Magical multiples
Create impossible results in-camera by combining several shots into a single image
In-camera multiple exposure combines two or more separate shots to make a combined image. Multiple exposures hark back to the days of shooting several frames on a single piece of film. It’s one of the rare situations where you can create a single Raw image that would not be possible any other way. If your camera doesn’t have the multiple exposure function, you can use DPP or Photoshop to combine your individual frames.
Some cameras have a basic multiple exposure capability with average and additive blending, but more advanced models also have dark and brightness blending modes. Some devices allow up to nine frames to be combined, and you can use an image from the memory card as a base image. More advanced cameras have two different modes of multiple exposure shooting; On:func/ Ctrl, which allows you to check the results for each frame while shooting; and On:contshtng, which is better for moving subjects. For these cameras you can choose to save the individual shots, as well as the combined one when On:func/ctrl is selected.
Additive blending adds the pixels from each frame, it’s good for adding images against a black background, but often you need to use exposure compensation to avoid overexposed shots. For combinations of two images, use -1EV and for 4 shots use -2EV.
Set the camera to average blending and it will take care of the exposure compensation for you, so that the final frame is correctly exposed. If you have a shot of a park bench, and someone sits at each end for two exposures they will appear a ghostly, as they were present for only half the exposure in each component frame. Dark and bright blending modes use the darker or brighter part of each frame to determine where the blending occurs.
When using Live View mode or a mirrorless camera, your display will show the combined frame as you shoot, this helps when you’re trying to combine multiple elements into one photograph. It’s even possible to delete the most recent captured frame if you get the positioning wrong while using Live View.