Create images with a colour overlay in camera

Create in-camera double exposures – part 2 (read part 1 here)

Ritchie Roesch aka Fuji X Weekly has created a number of recipes that achieve a distinct film look or effect by shooting a multiple exposure image. When I first tried this technique, as part of my prep for the final episode of season 3 of SOOC, I immediately enjoyed how my jpegs looked straight out of camera. As I was taking more and more images in that way, I realised how ingenious this technique really is and what creative potential is hidden behind this way of shooting.

I am talking about his Faded Negative recipe in particular. The results you will get with this recipe-technique combo do not resemble traditional double exposures and they will not look like anything that could be achieved in camera. That’s where the magic lies. 

You can tell how excited I am – I am getting ahead of myself.

This is part 2 of my post “Have a shot at in-camera double exposure“. If you haven’t read it yet, I recommend you do. It will also explain the basics on how to set up your camera for shooting double exposures.

Once up to speed, load Faded Negative into your camera. I recommend you also read Ritchie’s article to understand how this recipe is intended to be used. Don’t look for “Faded Negative” in the Fuji X Weekly app. It’s not there. Here’s why: in addition to the recipe settings dialed in and your camera turned into MULTIPLE EXPOSURE mode, you will need a piece of green construction paper, the kind your kids require for school projects. You will find this in any normal stationary shop. I use an A5 size one which I find is a very handy size.

When you are ready, make your first exposure the way you’ve been practicing in your double exposure project, and press okay when you’re happy with the result. Now, as your second exposure, take a photo of the sheet of green construction paper. It must fill the frame and must be out of focus to achieve the desired effect. Save the image. And boom! That’s it. What do you think? Do you like the result?

I think it is incredible. Genius really. Not only do I like the look of the image. I love that the green paper gives the picture a colour tinge, which is different to what you would get if you shot with a colour filter. It makes the highlights creamier and the shadows milkier with a hint of green and gives the entire image a very distinct analog feel. 

When I first started shooting with this method, my brain went into overdrive. I used different colours and textures as my second image and I wondered how else this method could be used.

So I took it a step further. I broke a rule and didn’t fill the second frame with the green paper. I wanted to create a bit of a gradient colour overlay over parts of the image. This was my final result:

I really like this image and it is a good example for what happens when you experiment and colour outside the lines. And this is only the beginning of the expedition into the land of in-camera double exposures. Try a different colour paper, textures or even a blurred scene as your second exposure.

You may want to choose a different recipe as your base but that’s up to personal taste. There are a few other recipes that require the same technique, some of those are also compatible with older camera models. You can check out:

1/ Faded Color as an alternative colour recipe for older cameras, and

2/ Faded Monochrome as an alternative Monochrome recipe for older cameras.

Regardless of the recipe you use, what’s important for me is that you understand the basic principle. After that, the world is your oyster! 

My journey into double exposures has been one of the most enjoyable projects I’ve embarked on in quite a while. I find it invigorating, hugely rewarding and I can’t recommend it enough! I hope you will join me to experience this for yourself and walk away with awesome images in the process!

Join the SOOC community and share three of your favourite double exposures created with either with the Faded Negative Technique or the techniques and recipes from this article by uploading them here by Tuesday, 23 January and they will get featured in the next “Viewers’ Slideshow”.

If you haven’t watched Episode 13 of Season 3 yet, I recommend to watch it now:

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