Merge Two Photos Together in Photoshop (Auto-Align + Layer Mask)
In this tutorial, you’ll combine two shots into a single, more impactful image. You’ll learn to stack images as layers, auto-align them even if they were handheld, and blend selected parts with a soft brush on a layer mask. This approach creates a natural composite while keeping full editing flexibility.
Step-by-step instructions
Load both photos as layers in one document
Go to File → Scripts → Load Files into Stack.
Click Browse…, select the two images you want to combine, then click Open.
Click OK to load both photos as separate layers in a single document.
Auto-align the layers
In the Layers panel, Shift-click to select both layers.
Go to Edit → Auto-Align Layers….
Leave Projection set to Auto and click OK to align the shots.
Choose the base photo and arrange layer order
Decide which image will be the base and which will provide the elements to add (e.g., a splash or birds).
In the Layers panel, drag to place the base photo at the bottom and the additive photo on top.
Toggle the eye icons to compare differences, then keep both layers visible.
Add a hide-all mask to the top layer
Select the top layer (the one you’ll reveal parts from).
Alt-click (Option-click on Mac) the Add Layer Mask icon to create a black mask that hides the entire layer.
Press D to reset colors, then press X if needed so white is the foreground color.
Paint to reveal and blend the desired parts
Select the Brush Tool (B).
Choose the Soft Round brush and set Hardness to 0% for smooth blending.
Adjust brush size with the [ and ] keys (or Ctrl+Option-drag on Mac / Alt+Right-Click-drag on Windows).
Paint with white on the black mask to reveal the areas you want from the top layer.
Press X to switch to black and paint to hide any overpainted areas; refine edges with a smaller brush.
Review and save your composite
Option/Alt-click the mask thumbnail to inspect the mask, then Option/Alt-click again to return to normal view.
Toggle the top layer’s visibility to compare before/after and refine as needed.
Go to File → Save As… to save your blended image.
