My Double Exposure Techniques
It’s no doubt if you’ve been following me that you know how much I love making double exposures (& other funky art). Back in 2012 when I first started, I didn’t know a thing about photoshop or how powerful it could be in storytelling. It took years of trial and error & a whole lot of video tutorials for me to gain the most basic understanding of photoshop. Now, I can’t imagine my creative world without it. So, I thought I’d leave you all with some helpful tips about my creative process.
NOTE: YES, you can do double exposures (AKA multiple exposure mode/option) in-camera with image overlay. However, you will not have as much creative freedom doing them this way.
What Kinds of Photos I Use for Double Exposures
textures (from clothing, material, sparkly things, objects)
flowers & plants
scenic (sunrise, sunset, landscapes, buildings)
special & emotional moments
memoirs (old photos, heirlooms)
lights (lamps, fire, twinkle lights, street/city lights, lanterns, car lights, neon lights)
text (letters, newspapers, books, vows)
paintings & other art
Making the Magic Happen
Know that there is more than one way to do something. You can find guides and tutorials online that will show you multiple approaches and techniques to make things in photoshop. Do what works for you.
2. Wait to do your double exposures/funky art until your main gallery is finished so that you have an overview of images that have potential for this.
3. Open your images. Drag one image over another.
BONUS: You can also use more than two photos.
4. Use command + T (mac version) to move the image or stretch it over your other image.
5. Play with blending modes. Crop as needed/wanted.
6. Or, don’t use blending modes. Instead, try adding a mask layer & use the brush tool at different opacities to erase/blend. Crop as needed/wanted.
7. Don’t just think color on color. You can do color and b&w in an overlay.
8. Merge your layers. Use the adjustment tools in the menu to fix brightness, contrast, curves, etc. if needed/wanted.
9. You can use the same photo(s) for different double exposures/variations.
10. It’s trial & error. If something doesn’t work, that’s okay. Try again. There are no set rules for what you create. If you like it, chances are that your clients will too because they hired you.
Go make magic, friends!
XO, Dakota