Beginner Photoshop Tutorial: Triplets | Image Editing

Beginner Photoshop Tutorial: Triplets | Image Editing

~This blog contains affiliate links~

So you want to be a triplet. Maybe even just a twin! If your parents didn't bless you with a natural copy, I'll show you an easy way to clone yourself with Photoshop.

This tutorial is for those of you that don't know a whole lot about Photoshop or how to use it. It's a simple set of instructions that can leave you with endless projects. (It's addicting. Trust me.)

Meet Mary, Meg, and Mina.

Beginner Photoshop Tutorial: Triplets | Image Editing

Mary, Meg, and Mina were created for the sole purpose of entertainment. They were born out of boredom and created through a photo-editing program to give me two extra sisters that I have dubbed my alter-egos. I have so many plans for these ladies.

If you're looking to do the same or something similar, follow along and I'll show you the easiest way I know-how.

What you will need:

  • A digital camera of any breed
  • A sturdy enough tripod
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Two or three outfits
  • Patience
  • (optional) a wireless shutter release remote. 
The remote is not necessary, but let me tell you, it makes this whole process a thousand times easier.
You need to be able to hit the timer button on your camera without moving it. SO, the wireless remote is a savior. A small amount of movement is ok. However, if you wiggle-jiggle that camera around too much, you will not be able to create a cohesive photograph. Your background will be misaligned, shadows will be skewed, and it will give you a hell of a headache trying to make this work.

Alright, are you ready?

Take your pictures

Depending on how many times you will clone yourself, you may need to take between 5-10 pictures. 
Set up your camera on your tripod in the desired area. 
You want to be able to take a blank picture of your background. 
(Please excuse my messy kitchen. It's a very small house and we have a lot of stuff.)

background image

Now that you have your background, you want to decide on where your clones are going to stand. 
For mine, I put Mary, Meg, and Mina spaced out doing three different tasks in three different outfits:

layer 2 imagelayer 3 imagelayer 4 image

You don't need them perfectly spaced. However, you DO want to make sure that you are not going to completely cover one of the others. If you really need help spacing them, place a small piece of tape on the floor in the places you want your clones to stand. If you're outside, you can use a leaf, rock, stick, etc.

I took 5 photos with each clone. In each photo tried different poses, facial expressions, and added different objects. Play around a little and see what you can do! This is where the wireless remote comes in REALLY handy.

Get ready to edit

After you're satisfied with your photos, you get to start working on the fun part.
It's time to put your clones together.

**DO NOT DO ANY LIGHTING EDITS, SIZE ADJUSTMENTS, ETC. UNTIL YOU ARE COMPLETELY DONE** 
Trust me...you don't want to make this mistake.

  • Open your background image in Photoshop:
background editing in photoshop


  • Next up you are going to place your first photo. Choose a clone. If your clones are spaced far enough apart the order does not matter. If you have one or two overlapping, choose the furthest to the background as your first placed clone. 
placing a new layer image in photoshopplacing a new layer image in photoshop

  • Time for some fun. Place your second clone. I was lucky to have a little curious pupper join in on this one. I didn't have the heart to kick her out. (She had shots yesterday)
  • Now that your second photo is placed, look in the bottom right corner of your Photoshop screen. You'll see the Layer panel. When your image was placed, it was placed as a NEW layer. All clones need to be in their own separate layer.
placing a new layer image in photoshop



  • Bringing back clone #1. This is where you will need to pay attention if your camera wiggled between photos. 
  • Stay in clone #2s layer. Do not switch layers.
  • Choose the eraser tool and give it a soft edge, not a solid edge. Choose whatever eraser size you're comfortable with. IF your clones are touching, you'll want a smaller eraser with a solid edge. 
  • Use the eraser to uncover your first clone. If you had no movement, you don't have to worry much about your surroundings shifting as you erase.
placing a new layer image in photoshop

  • You only need to erase where your first clone is standing. Do not erase over clone #2.
  • After clone #1 is uncovered, you can place your next photo. 
  • Notice again that your next photo is placed in its own new layer. Stay in this layer.
placing a new layer image in photoshop

  • Now you get to uncover #1 and #2. 
  • Repeat the steps above to erase and bring them back into the image.
  • Again, if your clones overlap anywhere, be very careful with your eraser.
blending layer images in photoshop

And there it is!

Once you're satisfied with your photo, you can save it as a .jpg and share the hell out of it. Or, file it away and make 100 more for your own weird little collection.

Now that you're finished you can edit your brightness, saturation, straighten the photo, and even add to it! I put a little steam in my pot and straightened out the entire photo.

Beginner Photoshop Tutorial: Triplets | Image Editing


Now that we're done, I should add that this is the way that I know how to do this. This is the simplest way that I've seen as well. I'm sure there are many other ways that this could be done, but this is the way I learned and it is a very easy process.

I've used this process to have a lot of fun in my spare time. 
One year, I even made my own Christmas card:

Beginner Photoshop Tutorial: Triplets | Image Editing


It's your turn now! Get out there and have some fun! 

You can find Mary, Meg, and Mina on their brand new Instagram page.
Make sure to give them a follow to see future photographs of these three!


What would you do with a twin or a triplet?






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