Multiple Exposure Experiment 2

I wanted to take the multiple exposure experiment further and produce an improved version from the first. I decided to experiment with more landscape images to be blended with portraits. This ties into my idea of looking into the mind and showing the beauty of both people and nature. My first shoot involved taking pictures of trees and nature with the most ideal location being at Penrose National Trust. I managed to take a variety of images from trees to the landscape itself which gave me a range of pictures to experiment with. The results turned out great with the time of day complimenting the scenery, giving the right exposure and bringing out some colour.

My next shoot involved taking portraits and I wanted to take pictures of my family to make it more personal and meaningful. The technique required me to use a studio style setup for flash which I had to accomplish in a home environment. I gathered the necessary equipment of the flash kit and had to find a suitable spot to set the apparatus. I tested to see if everything was working and took a few photos to get the right settings for the camera. I had to get the right effect of the silhouette with some light on the face. I had took a lot of images since the technique was difficult to get right. Luckily, I managed to get a few suitable images which I could be used to blend with the landscapes.

Contact Sheets

First Shoot

Second Shoot

Setting Up

• Set the white backdrop so that the flash fills the background
• Place the tripod near the backdrop adjusting the height appropriate to the subject
• Attach the wireless receiver to the tripod
• Put the flash on top of the wireless receiver
• Attach the wireless transmitter to the camera
• Turn on the camera and coordinate with the subject for the shoot
• Turn on the wireless transmitter and receiver and test that everything works
• Adjust the voltage on the flash where necessary
• Take various shots making sure that a silhouette is present and the background it lit

Shoot Plan

• Taking pictures of family to capture the personal side to the project
• To be combined with landscape images
• Setting up the flash kit for the camera similar to a studio shoot
• Low light to be used and flash will be the main source of light to be reflected
• Taking pictures of trees and the landscape to be merged with portraits
• Multiple exposure to be edited on PhotoShop and any improvements for the orignal images incorprating colour and tone

Shots

• Indoor flash setup
• Models family
• Leveled height
• Close up shots
• Aperture f/8 – f/16
• Shutter speed 1/200 second
• Penrose location for landscapes
• Time of day early evening

Ideas

• Shots close up profile style with a soft camera focus
• Similar profile shots of the subjects face with a soft focus
• Images of models facing at the camera at an angle
• Picture of the model looking down
• Two models back to back layered with landscape
• Models facing each other close up

I believe that this was my best experiment and I was able to take some great images that can be used for my final piece. My post production skills have improved a lot and having practiced multiple exposure previously, I think that I can finish with some interesting work through experimentation.

Post Production

Step 1 – Camera RAW

First adjust the settings of the images in Camera RAW to lift the highlights or darken certain areas to hide the features. This is the first part of post production that will help to improve the multiple exposure effect. I increased the darks to try and incorporate more light into the picture, just enough to make the face more visible.

Step 2 – Grain

I noticed that the image appeared grainy and improved it by clicked on the Detail tab and adjusted the Luminance to make it appear more natural and smooth

Afterward, I wanted to being some more light on the face and used the Graduated Filter to draw more light by setting the Exposure to 1. You can also use the adjustment brush to darken or lighten parts of the picture by painting on it.

Step 3 – Landscape and Colour

Moving onto the landscape image I noticed that it was quite dull and the colours didnt stand out. I wanted to increase the Vibrance and Saturation which helped to bring brighten and make the colours more noticable.

I also wanted to increase the Highlights and Shadows which made the overall image lighter than it was. In particular near the bottom left where the leaves appear more visible without over exposing the rest of the image.

Step 4 – PhotoShop

Next, open both images in Photoshop and place them on the same page. Make sure that the landscape layer is on top Resize the pictures so that they fit the frame of the page by using the Transform Controls.

Change the Blending Mode on the landscape so that it merges with the portrait and so that both can appear visible. I tried different options that left the best result which was Screen. You may have to move the landscape image so that it can still be seen in the frame.

Step 5 – Layer Mask

Then, use the Quick Select Tool and highlight the landscape picture so that only the main part of the image is used. You might have to hide the portrait image to make it easier to highlight and make sure your on the right layer.

Now click Create Layer mask which only shows the part highlighted and can be manipulated without destroying the original image.

Afterwards, do the same with the subject, selecting the main content and creating a mask. The background will be replaced to make sure that its one solid colour.

Create a New Layer and place it below the portrait. Fill the layer with white by pressing Ctrl + Backspace and it should colour the whole layer. Ensure that your Background Colour is set to white.

Step 6 – Magic Wand

Now we’re going to get rid of the excess sky by using the Magic Wand Tool and selecting the sky on the landscape layer.

Then fill in the space with white using the same process as before Ctrl + Backspace which should match the colour of the background.

Part of the hair is still left and will need to be erased. To do this use the erase tool to get rid of the hair and leave the branches of the trees untouched.

Step 7 – Bringing Back the Face

Finally, we need to make the face more visible. This can be done by using the Brush Tool and changing the opacity to 40%. Select the top layer and paint over the face and it should start to come back.

Final Product:

This was just one of the images that I experimented with I did more that incorporated different colours, tones which resulted in different effects. I think that I was able to use this technique successfully but there are some improvements that could be made such as shaping the landscape around the subject and making the too images blend better.