How to create a fun see-through frame effect in Photoshop

How to create a fun see-through frame effect in Photoshop

The see-through frame effect creates the illusion that you can look right through a picture frame to the scene behind it. This clever photography trick requires just two photos taken from the same position and some basic Photoshop layer masking.

The technique works by combining one photo of you holding the frame with another shot of the empty background, creating a magical window effect.

Watch the Tutorial

Video by PHLEARN. Any links or downloads mentioned by the creator are available only on YouTube

Essential Tips for the See-Through Frame Effect

These key techniques will help you capture the perfect shots and blend them seamlessly in Photoshop.

  • Use a tripod and lock your camera position to ensure both photos align perfectly when combined
  • Switch to manual focus after setting focus to prevent the camera from refocusing between shots
  • Set your camera to manual mode to maintain consistent exposure between the two photographs
  • Select a frame with thin borders to make the selection process easier and more precise
  • Use the polygonal lasso tool to trace inside the frame edges, clicking slightly inward for clean results

Explore more techniques for creating transparent and ghostly effects in your photos.

Create a Ghostly Image Effect in Photoshop
In this engaging Photoshop tutorial, you will discover how to create a ghostly effect that transforms a person into a transparent figure, resembling a ghost. This technique is perfect for adding an eerie vibe to your images. You'll begin by selecting the person in your photo and adjusting the layers to achieve the desired transparency. The step-by-step instructions will guide you through the process of refining the edges and enhancing the overall look to ensure a realistic ghost appearance. By
Create See-Through Ghost Photos in Photoshop
This tutorial offers a straightforward guide to creating an eerie see-through ghost photo using just one image. Perfect for beginners, it simplifies the process while ensuring you can achieve impressive results. You will learn essential techniques that allow you to manipulate your image effectively. The tutorial walks you through each step, ensuring that even those new to Photoshop can follow along with ease. By the end, you'll be able to transform an ordinary photo into something hauntingly b
Cut Out Glass in Photoshop with Blending Modes
Achieving a realistic cut-out of transparent objects, like glass bottles, can be a significant challenge in Photoshop. Traditional masking often struggles to maintain the natural light, shadow, and reflective qualities inherent in such items, leading to flat or artificial results. This video tutorial offers an advanced technique to meticulously mask transparent objects into new backgrounds. It leverages the power of blending modes and strategic layer organization to perfectly integrate the obje
Generate a Perspective Motion effect with Photoshop
In this detailed tutorial, PiXimperfect demonstrates how to create a dynamic perspective motion effect in Photoshop. The lesson focuses on adding motion blur that aligns with the perspective of an object, making it appear as if it's moving rapidly through space. Using multiple paths to capture the perspective, you'll learn how to apply blur effects along these lines to simulate realistic motion. The tutorial covers advanced techniques with Path Blur to not only create motion but also enhance th

Get tutorials & freebies delivered to you.

Subscribe to the Photoshop Roadmap newsletter, a weekly roundup of new tutorials, insights and quality downloads, trusted by 6500+ readers.

You might also like

How to Use the Vectorscope in Camera Raw to Correct Skin Tones

Monitors vary, room lighting shifts, and your eyes adapt — none of which makes for reliable skin tone judgments. Camera Raw's vectorscope gives you a measurement-based alternative, displaying hue and saturation data visually so you can align skin tones to a scientifically accurate target line, regardless of your...

How to Fix the Photoshop Scratch Disk Full Error

The scratch disk full error stops Photoshop mid-edit and can even prevent it from opening at all. Understanding what a scratch disk actually is — and knowing where to look — makes the difference between a quick fix and repeated frustration. Watch the Video Practical Tips These steps address the most...

Using Photoshop's Light Adjustment Layer for Non-Destructive Tonal Control

Photoshop's Light adjustment layer brings Camera Raw's core tonal controls — exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, and blacks — directly into the layers panel as a fully non-destructive, maskable layer. This makes it possible to apply precise tonal corrections to specific areas of an image without ever...

How to Turn a Photo Into a Fine Art Painting in Photoshop

A photograph carries detail that a painting would simplify, and that gap is exactly where this technique operates. By working through a structured layer-based workflow in Photoshop, you can reduce photographic sharpness, introduce painterly texture, and guide the eye the way a traditional artist would — all without picking up...

You’ve successfully subscribed to Photoshop Roadmap
Welcome back! You’ve successfully signed in.
Great! You’ve successfully signed up.
Success! Your email is updated.
Your link has expired
Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.