Double exposure portrait blended with city skyline

Why this works

Double exposure is a technique where two images are layered on the same frame. The key challenge in prompting it is telling the generator exactly how the two layers interact.

Silhouette as container — The prompt establishes the portrait as a silhouette first, then describes the city as “filling the interior.” This container metaphor is the most reliable way to communicate double exposure to generators. Saying “blend” or “merge” without specifying which layer contains the other produces unpredictable results.

Alignment instructions — “The tallest building rising along the forehead” gives the generator a specific spatial mapping between the two layers. This alignment detail prevents random placement of the city within the silhouette and creates a sense of intentional design.

Contrast management through background — “Outside the silhouette, the background fades to clean white” solves the most common double exposure failure: a muddy, indistinct composition where you cannot tell where the portrait ends and the background begins. The white background creates a hard boundary that makes the effect legible.

Solid anchor points — “The jawline and neck remain solid and dark” tells the generator to keep parts of the silhouette opaque. Without this, the entire portrait can become transparent, losing the recognizable human form that makes double exposures compelling.

Blue hour timing — Setting the city at blue hour provides a specific color temperature (cool blues) with a natural contrast element (warm window lights). This built-in color contrast makes the city layer visually interesting even when compressed into the silhouette shape.

What to change if it fails

• City not visible inside the silhouette? Strengthen with “the city skyline is clearly visible within the head silhouette, the silhouette acts as a window into the city scene.”
• Background not clean? Add “pure white background, high-key, no city elements outside the silhouette boundary.”
• Looks like a bad Photoshop composite? Add “seamless in-camera double exposure effect, analog film technique, organic blending of layers.”
• Silhouette not recognizable as a person? Change to “clearly defined human profile silhouette with recognizable nose, lips, and forehead contour.”
• Want a different fill scene? Replace the city with any detailed landscape: “dense forest canopy,” “ocean waves,” “star field.” Keep the container/alignment structure the same.