! But if the deceased person was fun-loving and witty during their life, it only makes sense to honor their memory in a fun way.
You might have seen a full body cut out of celebrities, or action figures. There is no reason you cannot do that for your loved one.
If you create a full-body cut-out then they(or their full-body replica) can be the center of attention like they used to be, and it is more likely that many of your guests and family members will pose next to them and take a picture.
- Use Photoshop or find someone who knows how to
Photoshop is a great image processing tool that can help you do almost anything with your photos, and this includes adding a deceased person to a photo.
However, there is a steep learning curve with photoshop. If you can find a family member who already knows their way around the software, then you can sit together and design this new picture.
There are tutorials on the web that can help you as well. Undoubtedly, this will take some time, but you have complete control over how the final picture is going to look. Once you learn how to do this, you can create as many as you want.
- Digitally overlay a frame of their picture onto your existing photos
Quite often we forget that it is thought that matters and the execution does not have to be perfect.
If you can find your way around simple photo editing software and apps, even those on your phone, then you can easily overlay a picture of them over your photos.
Yes, this will not look real, but it serves the purpose. The intent is strongly present.
- Use double exposure
Double exposure is a photographic technique of combining two pictures to create one final photo that has the elements of both these pictures.
While this is still possible with photoshop, the reason we have included this as a separate option is that there exist dedicated websites and your mobile photo-editing apps, like Snapseed that can help you achieve this effect.
The learning curve isn’t steep. This effect is popular even among professional photographers as well. Another Interesting thing about this effect is that the resulting photo is going to look a bit supernatural, this could befitting way to honor their current residences as well.
- Create a Ghost Photo
Another approach is to make a so-called ghost picture. This is when you utilize an existing family photo but reduce the opacity of a deceased member.
As a result, they have a “ghost” effect, where they appear to be less visible than the rest of the family, analogous to a heavenly presence.
These ghost photographs serve as a strong form of memory while also highlighting the fact that this person is no longer alive.
- Make a collage of photos
This is probably the simplest way to do this. While technically this is not adding anyone to the picture, it is technically less arduous. The result you have is a single picture with multiple faces.
A nice effect could be to apply a black and white filter to the deceased person’s photo. Another benefit of this kind of photo is that you can include multiple people in the same picture.
- Opt for an old school painting
This is an old school route. You could provide the pictures to a painter who lives nearby, or a local art shop and you can ask them to create a family portrait with the face of the deceased person.
This is much like digital art, but the artistic value is more traditional, and it is always nice to have a painting on the wall of your living room.