How Multiple Exposures Can Create Interesting Photos

The photos we take are often made up of just one exposure, and this is usually enough to produce outstanding shots. Yet, we can also make use of multiple exposure, a technique in photography that helps us show off our creativity and bring together visual elements that we normally wouldn’t be able to do with just one exposure.

Multiple exposure can be described as a combination of two or more individual exposures to create just one image. These exposures are superimposed and may or may not be identical. The successful outcome of a shot with multiple exposure depends on several factors, such as the quality of the individual shots, your choice of images to be combined, and the placement of all the visual elements.

Multiple Exposure and High Dynamic Range (HDR)

HDR photos have a distinct, magical appeal that makes them stand out and be noticed. HDR images present a higher dynamic range between the darkest and lightest areas of a shot, so that both the bright and the dim light can be captured without the issue of under or overexposure. This is achieved by bracketing, or taking shots of the same scene at various specific exposures. The shots are then merged to create a radiant photograph with a high luminance. It is easy to go overboard with the HDR effect, making the photo appear garish and loud. Restraint and subtlety is usually more effective when creating HDR shots.

Photo by edbrambley

Use Multiple Exposure to Show an Action Sequence

Multiple exposure can be loads of fun when you want to display action in your shots. You can use your camera’s burst mode, or be trigger happy and click the shutter button several times to capture the movement. When you merge the photos, you can show a sequence of actions from the moving subject while the background remains the same. This works best with a tripod or by placing your camera on a steady and flat surface.

Photo by Symic

Compose All the Visual Elements

Since each multiple exposure photograph is composed of more than one individual shot with its own visual elements, care must be given to how they will all look once superimposed. Otherwise, it could appear as an unattractive mess of overlapping objects. With post-processing, you can choose where to place your elements in the frame and control their opacity so that some objects are clearer and more visible than others. Visualize how the final presentation will look and choose shots that go well together.

Photo by john.purvis

Multiple Exposure to Show Off Your Creativity

With multiple exposure, you can create shots that normally cannot be captured in reality. You can let your imagination go wild and compose whimsical, surreal, moody, or out of this world images that are sure to hook the viewer’s interest.

Photo by Victor Doyle

Use Multiple Exposure for Portraits

This technique is a great way to inject some pizzazz to photos of people, even your self-portraits. Multiple exposures can help add character and visual interest. If you have any boring portrait shots that you wish were more interesting, try merging them with other photos to enhance the final result. Take care to keep the person identifiable and not lost among all the other visual elements displayed by the added photos.

Photo by Kr. B.

There is no limit to the number of shots you can combine to create one image with multiple exposure. Experiment with combinations, tinker with them in post-processing, and create unique photos that showcase your artistic vision.