Double exposure portraits: a simple tutorial for making surrealist images

4. Rotate and resize

Click the Blend mode drop-down menu at the top of the Layers panel and choose Screen to blend the trees with the portrait below. Next hit Cmd/Ctrl+T to enter Free Transform mode. Use the bounding box to rotate and resize the layer to find a pleasing angle for the trees that covers the entire portrait. When you're happy, hit Enter to apply.

5. Tone the image

Click the Create new adjustment layer icon in the Layers panel and choose Gradient Map. In the Properties Panel, click the gradient preview drop-down menu, then click the cog icon and choose Photographic Toning. Click Append, then select the Cobalt-Iron 2 preset from the list. This converts the image to near-monochrome.

6. Boost contrast

Click the Create new adjustment layer icon again and choose Curves. Plot an S-shaped curve to boost the contrast of the image by dragging one point down near the bottom of the diagonal curve line, and a second point up near the top of the line. The more pronounced the S-shape, the greater the contrast boost you will apply.