Before and after photos: how to make a side-by-side comparison that is fair and clear
A before and after works when the only thing that changed between the two photos is the thing you want to show. Different light, a different angle or a different crop and the comparison lies, even when the change is real. Here is how to shoot the pair, frame it, label it and size it, for a renovation, a haircut, a garden, a workout or a product.
1. Shoot the pair the same way
The comparison is decided when the second photo is taken, not in the editor. Five things to keep identical:
- Position. Same spot, same height, same distance. Mark the floor with tape for a renovation; use the same doorway or tile line as a reference.
- Lens. Same camera and same zoom. Switching from the wide lens to the main lens changes the proportions of a room.
- Light. Same time of day, or at least the same kind of light. A before in gray morning light and an after at golden hour sells the light, not the work.
- Orientation. Both portrait or both landscape.
- No edits on one side only. If you brighten the after, brighten the before by the same amount. The honest version is also the convincing one: people spot a cheated comparison and distrust the real change.
If the before already exists and was shot badly, match the after to it, not the other way round: stand where that photo was taken and copy its framing.
2. Equal cells, same framing
In the collage, the two photos get cells of exactly the same size, and the same point of the scene sits at the same place in both. Pick one fixed reference and align it: the horizon line, the top of a doorframe, the eyes in a portrait, the wheel hub of a car.
Side by side for two portraits, top and bottom for two landscapes. The direction follows the orientation so nothing is cropped.
Side by side reads left to right: before on the left. Stacked reads top to bottom: before on top. Never mix orientations; if one photo is portrait and the other landscape, crop both to a square cell and accept the loss rather than stretching either one.
Let Auto lay them out, then fix what you want.
Free, no watermark, and your photos stay on your device.
Open StudioCollage3. Gap, divider and labels
- No gap makes one image split in two: strong for a transformation of the same scene (a room, a garden), because the eye sweeps across the seam.
- A thin gap (six to ten pixels on a 1080 wide image) makes two moments: better for then and now, or for two products.
- A divider line in a color taken from the photos works for a story format where the seam would otherwise vanish.
- Labels: BEFORE and AFTER, short and uppercase, same font and size, in the same corner of each cell, with a thin outline or a small box so they read on any background. Keep them small: the labels are signage, not the subject. How to add text to a collage covers outline and size.
4. Sizes by destination
| Where it goes | Size | Layout |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram or Facebook feed, two portraits | 1080 x 1350 | Side by side, two cells of about 535 x 1350 |
| Instagram or Facebook feed, two squares | 1080 x 1080 | Side by side, two cells of about 535 x 1080 |
| Story, reel, TikTok | 1080 x 1920 | Stacked, top and bottom bands kept clear |
| Product page or listing | 1600 x 900 or 2000 x 1000 | Side by side, landscape |
| YouTube thumbnail | 1280 x 720 | Side by side, big labels |
| Print, 8 x 10 | 2400 x 3000 | Stacked, white gap |
The full list of platform and print sizes is in photo collage sizes.
5. Make it online, no app, no watermark
- Open StudioCollage and choose the destination (feed, story, a custom size for a product page).
- Pick the two-cell layout: side by side or stacked, following the orientation of the photos.
- Drop the before in the first cell, the after in the second. Drag inside each cell until the reference line matches; zoom with a pinch or the wheel if one photo is framed wider.
- Set the gap to zero or a thin one, add BEFORE and AFTER labels in matching corners, and download at the size of the destination.
The photos are processed on your device and never uploaded, which matters when the before is a client's bathroom or your own progress photo. For the steps on each phone and computer, including the built-in tools, see how to put two photos side by side.
6. More than two: the progress series
A renovation in four stages, a year of training, a plant over twelve months: the comparison becomes a series. Keep the same rules (same spot, same framing) and use a strip of equal cells in order: four across for a feed post, a 3x2 grid for six stages, a 4x3 grid for twelve months. Label each cell with the date or the week number in the same corner. How many photos to put in a collage gives the cell sizes that keep each stage readable.
A four-stage strip for a post, a six-stage grid for a longer project. Equal cells, same corner for the labels.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a before and after picture on my phone?
Put the two photos in a two-cell collage, side by side for portraits or stacked for landscapes, with equal cells and the same framing. On iPhone the Shortcuts app can combine them; on Android the gallery collage tool can; a browser collage maker such as StudioCollage does it on both with labels and the right export size.
Should before and after be side by side or top and bottom?
Side by side for portrait photos (a person, a haircut, a doorway), top and bottom for landscape photos (a room, a garden, a car). The rule is to avoid cropping either photo; the direction follows the orientation.
What size should a before and after be for Instagram?
1080 x 1080 for the feed with two square cells of about 535 pixels, or 1080 x 1350 with two tall cells if both photos are portraits. For a story, stack them at 1080 x 1920 and keep the top and bottom bands clear.
How do I make the two photos match?
Shoot the after from the same spot, same height and same lens as the before, in similar light. Then reframe inside the cells so a fixed reference (a doorframe, the horizon, the eyes) sits at the same place in both halves.
Do I need to label before and after?
Usually yes: small labels in matching corners (BEFORE on the left or top, AFTER on the right or bottom) remove any doubt about the reading order. Skip them only when the order is obvious, such as an empty room and a furnished one.
