4 tips to take a stunning and creative double exposure photos
Simple Tricks that I learned from failure
I was crazy about taking double exposure picture when I started taking film photography. Creating double or even multiple exposure shot isn’t anything new. Traditionally it was used in film photography and even nowadays in Photoshop.
I like doing it all in-camera because I cannot recall after the film is exposed and I cannot preview how it will be at that moment. So challenging!
I shot lotssssssss of messy multi-exposure pictures at the beginning because I just randomly took some nice shots into the same frame.
Doing double exposures is not all about pressing your shutter more than once. After wasting so many frames and film development fee, here are some suggestions on planning multi-exposure picture.
With a little planning, you can come up with stunning double exposures. Check it out!
** All below photos are taken by myself with Nikon FM2. No further edit after scanning the films.
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Be best friends with your camera and understand your films.
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1. Keep it simple!
Choose your subjects carefully. Balance things out by layering a “busy” image (one that has a lot of details) with one that’s simpler.
2. Break the illogic! Play around with contrast
It’s easy to start with size contrast.
The small Halloween pumpkins look huge when they are layered upon the dark sky of Street of America at Disney World. This combination creates a dramatic effect.
Try to take a close-up at some tiny and fine objects like blossoms and texture. They turn out dominating the photo.
Apart from size, you may tell a story through context contrast.
The above photo recorded my flight from Hong Kong to Osaka by showing day and night in one picture. I first captured the sunny sky through the window on the plane. After 4 hour flight, I shot the second picture when I landed Osaka in the evening. The night view of the airport exposed on the shadow of the half-closed window.
3. Reverse your camera! Try a different angle
The above picture is thrice-exposure. I first took the naughty mermaid, then I reversed my camera and captured the night view of the street. Finally, added a group of bokeh lights (the same street but out-of-focus) in between them.
Make it interesting! Try turning your camera upside down for your second multiple exposure shot. You’ll get surreal images that look like reflections!
And don’t always place your focal point in the centre, which tends to come off as boring and predictable, and leaves a room for the next exposure.
4. To soften and create an atmosphere in photos
Sometimes it’s difficult to put all wonderful objects in one frame. In this case, you may consider capturing them with multiple exposures. Take the first shot with the correct focus, then superimpose intentionally an out-of-focus shot.
The blurred and indistinct exposures make colour and light blend together like watercolour.
Thanks for watching 💋
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