How to Use Photo Composer in PhotoDirector
Place a cutout into another photo and match its color and light to the scene.
Updated Nov. 12, 2026 · 3 min read
In a hurry? Use the Photo Composer quick guide instead.
PhotoDirector's Photo Composer combines photos by placing an image, such as a cutout of a person, on top of a background photo. Use it when you want a subject from one shot in the setting of another. You get one finished photo, with the added image's color and brightness adjusted to blend into the scene.
- In PhotoDirector, choose Guided & GenAI, open your background photo, and click Edit > Photo Composer.
- Click Add images and choose where the image comes from.
- Drag the image into place, and drag a corner handle to resize it.
- Set Temperature, Exposure, and the other Image Settings to match the background.
- Click Export at the top to save the photo.
Steps to Combine Photos in PhotoDirector
Step 1: Open Photo Composer
From the PhotoDirector launcher, choose Guided & GenAI.
Click Open above the canvas and choose From Local Drive to open the photo you want as the background.
Click Edit in the rail on the left, then choose Photo Composer under Extract / Compose.
Step 2: Add the Image You Want to Place
Click Add images and choose where the image comes from. The menu lists five sources: From Local Drive, From Library, From My Creations, Stock Photos, and From Background Removal Gallery.
A cutout with a transparent background works well, because only the subject lands on your photo. This example uses a PNG cutout made with Background Remove / Replace and added From Local Drive. Cutouts you saved in Background Remove / Replace are under From Background Removal Gallery.
The image appears in the middle of the photo inside a frame with handles, and Image Settings opens in the panel. To take the image off and start again, click Clear at the bottom of the panel.
Step 3: Move and Resize the Image
Drag the image to where it belongs in the scene, and drag a corner handle to make it smaller or larger. In this example, the woman moves to the left side of the plaza at a slightly smaller size.
Flip the Image
Under Flip, the left icon is Flip horizontally and the right one is Flip vertically. A horizontal flip turns the woman to face into the plaza.
Or right-click the image and choose Flip Horizontally or Flip Vertically. Reset, in the same menu, undoes all the setting changes you made to that image.
Step 4: Match the Color and Light
Drag the sliders under Image Settings until the image looks lit like the background. In this example, Temperature at 26 warmed the woman to match the lamps, and Exposure at about -0.5 darkened her for the evening light.
Each setting changes only the added image:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Opacity | Makes the image see-through. Lower it for a faded, ghostly look. |
| Temperature | Shifts the color warmer or cooler, to match warm lamps or a cool sky. |
| Tint | Shifts the color toward green or magenta, to match a color cast in the background. |
| Exposure | Brightens or darkens the image, to match a sunny or dim scene. |
| Contrast | Changes the difference between light and dark areas, to match a flat or punchy background. |
For a solid subject, leave Opacity at 100. At 69, the plaza showed through the woman.
Step 5: Export the Photo
Click Export at the top of the window. In the Save As window that opens, name the file and choose PNG, JPG, or TIF.
We tested these steps in PhotoDirector 365 version 18.0.10 on Windows.
Don't have PhotoDirector yet? Put a person or an object into a new scene, then match the color and light so it fits.
Download PhotoDirector Free →FAQ About Photo Composer
Remove the background from a photo of your subject with Background Remove / Replace, under Cutout/Background in the same rail. Then add the cutout with From Background Removal Gallery, or with From Local Drive if you saved it as a PNG file.
Yes. Click Add images again for each new image, then move, resize, and adjust it the same way.
Match the light first. Warm or cool the image with Temperature, and brighten or darken it with Exposure until it looks lit like the background. Then size it to match the people or objects around it, and flip it so it faces into the scene.
