How to Make a Double Exposure in GIMP

Double exposure is a classic photographic technique that blends two separate images into a single, evocative composite. This guide walks you through creating a professional double exposure effect in GIMP by combining a high-contrast portrait with a secondary landscape or texture image using layer blend modes, color adjustments, and layer masks.

Step 1: Prepare the Base Portrait

  1. Open GIMP and load your primary image, ideally a portrait with a clean, light, or solid background.
  2. Convert the image to black and white by going to Colors > Desaturate > Desaturate and clicking OK.
  3. Increase the contrast to make the shadows dark and the background bright white. Go to Colors > Levels, drag the black point slider inward to darken the subject, and drag the white point slider inward until the background becomes completely white.

Step 2: Import and Position the Secondary Image

  1. Go to File > Open as Layers and select your secondary image, such as a landscape, forest, or cityscape.
  2. Select the Scale Tool (Shift + S) to resize the image, and use the Move Tool (M) to position the secondary image over the main features of the portrait (such as the head and shoulders).

Step 3: Change the Layer Mode

  1. In the Layers panel, ensure the secondary image layer is positioned above the portrait layer.
  2. Click the Mode dropdown menu at the top of the Layers panel.
  3. Select Screen or Lighten. The "Screen" mode ignores the dark pixels of the top image and makes the brighter elements visible only where the portrait underneath is dark, instantly creating the double exposure blend.

Step 4: Refine the Composition with a Layer Mask

  1. Right-click the secondary image layer and select Add Layer Mask. Choose White (full opacity) and click Add.
  2. Select the Paintbrush Tool (P) and set your foreground color to black. Choose a soft, feathered brush.
  3. Paint over areas of the secondary image where you want the original portrait's facial details (like the eyes, nose, or lips) to show through clearly.
  4. If you need to clean up edges spilling outside the silhouette, continue painting with black on the mask to hide those areas.

Step 5: Final Color and Contrast Tweaks

  1. If desired, desaturate the secondary image layer (Colors > Desaturate) to match the black-and-white style, or leave it in color for a modern look.
  2. Adjust the opacity of the top layer to balance the intensity of the blend.
  3. Create a new layer from visible by going to Layer > New from Visible to apply final adjustments, such as global contrast using Colors > Curves, to unify the entire image.