How to Create Double and Triple Exposure Album Designs

How an exposure is built

In a camera, a double exposure records two images on one frame. In an album it is a layered blend: a background photo, a portrait above it, and a mask on the portrait that fades it out so the background shows through. Nothing is generated or repainted; the photos are only cropped, masked, blended and tinted as a whole. A triple exposure adds a third photo, typically a faded background, a hero portrait and a second photo crossing it.

Method 1: let the generator build it

1. 1

   Include the right photos

   When you choose photos for an AI album, make sure the selection has portraits with simple backgrounds and a few wide scenic or venue photos. The double-exposure design needs at least one portrait and one landscape photo on a sheet.

2. 2

   Choose designed spreads

   In the design step, pick Automatic design and Designed spreads. Exposure compositions are one of the styles the generator rotates through, so consecutive sheets differ.

3. 3

   Generate and regenerate

   Click Generate album. If a sheet you wanted as an exposure came out as a different style, click Regenerate on that sheet for a new variation.

4. 4

   Inspect the layers

   Click Edit on the sheet and open the Layers tab. Exposure layers have names such as Exposure — background, Exposure — portrait, Exposure — hero and Exposure — crossing.

Templates work the same way: 143 of the 400+ library templates have one or two portrait exposure areas with painted, duotone edges. The Creative, Cinematic and Floral styles use them most visibly.

Method 2: build a double exposure by hand

1. 1

   Place the scene photo

   Use Layer › New photo layer… (or Add Photo) and choose the venue or landscape photo. Resize it to cover the area of the page where the exposure should be.

2. 2

   Place the portrait above it

   Add the portrait the same way. In Layers, make sure it sits directly above the scene photo; use Bring forward or Send backward if not.

3. 3

   Add a layer mask

   With the portrait selected, choose Layer › Layer mask › Reveal all. The mask is white, so the portrait is fully visible.

4. 4

   Paint the fade

   Turn on Layer › Layer mask › Paint on mask. Pick the Brush (B) with the Soft round preset, a large Size and low Opacity, and paint black where the scene should show through. Build the fade up in several strokes; paint white to bring the portrait back.

5. 5

   Try a blend mode

   Change the portrait's blend mode in the Layers panel. Screen and Lighten let bright parts of the scene show through dark areas of the portrait; Normal with the mask alone gives the softest look.

6. 6

   Unify the colour

   Select both photos in turn and use the Adjust tab, or add Layer › New adjustment layer above them, to warm, cool or desaturate them together. A monochrome or duotone look (for example a Gradient Map) makes two different photos read as one image.

7. 7

   Check the fold and save

   Both photos must stay on one page. Check the face is clear of the fold side, then click Save Sheet.

Making a triple exposure

Add a third photo at the bottom of the stack as a faded background: lower its Opacity and reduce saturation in Adjust, so it reads as texture. Then build the double exposure above it as in method 2, and optionally let a second portrait cross the hero with its own fade mask. Keep one face dominant; three equally strong faces compete.

For ideas on which photos to pair, read double exposure wedding album ideas; for layer and mask basics, see how to use layers and masks.