Cut Out + Keep

Double Exposure Portrait

Create a double-exposure portrait photo

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/double-exposure-portrait • Posted by Cat Morley

Double exposure photography can create amazing results but you can create a similar effect with photo editing software, even if you don't own a film camera.

You will need

Project Budget
Cheap

Time

0 h 35

Difficulty

Nice & Simple
Medium 104347 2f2014 09 13 150034 portrait

Description

Double exposure photography can create amazing results but you can create a similar effect with photo editing software, even if you don't own a film camera.

Instructions

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    Start by opening a portrait photo that you like in your favourite photo editing proram. You can use any photo you like but if it's already quite an interesting photo that you love, the results will be even better. Here's one of me at a wedding recently blowing some bubbles.

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    Now create a second layer on top and paste in your contrasting photo. Something with a lot of texture, such as a nature photo or city scene work well but you can get creative and try all kinds of things. I'm going to use a photo I took of the Tokyo skyline.

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    Set the blending mode on the top contrasting layer to Screen so that your portrait shows through.

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    Reposition, scale and rotate the top contrasting photo until you find a position you like. I tried to positioned mine so that the light trails from the traffic would look like they were being blown through the bubbles.

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    Hide the top layer and then select the focus point of your bottom portrait layer. I made my focus the bubbles and my face.

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    Feather your selection by about 150 pixels.

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    Select the inverse.

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    Darken the outside edges of your focal point.

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    Now, desaturate your portrait layer.

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    Adjust the levels to give the portrait a strong contrast, making the light areas bright white and dark areas dark black.

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    Make the top contrasting layer visible again.

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    Use a soft eraser brush set to 50% opacity to erase the top photograph around any areas you'd like to bring out of the portrait, such as the eyes, nose, mouth and bubbles in this photo.

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    Use a soft paint brush set to 50% selected with the colour black to paint any areas on the bottom portrait layer that you don't want to shine through.

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    Adjust the levels and saturation of the finished photo until you're happy with it and then you're done!