How to Use the Multiple Flash Exposure Technique

Flash Photography  •  Photography Tips

Multiple flash exposure is a technique where the shutter remains open for a fairly long period of time while the flash pops several times. The resulting image looks like a composite of multiple exposures, but it’s actually just a single exposure with the movement frozen every time a flash pops:

If you have a few strobes and a studio to play with, you can really take this idea and run with it. As Seth Miranda demonstrates in the tutorail above, you’re limited only by your imagination.

For his demonstration of the technique, Miranda used a few flashes and a fog machine. He fired off multiple flash pops during a long exposure as the model jumped in front of the camera.

When you try less conventional approaches to a portrait, such as this one, you have to throw away the trusted approach to shooting indoor images and try something new. For example, Miranda decided to ask the model to change her outfit in order for her skin to reflect more light. He even threw silk over the LED light in order to reduce the exposure.

Miranda also experimented with one of the studio lights. It had a warmer color temperature but worked well with the model’s skin tone.

For the next shot, Miranda brought in a speedlight to be fired from the front of the model. It was hand-held at an angle above the model’s head.

As you can see, it’s all about your imagination!