Double exposure photography, in the real sense, is where one photo taken with a camera is exposed onto another photo to create an artistic concept. This is all done in-camera, not in the post-processing world of Adobe Photoshop.
It is a creative genre of photography where the favoured method of creating double exposure photographs these days is by using Adobe Photoshop. By using simple overlay techniques, a two-exposure image can be created in minutes. However, this is not true double exposure photography.
Traditionally a double exposure was created using film cameras. A photo would be taken, then the film rewound, and a second photo taken atop the first one.
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Digital double exposure
Some digital cameras have double-exposure settings. Once the double exposure setting has been selected the method with a digital camera is to select the base image from the camera roll. You then take the second exposure as an overlay shot. The camera will combine the two photographs into a true double exposure in-camera.
This type of photography differs from multiple exposure photography in that there are usually only two exposures. It is created in-camera. Multiple exposure photography can be two or more photographs that are usually stacked in software such as Adobe Photoshop.
Double exposing two photographs with a related or the same subject works well to show a relationship and link between the subjects or concept.
Examples
Some examples are a double exposure of businesspersons shaking hands in an industrial scene which designed to show the relationship of beneficial business partnerships in industry. Another example is a double expose of the same subject – a person curled up on a rock, signifying the cold reality of living with emotional distress and abandonment.
Software
The advent of Adobe Photoshop and other similar software has made the art of in-camera double exposures almost obsolete as it is relatively simple to create one using this software. However, it is still a relevant and creative outlet for any photographer to attempt.
Double exposure photography, in the real sense, is where one photo taken with a camera is exposed onto another photo to create an artistic concept.
Double Exposure Photography Portfolio
Create a website and maintain a portfolio of your creative images and also display them on your social accounts at TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
Seeing double with double exposure photography!
Double exposure photography is close to abstract photography.