DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGING - Week 5

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGING - Week 5

20/10/2025 - 24/10/2025
Nur Adila binti Nazary (0377352)
Digital Photography and Imaging / Bachelor in Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Week 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Lecture
2) Tutorial/Instructions
3) Practical/Process
4) Feedback
5) Final Outcome
6) Reflection

LECTURE
Week 5
Double Exposure
Double Exposure & Image Blending Mode
Double Exposure Photography: Merging multiple images.
What's the goal? To make them surreal, emotional or humorous.

Figure 1. Double Exposure photo

Ways to do Double Exposure without using double exposure camera
1) Tilt-Shift Effect
Tilt-Shift Effect is a tool that helps soft works into art
HOW TO? Filter > Blur Gallery > Tilt-Shift

2) Create fake reflection
Using a separate window photo helps to create a double-exposure photo.

3) Experiment with simple portraits and details textured
By combining something plain with something complicated will give a balanced result.

4) Convert your results to Black & White
A lack of colour will increase the emotions in the double-exposure images. To express the work in a vulnerable way, make sure the images is black and white.

5) Work with silhouette
In many double-exposure works are using silhouettes. Work with silhouette ONLY.

6) Pick two random photo
By combining two random photos can create an interesting textures, shapes and forms.

7) Make simple objects look fascinating
Using simple everyday objects photos and edit them into with interesting forms will enhance the imagination.

8) Use shadow

Photoshop: Blend Modes
Usually blend modes will give a unique effect to the images. Try to use them to make an interesting picture

Figure 2. Blend Mode Groups diagram

Figure 3. Blend Mode example

WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN WEEK 5 LECTURE:
From this week's lecture, I learned about double exposure and how to blend multiple images together to create an emotional composition. The lecturer explained various ways to achieve double exposure effect without using a double exposure camera such  as working with silhouettes, using simple portraits or experimenting with textures and reflections. I also learned that Photoshop's Blend Modes can be used to combine images in creative ways, giving each work a unique look. Overall, double exposure is a technique that encourages creativity and imagination.

TUTORIAL/INSTRUCTION

PRACTICAL/PROCESS

Week 5 Overview:
Focus: Double Exposure

DOUBLE EXPOSURE EDITING
In Week 5, we learned on how to create a double exposure using Photoshop techniques instead of relying on a double exposure camera. The lecturer provided a Youtube tutorial that guided us through each step of the process, and we were required to follow it carefully to recreate the effect.

RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION:
We had to watch another Youtube tutorial that was given by the lecturer. Before that, he gave a Google Drive link that had a few images that we need to include in the double exposure work.

Here are the images given:

Figure 4. Black and white portrait 

Figure 5. Birds #1

Figure 6. Birds #2

Figure 7. Black and white forest

IDEATION: By following the steps in the video I managed to complete the work. The only thing I change was the filter towards the end because the filter that the lecturer was using in the video tutorial wasn't available in my Photoshop, so I change it to another one that is somewhat similar to the original filter.

Here is the final edited outcome:

Figure 8. Finished double exposure editing

SELF EDITING FOR DOUBLE EXPOSURE 
For the next one, we were tasked with creating our own double exposure photo using only images we personally took, specifically our own silhouette or profile picture.

RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION:
With that idea in mind, I went through Pinterest to search for some inspiration and found several examples of double exposure portraits that caught my attention. The ones I liked most featured floral elements, soft colour palettes and grainy or noise effect. What stood out to me was how visually calming these images were, there's nothing too bright or overly exposed. The overall feeling they gave off was peaceful and collected, which inspired the direction for my own work.

Figure 9. Inspiration for double exposure #1

Figure 10. Inspiration for double exposure #2

Figure 11. Inspiration for double exposure #3

IDEATION:
After watching a few more Youtube tutorials on double exposure editing and rewatching the tutorials shared by the lecturer, I began working on my own double exposure editing. I realised that layering is very important in this type of editing, finding the right balance is the main thing since having too many layers can make the photo look messy, while have too little make it feel flat and incomplete.

My photos I have used:

Figure 12. Portrait photo of me

Figure 13. Landscape photo of the Taj Mahal

Photos from the internet that I have used:

Figure 14. Extra photos #1

Figure 15. Extra photos #2

Figure 16. Extra photos #3

Figure 17. Extra photos #4

By carefully layering the images, and adding filters and by using various blend modes and some other tools in Photoshop, I was able to create my final double exposure photo.

Figure 18. Final self editing double exposure photo

FEEDBACK
There is no feedback for this task since it was an online assignment and class.

FINAL OUTCOME
From the two tasks, here are the 2 finished works:

Figure 19. Double exposure work

Figure 20. Self editing double exposure work

REFLECTION
Experience
This double exposure assignment was the most challenging one so far out of the others. Creating a good double exposure isn't just about layering images, it requires careful attention to balance and detail. If there's too much going on, the work might look crowded, and if there's too little, it looks incomplete. After many attempts, I eventually got the hang of it.

Observations
What helped me the most was searching for inspiration on Pinterest. Seeing how other artists combined their layers and tones gave me an idea of what kind of theme I wanted for my own work. When it came time to create my self edited double exposure, it felt a bit overwhelming because there were so many possible styles to do. Having reference images helped me stay focused and build a stronger concept.

Findings
Editing double exposure images takes time and patience. Sometimes the layers in Photoshop looked strange or didn't blend well, but the video tutorial from the lecturer explain the steps clearly and made the process easier to follow. From there, I learned that to achieve a good double exposure is really based on experimentation, balance and attention to detail.