Double Vision

The double exposure is an old photographic effect, usually created by exposing two different images on the same negative. In prior postings on this blog I have shown a different type of double exposure created by developing one photograph from two negatives sandwiched together in the enlarger.

In my progression from film to digital imagery I have been experimenting with different ways to create similar effects without the use of film. The three images in this week's blog are the result of this experiment.


In each case I have taken two digital images of the same model. I opened both in Photoshop, then copied and pasted one over the other as a second layer. Then in the layer dialog box I chose the blending mode "Difference" and an opacity level near 100%.
As I began this experiment I tried each of the different blending modes and played with different opacity levels for each, trying to duplicate the effect one gets with film. None of them duplicated the effect, but the method I used to create these images creates an interesting alternative to the film approach.
In particular I like the way this effect works on models with great muscle definition, like the two images of Dwain. It creates a hard edge that accentuates the muscle definition.
In the final image of the three, the overlap of the two images creates a kind of halo effect around the interior image.
Expect to see a new gallery on my website in the near future filled with other images like these as I continue experimenting.