Using Multiple Exposures in Action Photography

Photography Tips

When you first take a look at photographer Marcelo Maragni’s images, you might think that they’re a product of Photoshop. But the truth is they’re all created in camera. Maragni’s photos are created with multiple exposures. In the film days, a multiple exposure occurred when the strip of film did not advance to the next frame causing the same frame to be exposed twice. This created overlapping images, and while it was originally the result of a mechanical failure or mistake on the part of the photographer, it has become an area of experimental photography:

The great thing about shooting multiple exposures with digital is that you can choose which two photos to combine. Most DSLRs will have a multiple exposure function that will allow you to go through your images and preview how the two would look like combined together. The results can yield unique and unexpected photos.

Perhaps the most fun part of creating multiple exposures is that it means you get to spend more time shooting and less time at the computer. But, like photography itself, creating multiple exposures is both an art and a science. You’ll need to learn how bright areas will look on dark areas, and vice versa, when creating multiple exposures. But seeing as you can’t live view the how the final image will look, a bit of guessing and experimentation will be needed as well.

It’s not Photoshop, it’s multiple exposures!