TWICE THROUGH
Laying in bed, I had the idea to experiment with double-exposing a roll. This is not a new idea, but as I lay counting sheep, I thought about how I might put my own spin on it.
In the past, I have had trouble wrapping my head around how and what to use double-exposure for. An online search of “double-exposure photography” returns images that begin to run together. A person’s face/profile overlaid with trees, mountains or buildings has become cliché.
Click images on page to view in lightbox mode.
I’m assuming that the above examples were created digitally with two separate images overlaid in the computer versus in-camera. Given the constraints and nature of double-exposure, I want to create something uniquely mine. How can I achieve this?
First of all, shoot it on film.
There are a few ways one might double-expose an image. Some cameras have a multiple-exposure (m.e.) button or switch that allows the photographer to shoot the two images sequentially by making the first exposure, under-exposing by a stop, pressing the m.e. button, recomposing and shooting the same frame again. If the camera does not have a designated m.e. button, it is possible to take the first shot, hold the film rewind button to disengage the take-up spool while simultaneously actuating the film-advance lever and cocking the the shutter.
I have had varied success with the latter method. Despite having held the rewind button while cocking the shutter, the frame still advanced slightly. The image below is one of the few multiple-exposures I have attempted prior to this project. Visible in this frame is the unintentional partial advancement between each exposure; my shirt overlaps the following image.
Click images on page to view in lightbox mode.
May, 2019. Double exposure self-portrait with tripod. Minolta CLE.
This second photo was shot with a Holga 135, which allows for unlimited multiple-exposures by simply pressing the shutter button without advancing the film.
March, 2020. Double-exposure self-portrait handheld. Holga 135.
Another method of making double-exposures is to shoot through a roll, rewind it, and shoot it again. This is the method that I opted for with this experiment.
Over the past couple of years, I have started appreciating how shapes correspond with each other and placing them within the four edges of the frame. This was the foundation for visualizing my compositions. Below is a an example of a single-exposure comprised of the type of image I’m striving for with double-exposures.
Single exposure. July, 2020. Shapes and texture, light and shadow.
My approach is shooting through a roll, allowing time to pass, and shooting the roll again. I am purposely relinquishing a certain amount of control over the final compositions. To retain some control, I decided to throw the first round of shots out of focus, creating shapes and tones for the base of my images. I feel that this is similar to creating a painting using layers to build the image.
Technical specifications:
For the project, I shot Ilford HP5+ pushed to 800 in my Olympus OM-1. The majority of frames are shot with my Zuiko 75-150mm f4 with a 1-stop yellow filter; a few frames were shot with a 28mm f2.8 and the yellow. My base exposure settings are f16 at 1/1,000. This breaks down with the consideration that 400 speed film would put me at f16 at 1/500. Compensating for the -1 stop from the yellow filter brings me to f11 at 1/500 (or f16 at 1/250 but not in my case). Pushing the film to 800 brings me to f11 at 1/1,000, and because I’m under-exposing a stop, I land at an aperture of f16. I considered all of this before starting shooting, but because of the variables, there were a few frames that were over-exposed and did not lend themselves to the type of image I was wanting, shown in the separate images below. There is some semblance of doubling images, but the shot of the man on the roof has very little of the second image visible.
It has been a month since my last road trip, so I decided to head to Butte to start the project. On Saturday, September 25th, I get on the road around 9:00AM, took I-90 and hit cruise. I have a rendezvous later in Helena, so I must get shooting by 11:00. I arrive, park my rig and start traversing Uptown.
I am mainly seeking scenes consisting of shapes in high-contrast. My hope is that the out-of-focus shapes/tones of the first pass will interact in an engaging way with the in-focus scenes of the second pass. Although I’m purposely missing focus, because I’m shooting high-speed film during the brightest part of the day, I need to shoot at a small aperture, giving me a deep depth of field. Pressing my DOF preview button while composing some of the shots, reveals they will likely be more in-focus than I’m envisioning, but I’m committed to the film speed and time of day.
Walking around Butte, shooting while checking the DOF preview, I’m thinking that using slower-speed film for this type of project, in the future, might be beneficial to give me softer compositions.
I shoot 19 of the 24 frames before it’s time to leave. I’m in the new parking garage Uptown trying to leave, but keep seeing opportunities. After a failed attempt of stalking a pigeon, I call it for the day. I grab a sandwich and head to the car. Every time I shoot in Butte, it never feels long enough. Once in Helena, I pack the project camera away until I can give my full attention to it during a future session.
Two weeks later, I’m back in Missoula and set out to finish the roll. I hadn’t set a specific timeframe to delay the second go through, and two weeks seemed sufficient. I was eager to see how the images might turn out. I walked downtown to find angles and textures to interact with the previous exposures. I included some shots with people, but I’m not sure if these work quite right without isolating the person more acutely.
After developing the roll, my first glimpse of the negatives is strange and exciting. Because there is so much chance involved in shooting this way, it’s hard to determine if I have anything. Based on the negative, I can usually tell if an image is sharp, well-composed and generally worth printing. With this roll, I just have to wait and see the scans to determine whether there is anything there to my liking.
What I’m drawn to with this technique is the transparency of objects interacting with one another, and the angles that they combine to make. The viewer is left to interpret the image as a whole, while visually dismantling the overlapping shapes. This creates a challenge in determining which elements belong to which exposure.
The chance melding of imagery is very graphic. The elements lend themselves well to design, typographic accompaniment and inspiration for painting.
Release poster. Exercise in layout and design.
Through this experiment, I wanted to try a technique that, while a portion of the final result is left to chance, the type of imagery I looked for in the moment of shooting fit within the vision I had when setting out. My sensibilities are inherent in each frame, and in that I feel the project was a success.
While out shooting, I considered that I might not end up with anything to my liking. However, I was confident that it would be an opportunity to begin learning what does and doesn’t work. There is a lot of subjectivity in this type of work, but I find it a worthwhile exercise in creativity. I have ideas for new ways to try to go twice through on the next go around.
