Multiple shot on one frame... with digital!

[dallalb]

<p>Hi, in my film days I used to expose a film frame multiple time in camera to get a multi-layer effect, following the rule of underexposing each shot of a number of stops according to the overall number of shots...<br>

Can someone tell me how to get this with digital post processing? I have a Canon EOS 5D II and there's no multi-exposure function as in my old EOS 3...<br>

Thank you for your help, Alberto.</p>

[howard_m]

<p>Since digital cameras don't have that, I'd think the simplest way would be to open each captured image (exposed correctly) in Photoshop, pull the 2nd, 3rd, 4th..... images into the first one (via copy/paste or just drag) (PS will make a new layer of the image on top of the 1st one) and then adjust the opacity of that layer.</p>

<p>Google 'Photoshop montage'</p>

 

[frank_skomial]

<p>Nikon Digital cameras actually do have that. It is called Multiple Exposure. Some people call it in camera HDR.<br />Perhaps too long to explain here so get the camera manual from the link below, and go to page 184 in the most popular advanced Nikon DSLR.<br />You can have between 2 to 10 exposures folded into one picture.<br />Read more in the manua and see how you can inspect each exposure in the pack that contributes to single HDR picture.<br /><a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/noprint/D300S_ENnoprint.pdf">http://www.nikonusa.com/pdf/manuals/noprint/D300S_ENnoprint.pdf</a></p>

[Charles_Webster]

<p>@Frank, the OP says he has a Canon, the Nikon info is of no use to him.</p>

<p><Chas></p>

[howard_m]

<p>even if poor Canon users ;) do not have that feature, I can't imagine why you'd want to do it that way in the digital world other than nostalgia or 'art'. In the old days, it was realistically the only way to do it (besides trying in the darkroom). Doing it in Photoshop is much more flexible.</p>

<p>Rants about 'real photographers do it all in camera' or otherwise will be ignored :D</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>I was rather responding to Howard's statement that "<em>Since digital cameras don't have that"</em><br>

However, it could possibly help OP, on purchase of his new DSLR camera.<br>

There was an old saying:<br>

<em>" Sooner or later you will get Nikon..."</em></p>

[howard_m]

<p>I've been known to be wrong ;)</p>

<p>Honestly, in the years I've had my DSLR, I've never even thought that control.</p>

[jamespjones]

The easiest way is probably to do one long exposure and use a flash handheld manually to light the subject. In effect painting with light.

[scott_ferris]

<p>Alberto,</p>

<p><em>"Can someone tell me how to get this with digital post processing? "</em></p>

<p>Just take the images as you would with film, underexpose etc exactly the same. Then in Photoshop open all the images at the same time as layers, then just adjust the layer opacity from top to bottom to get the effect you want.</p>

<p>Whilst I don't understand why Nikon put the feature on some of their cameras, they have, and it works very well. <a href="http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/2010/03/31/view-from-my-window/">Here is a very good example </a>by Joe McNally, he not only multiple exposed he also changed lenses.</p>

[raczoliver]

<p>I would not underexpose if you are planning to do it in post processing, but then I may be wrong. I never tried it. If you want to average the layers in photoshop, after copying them on top of each other, each layer's opacity will have to be set to a different value. To make each layer equally visible, I think the layer on the bottom should have an opacity of 100%, the next one 50% (100/2), then 33% (100/3), 25% (100/4) etc. I'm not saying this out of experience, just trying to think (I know, it can be dangerous:-). Why not give it a shot.</p>

[Brad_]

>>> Can someone tell me how to get this with digital post processing?

 

It's easy in Lightroom and Photoshop...

 

In Lightroom select all the images you wish to combine. Right click and select Edit In > Open as Layers

in Photoshop.

 

After Photoshop opens with each image as a layer, experiment by adjusting opacity amounts and a blend

mode that meets your needs for the different layers.

[robert_k1]

<p>In another thread, I said:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>... some cameras (film or digital) offer a multiple exposure feature. However, there are a few differences between how a film camera and a digital camera works in ME.</p>

<p>When you use a digital camera's multiple exposure, here's how it's done by you and by the camera. You pick and set an exposure value, the number of exposures (N), and release the shutter N times. The camera would *divide* the exposure value by N for each shutter release, *add* the N shots and save as one frame. On my Nikon D200, once you are in the ME mode, one shot must be taken less than 30 seconds after the previous one. If not, ME would be disabled automatically, returning you to the single shot mode. This means you cannot take one of the N shots, walk 15 minutes, and take another one.<br /><br /> On a film camera the exposure of each N shot is completely under your control and can be changed shot by shot, and is not automatically *divided* like on a digital camera. Once in the ME mode, it will stay there until N shots are taken or when you manually reset it. This means you can set one exposure and take one of the N shots, walk 15 minutes (or wait a day), set a different exposure and take another shot, etc. My D200 has a maximum N of 10, and my film camera has a maximum N of 8. But on my film camera, I can trick it into take far more than N shots on a single frame. After N-1 shots, I can reset N to 8 again, and continue doing so. (I should mention that I have not tried this trick on my D200, nor have I tried to change exposure between shots. It takes me more than 30 seconds between shots to change the menu settings.)</p>

<p>IMHO, a film camera's ME offers far more in-camera creativity possibilities.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The above comments are about *in-camera* ME. Post processing ME, film or digital, is an entirely different animal and discussion.</p>