Learn how to create the cover image by replacing a backdrop with a street scene for an atmospheric portrait

Replacing a background has to be one of the things that Photoshop does better than any other program. There are four stages to this: first we position the subject against a new backdrop; second, we select the subject; third, we make a mask; and fourth, we fine-tune the tones and add any other effects to bring the scene together into a believable whole…

1 DROP IN THE PORTRAIT

Grab the Move Tool and drag the subject image to the new backdrop image. Here we’ve used a street scene downloaded for free from pixabay.com (search for seoul-5040704). Once your portrait is copied into the new backdrop, press Cmd/Ctrl+T to transform, then position and resize the layer until it’s in roughly the right place.