Whether accidental or intentional, double exposure photography is a creative film photography technique which can create incredibly beautiful, distinct and highly unique photos.
If you’re in the pursuit of creating some shots of your own, we’ve pulled together a guide on everything to do with double exposure photography that you can use for your own film journey.
All of the stunning double exposure images (shot on Fujifilm 200 and 400) featured here were taken by Rebecca Forsey who took part in our Cardiff photowalk!
What Is Double Exposure Photography?
Double exposure photography is a creative film photography technique where two separate images are exposed onto the same frame of film, blending them into a single photograph.
This effect can produce dreamlike, artistic results by layering subjects, silhouettes, textures, or landscapes together.
Unlike digital editing, each double exposure on film is created in-camera, making every image unique and often delightfully unpredictable.
Some film cameras include a multiple exposure function, while others require photographers to manually prevent the film from advancing before taking a second shot.
How Double Exposure Works On Film
Double exposure photography works by exposing the same frame of film twice before advancing it to the next frame.
After taking the first photograph, the film is kept in the same position and a second image is captured directly on top of the first. Both exposures are recorded on a single negative, creating one combined photograph.
When light hits the film during each exposure, it adds to the image already recorded on that frame. The film doesn’t keep the two photos separate, instead, the light from both shots is blended together on the negative. This is why double exposures often have a layered, dreamlike appearance.
Understanding shadows and highlights is key to getting good results. Dark areas in the first image contain little information, so they allow more of the second image to show through.
Bright areas contain much more exposure, which can overpower or wash out details from the second shot. Many photographers intentionally pair a silhouette or dark foreground with a brighter texture, landscape, or pattern to create a balanced and visually striking double exposure.
The below image is such a good example of this, being overlayed with bright, colourful flowers against the darker shades from the architecture.
Which Film Cameras Can Do Double Exposures?
Many film cameras are capable of creating double exposures, although the method varies depending on the model.
Some cameras feature a dedicated multiple exposure lever or switch, making it quick and easy to expose the same frame more than once. Others require a manual technique to stop the film from advancing after the first shot.
Popular film cameras that support double exposures include:
- Canon AE-1 Program (manual method)
- Nikon FM2 (multiple exposure lever)
- Pentax K1000 (manual method)
- Olympus OM-1 (multiple exposure lever)
- Many Lomography cameras, such as the Lomo LC-A+ and Diana F+, which often include a dedicated multiple exposure feature.
If your camera doesn’t have a built-in multiple exposure function, you can usually still create double exposures manually. This typically involves holding the film rewind release and carefully rewinding the film just enough to reset the shutter without moving the film to the next frame. While this method takes a little practice and precision, it allows many classic film cameras to produce stunning double exposure images.
Before attempting a manual double exposure, it’s worth checking your camera’s manual or researching the correct technique for your specific model, as the process differs between camera brands and advancing the film incorrectly could result in overlapping the wrong frames or damaging your roll.
Planning Your Images
While double exposure photography often produces happy accidents, planning your shots beforehand will greatly improve your chances of creating a striking final image.
Thinking about how the two photographs will interact before pressing the shutter can make the difference between a confusing composition and a beautifully blended work of art. Some people like to keep a notebook to hand and write notes on the shots as they go.
One of the best approaches is to keep one image simple. If both photographs are full of intricate details, the final result can appear cluttered and difficult to interpret. Pairing a detailed scene with a cleaner, more minimal image allows each exposure to complement the other rather than compete for attention.
Silhouettes are particularly effective for double exposures. A dark silhouette of a person, tree, or object creates an ideal canvas for your second image, allowing landscapes, flowers, cityscapes, or textures to fill the shape while keeping the subject clearly defined.
It’s also worth looking for clean backgrounds when taking your first photograph. A plain sky, solid wall, or uncluttered backdrop gives the second exposure plenty of room to shine and prevents distracting elements from overlapping unexpectedly.
Finally, consider where your second image will appear within the frame. Think about how the composition of the second photograph will fit into the first. For example, if you’re photographing a portrait, you may want a forest, mountain range, or skyline to fill only the silhouette rather than extending across the entire frame. Taking a few moments to visualise how the two exposures will combine can lead to much more intentional and creative results.
Creative Double Exposure Ideas
Hopefully Rebecca’s images give you some great ideas for creating your own double exposure images. However, here are some pairing ideas to help you get started.
Examples:
- Portrait + forest
- Portrait + flowers
- Trees + clouds
- City skyline + people
- Mountains + stars
- Architecture + textures
- Water reflections
- Smoke or fog
- Leaves and branches
- Animals and landscapes
Exposure Tips for Double Exposure Photography
Getting the exposure right is one of the biggest challenges with double exposure photography. Because you’re exposing the same frame of film twice, the total amount of light recorded on the negative is effectively the combination of both exposures. If each photograph is exposed normally, there’s a greater chance that the final image will be overexposed, with blown highlights and a loss of detail.
As a general rule, it’s recommended to underexpose each image by around one stop. This means that when the two exposures are combined, the overall exposure is closer to what the film is designed to handle.
You can do this by adjusting your aperture, shutter speed, ISO (if using a camera with DX override), or by using your camera’s exposure compensation feature if it has one.
However, this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. Colour negative film, in particular, has an impressive amount of exposure latitude and is very forgiving of overexposure. Depending on your film stock and the scenes you’re photographing, you may find that shooting both exposures at box speed still produces excellent results. This is especially true if one of the images contains lots of dark areas or a silhouette, which contribute less light to the final frame.
Ultimately, the best approach is to experiment. Try one roll where each exposure is reduced by around one stop, and another where you expose both images normally. You’ll quickly get a feel for how your camera, favourite film stocks and shooting style affect the final result.
Shooting an Entire Roll Twice
Another creative approach is to shoot an entire roll of film, rewind it, then reload it into your camera and photograph the whole roll again. This creates a roll where every frame is a double exposure, often resulting in beautifully unexpected combinations.
If you decide to try this method, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Make a note of your starting frame and rewind the film carefully, leaving the leader protruding if possible so it’s easy to reload.
- Reload the film in the same camera if you can. Different cameras position the film slightly differently, so using another camera may cause the frames to misalign.
- Try to match the frame spacing by loading the film in the same way each time.
- Consider planning the second pass around the first. For example, shoot portraits on the first roll and landscapes or textures on the second for more intentional results.
Shooting a roll twice can be wonderfully unpredictable, and even when the images don’t line up perfectly, the unexpected overlaps often become part of the creative appeal of film photography.
Double Exposure Image Sample Ideas
Here are some more double exposure images taken around Cardiff city centre to show you how overlaying the right types of images can pay off with your film photography.
Double exposure photography is one of the most rewarding techniques to experiment with on film. Every roll offers the chance to create something completely unique, and even the unexpected results can become your favourite images.
Film development works exactly the same way for double exposure images because the effect is created in-camera, so you can just order your standard development for your film as usual.