Complex surface defects simulated on a metal specimen are detected using the photoacoustic (PA) method and signals corresponding to defects are reconstructed to form PA images. The depths of two defects and the distance between them range from 0.5 to 1.5 mm and 0.5 to 2.0 mm, respectively. Both measurements were in increments of 0.5 mm. The PA image obtained clearly shows the locations of the edges of two defects. It is found that complex defects composed of two sections are detected separately as individual single defects.