Shooting double exposures in DSLR?

Robin_Usagani · May 6, 2013

Here is one I just did with 5D3.

Overread · May 6, 2013

That is freaking neat!

But how does that work in camera? I can't see how it works without layermasks and at least two exposures.

amolitor · May 6, 2013

Looks to me like a couple silhouetted against a sunset, and then an exposure of trees overlaid on that, similarly silhouetted.

This only works because the two images are both silhouettes, and both have blown out backgrounds. Blown out + Blown out = Blown out.
Black + Blown out = Blown out. Black + Black = Black. And that's pretty much it. There's a little bit of grayscale in there, but not much.

Well done!

jedirunner · May 6, 2013

TCampbell said:
The 1D X and 5D III can do in-camera multiple exposures. See: Canon EOS 5D Mark III - Tutorial Multiple Exposure Shooting 13/14 - YouTube

My 5D II did not do in-camera multiple exposures... and I'm not aware of any prior body that did them.

Thanks for that tip. I haven't explored all the features of my camera so that was a great tip-off to something I hadn't explored yet.

And that also exposed the youtube channel for the rest of those tutorials.

Kevin

Josh66 · May 6, 2013

As far as I know, all Pentax DSLRs have been able to do in camera multiple exposure - but who uses those, right? :lol:

It seems like the new thing that all DSLRs must have now though.

It's not really a 'must have' for me - I could definitely live without it. I do play with it sometimes, but not often...

Overread · May 6, 2013

My brain is being slow in working this out still - but if I get it right the couple is the shot taken first and presents the pure white background with the characters black against it. Then the second shot is imposed over the first, where upon the darker middle exposure is written over by the latter, which only partly writes over it in the whites; causing the remaining blacks from the first image to take on the form of the branches.

Josh66 · May 6, 2013

Overread said:
My brain is being slow in working this out still - but if I get it right the couple is the shot taken first and presents the pure white background with the characters black against it. Then the second shot is imposed over the first, where upon the darker middle exposure is written over by the latter, which only partly writes over it in the whites; causing the remaining blacks from the first image to take on the form of the branches.

The order of exposure actually doesn't matter.

Anything that was black on the first exposure will look 'normal' on the second exposure (assuming no exposure compensation is being used). The black areas of the first exposure are effectively a mask, preventing light from hitting that part of the 'film'.

Josh66 · May 6, 2013

...Trying to think of a good way to explain it. Sometimes you want to use exposure compensation, sometimes you don't. Depends on the end result you want. This is why I don't like doing multiple exposure in PP. Doing it in camera forces you to know what the end result is going to be - instead of just overlaying crap on crap and hoping you get something other than more crap out of it.

Derrel · May 6, 2013

I think there's a difference between "multiple exposure" and "image overlay"...these are not the same thing. Robin's admittedly interesting trees + people is not a multiple exposure, but an image overlay effect.

Josh66 · May 6, 2013

Derrel said:
I think there's a difference between "multiple exposure" and "image overlay"...these are not the same thing. Robin's admittedly interesting trees + people is not a multiple exposure, but an image overlay effect.

I don't know. Looks like it was done in camera to me. Flash behind the couple.

One exposure, just the silhouette of the couple (flash), second exposure, just the trees (ambient). Camera on tripod.

(If it wasn't done in camera, it definitely could have been.)

Robin_Usagani · May 6, 2013

It is not overlay. It is double exposure. If the area is already pure white on the first exposure (overexposed), doesnt matter how dark the 2nd image is... it will still be white.