How to add a loved one who has passed away to a photo

You can add a loved one who has passed away to a photo in three main ways: edit the photo yourself in a program like Photoshop, pay a photo editor to do it for you, or use an AI tool that creates a new portrait of you together from two separate photos. Each one can work. The right choice depends on your photos, your time, and how much control you want.

This guide walks through all three honestly, then explains how to choose the right photos, what to expect from old or scanned pictures, and how to do it step by step with Heaven Hugs.

What are my options for adding someone to a photo?

Option 1: Edit it yourself in Photoshop or a similar app

If you are comfortable with photo editing software, you can cut your loved one out of one photo and place them into another. The basic process is to select the person, remove the background, paste them into the new photo, then match the size, lighting, colour and shadows so they look like they were really there.

The good part is control. You decide every detail, and you can use a real moment from a real photo. The hard part is that making it look natural takes skill and time. Light coming from different directions, different camera angles and different photo quality are all difficult to blend. An old, grainy print placed next to a sharp phone photo often looks pasted in, even after hours of work.

This option suits people who already edit photos, or who want to keep an exact original pose.

Option 2: Hire a photo editor or retoucher

A professional editor can do the same job with more experience. Many offer memorial edits specifically, and some will also restore damaged photos as part of the work. You send your photos, explain what you want, and receive a finished image, usually after a few rounds of changes.

This can give a beautiful result, especially when you have one perfect photo and want someone added to that exact scene. It usually costs more and takes longer than doing it yourself, and the quality varies between editors. Ask to see examples of similar work before you pay, and agree on how many changes are included.

Option 3: Use an AI memorial portrait tool

AI tools work differently. Instead of cutting one person into another photo, they create a brand new portrait of the two of you together, based on the faces in your photos. Heaven Hugs is one of these tools.

The advantage is that the lighting, pose and setting are made together, so the result looks like one photo rather than two joined photos. It is also quick: with Heaven Hugs you see a preview in about a minute. The trade off is that you do not keep the exact background or pose from an original photo. AI is also an interpretation, so the likeness depends on how clear your photos are. That is why we show a free preview before you pay, so you can judge it with your own eyes.

Which option should I choose?

• You want a real moment kept exactly as it was: edit it yourself or hire an editor.
• Your photos are from very different times or places: an AI portrait usually blends them more naturally, because it creates the scene from scratch.
• You want to see a result today, before spending anything: try an AI tool with a free preview.
• The photo will be printed large and hung on a wall: whichever route you take, start with the clearest photos you have.

There is no wrong answer. Some people try a free AI preview first, then decide whether they still want a hand edit of a particular photo.

How do I choose the right photos?

Whatever method you use, the photos decide the result more than anything else. Here is what to look for.

Your photo

• One face in the photo, looking roughly toward the camera.
• Good daylight on your face. Near a window is ideal.
• Nothing covering your face: no sunglasses, no hands, no hat brim casting a shadow.
• A recent phone photo is perfect. It does not need to be professional.

Their photo

• Any photo where their face is clear. This matters more than how good the photo looks overall.
• Old, scanned, faded or black and white is fine.
• If the only good photo of them is a group shot, that is fine too. With Heaven Hugs you can upload it and choose who to include.

What to avoid

• Very blurry or very dark photos.
• Faces turned far away from the camera, or very tiny in the frame.
• Sunglasses or hands over the face.
• A screenshot of a screenshot, which loses detail each time.

For a deeper walk through, read our guide to the best photos for a memorial portrait.

What if I only have old or printed photos?

Many people only have prints of the person they lost, sometimes decades old. You do not need a scanner. A phone camera works well if you take a little care:

1. Take the photo out of any frame or album sleeve, so there is no glass or plastic glare.
2. Lay it flat on a table near a window, in soft daylight. Avoid direct sun.
3. Turn off your phone's flash.
4. Hold your phone directly above the photo, parallel to it, so the picture is not skewed.
5. Fill most of the screen with the photo, then tap on their face to focus.
6. Take a few shots and keep the sharpest one.

If their face is small in the print, you can crop in on your phone before uploading, but do not zoom in so far that the face turns into a blur. If the print is creased or scratched, try it anyway. Small marks often do not matter as long as the face itself is clear.

What should I expect from the result?

It helps to go in with realistic expectations, whichever route you take.

• Likeness depends on the photos. A clear, well lit, front facing photo gives the best likeness. A blurry or tiny face gives the tool, or the editor, less to work with.
• It may take more than one try. A different photo of the same person can change the result a lot. With Heaven Hugs, trying again is free.
• It can feel emotional. Seeing someone you miss beside you again can bring up a lot. Many people find it comforting. Some find it hard the first time. Both are normal, and there is no rush.
• The style changes the feeling. A black and white portrait feels timeless and calm. Colour feels close and present. A painted or heavenly scene feels more symbolic.

How do I add a loved one to a photo with Heaven Hugs?

Here is the whole process, step by step. It takes a couple of minutes.

1. Choose a style. Pick from Together Forever (black and white photo), The Heirloom (black and white oil painting style), The Bond (true colour), Together in Heaven (golden light and clouds) or Christmas Together (Christmas Day by the tree).
2. Upload your photo. Tap "Upload Your Photo" and choose a clear photo of yourself.
3. Upload their photo. Tap "Upload Their Photo" and choose a photo of your loved one. If it is a group photo, you will be asked who to include.
4. Tell us who they are. Choose their relationship to you, such as Mum, Dad, Grandmother, Husband, Sister or Friend, or leave it as Loved one.
5. Add more people if you like. Tap "Add another person" or "Add another loved one". A portrait can hold up to six people.
6. See your free preview. In about a minute you will see your portrait with a watermark. No card and no account are needed.
7. Try again if it is not right. Use a different photo or another style, free, as many times as you need.
8. Choose how to keep it. Buy an instant digital download, or order a canvas, framed canvas or framed print. The watermark is removed when you buy, and every printed order includes the digital file.

Printed portraits are museum quality, and delivery to Australia, the USA, the UK, Canada and New Zealand is free. Allow 2 to 3 business days for printing and then 4 to 9 business days for delivery. See pricing for every size and finish.

Is it made with AI, and are my photos private?

Yes, Heaven Hugs portraits are created with AI. Your photos are sent to our AI provider only to create your portrait. We do not use them for anything else, never show them publicly and never sell them. Previews you do not buy, and their photos, are deleted after 3 days. You can read the full detail in our privacy policy.

A final thought

There is no right way to remember someone. A photo with them beside you will not fill the space they left, but it can give you somewhere to look when you miss them. Take your time choosing the photos. The ones where they look most like themselves are usually the right ones.

Ready to try? Upload your photos on Together Forever and see your free preview in about a minute.