Make a before and after photo

To make a before and after photo, take both shots from the same spot, in the same light, at the same distance; crop them to the same shape; then put them side by side in the free collage maker using the Side by side or Stacked layout. Download one image ready for Instagram, WhatsApp, a client report or your own records. It's free, there's no sign-up, and your photos stay on your device.

A before and after only convinces people if the two photos are clearly comparable. Most of the work is in taking matching photos; combining them takes a minute.

What makes a before and after believable

People instantly notice when the "after" shot has better light, a flattering angle or a filter. Keep everything the same except the thing that changed:

• Same spot. Mark where you stood with tape on the floor, or note a landmark ("phone against the door frame").
• Same distance and zoom. Don't zoom in on one and not the other. Use the phone's normal 1x lens for both.
• Same light. Shoot at the same time of day, with the same lights on or off. Window light at 10 am and lamp light at 9 pm look like two different rooms.
• Same pose or framing. For fitness photos: same stance, same relaxed or flexed posture, same clothing type. For rooms: the same corner in view.
• Same edits. If you brighten one, brighten the other by exactly the same amount.

A useful trick: before you take the "after", open the "before" photo on your phone and line up the view to match it.

Step 1: Crop both photos the same way

Even careful shots end up slightly different. Fix that with the free image cropper, which opens JPG, PNG and WebP but not iPhone HEIC photos:

1. Open the "before" photo and choose a shape, such as Portrait 4:5 for people or 4:3 for rooms.
2. Frame the subject, then note the Width, Height, From left and From top numbers under the picture.
3. Click Crop image and download it.
4. Open the "after" photo, choose the same shape, and type the same numbers (adjust From left and From top slightly if you stood a little to one side). Crop and download.

Both photos now have the same shape and size, so the subject appears at the same scale.

Step 2: Make the same light adjustments (optional)

If one photo came out darker, the free photo filters tool can correct it. It refuses images above about 16.7 megapixels, which includes full-size 24 MP iPhone photos, so shrink those first with the free image resizer. Use the Brightness and Contrast sliders and write down the values. If you adjust the other photo at all, use the same numbers. Avoid presets like Vivid or Golden on just one of the two; it's exactly the kind of difference viewers spot. Press and hold Hold to see the original to compare as you go.

If you're showing off a photo edit (a before and after of your own retouching or colour grading), the difference is the point, so skip this step.

Step 3: Combine them

Open the free collage maker, click Choose photos, and select both. Then:

Your photos	Layout	Shape
Upright (people, fitness, outfits)	Side by side	Landscape 16:9 for a wide post, or Square for a tighter crop
Wide (rooms, gardens, cars)	Stacked	Portrait 4:5 for Instagram feed
Either, for a Story or Status	Stacked	Story 9:16

Then:

1. Check the order under Photos, in order. "Before" should come first (left or top). Use ↑ and ↓ to swap.
2. Set Spacing. A thin gap (the default 24px) separates the two clearly; 0px joins them edge to edge.
3. Pick a Background colour for the gap. White is neutral; black suits dramatic transformations.
4. Under Save as, choose JPG, click Make collage, then Download collage.

Photos are never stretched. Each fills its half and is trimmed evenly at the edges if the shapes differ. Our guide to putting two photos side by side has a table of how much each shape keeps.

Step 4: Add "Before" and "After" labels (optional)

The collage maker doesn't add text. To label your image, open the finished collage in the free meme generator:

• Choose Caption above and type something like Before → After: 12 weeks or Kitchen: before and after. It puts your text in a white band above the picture.
• Or choose Text on the picture and use the top and bottom text for a short label.

See how to add text to a photo for more options.

Ideas that work well

• Fitness progress: one photo a month, same spot, same time. Keep the full set so you can make a 3- or 4-step progression later with the Three columns or 2 × 2 grid layouts.
• Renovation and repairs: contractors and painters can send clients a clear proof of work.
• Cleaning and organising: a messy cupboard and the tidy result, stacked.
• Gardening: the same bed across a season.
• Photo restoration or editing: show the original scan next to your repaired version, or a colourised old photo next to the black and white original.

Sharing it

The collage is high resolution, 2,160 pixels on the short side. For WhatsApp or email, it's usually fine as is; if a site limits the upload size, shrink it with the free image compressor.

Make your before and after now

Crop both photos to match, open the free collage maker, choose Side by side or Stacked and download. It's free, and your photos never leave your device.