Do you want to give your images far more interesting creative effects than Instagram filters? With modern mobile apps we can take our creative visions to the next level in a few simple to follow steps.
One of the effects I’ve been interested in is the double or multiple exposure effect. Today I’ve learnt a fun new tool that allowed me to do it on the fly, on my iPhone. All I needed was:
- iPhone
- Hipstamatic app
- some idea for my final image
The interface of the app mimics the look of an old camera
How it works
The dark tones of the first image will be underexposed in the first shot but will receive more exposure in the second.
Knowing this allows to some degree predict the result and look for that particular effect.
(Btw, I love that the app allows you to use the classic interface replicating the look of the old camera and even the sound of the switch turning. Nice touch there!)
Step 1
Launch Hipstamatic and allow it to access your camera and your photos.
Step 2
Enable the Multiple exposure mode in the top left corner (don’t you love that sound?) so you see the yellow square and the symbol over it.
Step 3
Find an object for your first shot. Take the shot.
Step 4
Now take a shot of something you want to add to the first image. Anything goes, depending on your artistic vision. Experiment!
Step 5
The app will blend the two images but you can still add a particular flavour to the final image using one of the filters in the app.
Example images with Hipstamatic
Here’s a series of images I captured on my iPhone 7 Plus during a walk in the forest with my canine buddy Ike. The effect of double exposure made the images more visually interesting, gave them some new dimension.
The effect helped me to better communicate the feeling of wonder and mystery I felt in the forest, combined with the element of playfulness. What can I say, I love it!
(Click an image to see it in the gallery)
Conclusion
This is a simple yet powerful feature as it allows us express how we experience reality in a more visually engaging and quite accessible way.
I am rather pleased with the results and certainly had great fun taking the images. To me, this is as precious as the final results.
Note
The app has other good features that I am not covering here. For our purposes, it is good to know that