Double - exposure - by design, not accidental !!

Likely that you feel that these pictures are not properly shot – looks blurred or shaken .. .. or perhaps !! 

Did you ever had that princely camera where a camera roll will have to be artistically inserted – some were auto, while in many – one will have to advance the roll slowly one step to ensure that you take photo after moving the roll – max 36 – experts could manage a couple more … .. while we would give to Photo studios with request – ‘OGP’ ie., print only good prints !! 

Imp Pre-script : These are double exposed photos !  -  some attempt in understanding the camera and its capabilities – certainly not a post for Experts, but meant to show my lack of understanding and wide scheme of things to my friends! – and look forward to experts on guidance for good multi exposed photos. 

In photography and cinematography, a multiple exposure is the super-imposition of two or more exposures to create a single image. The exposure values may or may not be identical to each other. 

In photography, the term “double exposure” refers to a technique where two or more exposures are made on the same piece of film or digital media. By overlaying different images, double – or multiple exposure can create unique and unexpected results. While this technique can be used for any type of photography, it is often associated with experimental and impressionist styles.   

Multiple exposure photography   involves exposing the film or your digital camera’s sensor to two or more sources of light, resulting in a single photograph that combines multiple images. 

If you remember shooting on film on that vintage camera,  there is a good chance that you shot couple of photos overlaying unintentionally and the output not up to the mark.  It was  multiple exposure photo by accident. The result  probably an unusable, over-exposed mess, but  with modern technology and a bit of planning, it’s now possible to create beautiful and intentional double-exposure photographs every time. 

The history of multiple exposure photography is as old as photography itself. This was often the result of reloading the film without advancing it to the next frame. This haunting effect could be considered one of the first special effects in use long before the invention of digital photography. 19th-century photographers used it to create ethereal portraits by superimposing the image of their subject over a landscape. In the 1860s, professional photographers would use double exposure as another source of revenue. They used the technique to make the subject appear in the photo twice, posing differently as if they had an identical twin. 

Many modern DSLR cameras have numerous exposure modes built-in that make it easy to create stunning images. And now, with the rise of Instagram and hunger for vintage techniques, multiple exposure photography has seen a resurgence in popularity.   The advantage in modern DSLRs is – they can  store the first shot on your memory card before you shoot the second one, and hence besides the  creative possibilities you would also have the original ones separately. 

Technique no doubt is interesting ! my outputs are not up to the mark, will try some more !!

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
24.12.2023