How to Choose the Best Photos for Photoshop Edits and Face Swaps

Helpful Tips to Get the Most Natural-Looking Final Images

Once your photoshoot is complete and you’ve received your gallery, you’ll have the exciting task of selecting your favorite images!

As part of my editing services, you get a number of standard edits (think color correction, light retouching, and basic enhancements), and you can also select additional edits for more detailed Photoshop work - like face swapping to fix those tricky moments.

Face swaps can work beautifully when done correctly - but to get the most natural, seamless result, it’s important to choose the right images thoughtfully.

Here’s everything you need to know before selecting photos for face swaps or Photoshop edit:

1. Match the Lighting and Angles as Closely as Possible

Lighting and direction are everything when it comes to a natural-looking face swap.

Tips:

- Choose a photo where the lighting on the face is similar in both images (both well-lit, or both a little shadowed).

- The faces should be facing the same direction - for example, both looking slightly to the left, or both looking straight ahead.

- Avoid choosing a face that’s dramatically different in light or angle - it will make the edit look obvious and less natural.

Good match: Two photos where everyone is standing in the same spot, facing the camera, under similar lighting.

Bad match: Trying to swap a face from a sunny outdoor photo into a shaded indoor scene.

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2. Keep Expressions Consistent

If the expressions are very different, the final photo may not feel cohesive.

Tips:

- Try to choose a swap where the facial expressions are **similar**—both smiling naturally, both with a soft look, or both laughing.

- Swapping a huge belly laugh face onto a calm, serene pose will feel *off*, even if the swap technically "works."

In short: If you want it to *feel* natural, pick a face with a similar mood or vibe to the rest of the photo!

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3. Bigger Differences = Harder (and Less Natural) Swaps

Some requests are technically possible—but they don't always result in the polished, seamless look you're probably hoping for.

Things that make swapping harder:

- Very different head tilts (ex: one photo with chin down, another with chin up).

- Drastically different smiles (ex: toothy grin vs. closed mouth).

- Hands or hair partially covering the face in one photo but not in the other.

- Strong differences in distance from the camera (ex: one close-up, one further away).

The more similar the two original images are, the easier and cleaner the edit will be!

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Face swaps and detailed Photoshop edits are amazing tools to create the best version of your family photos - but careful selection makes all the difference between a seamless edit and one that feels obviously altered.

Take your time, keep these tips in mind, and together we’ll make sure your final images are everything you dreamed of!