Multiple exposures for portrait shoots

You can give your portraits an extra creative kick by using multiple exposures. You can apply this effect directly during the shoot - or afterwards using the Canon Digital Photo Professional (DPP) software.

Option 1: In-camera multiple exposures

If your EOS camera displays the multiple exposure setting in the red camera menu, you can create a composite image during the shoot. The advantage of this is that you get both the individual images and the result as RAW files. To do this, select the Save source images -> All images setting. This can be useful for photo contests, for example, where compositing is not allowed in photo editing software.

Camera settings

Select Multi-exposure in the red menu and set the menu item to On: Fct/Ctrl. Next, under Multi-exposure control, select how the images are to be combined. This selection determines how the exposure of the source images is weighted for the composite. The options are Additive, Average, Bright and Dark

Additive: The exposures of the source images are added together, i.e. virtually superimposed. This is similar to combining two images of the full moon, where the moon is further to the left in one image and further to the right in the other, and the two moons partially overlap in the combined image. With additive multiple exposure, the moons would be equally bright, but the area where the moons overlap would be twice as bright.

Average: With average multiple exposure, the exposure in the overlapping areas is adjusted to avoid overexposure. In the example of the two full moons, the individual moons and the overlap would be equally bright. This is ideal for combining different subjects and is my favourite way to use multiple exposures for portraits.

Bright: The Bright mode gives priority to the bright areas of the image so that they remain bright when merged, without increasing the brightness of dark areas, such as the night sky.

Dark: In contrast, Dark mode gives priority to the dark areas of an image so that they retain their brightness value without overexposing the bright areas when blending.

In the same camera menu, set the number of images to be combined for compositing. You can choose between two and nine images. For portraits, I recommend combining two images to start with.

Depending on the model of EOS camera you have, you may not need to take the pictures one after the other, but you can select the pictures to be combined from the existing photos on the memory card.

The result is displayed semi-transparently in Live View mode (also in the viewfinder on mirrorless EOS cameras). This allows you to check the result on the display.

Composite mode in Canon Digital Photo Professional

DPP is a free piece of Canon image editing software that comes with every Canon EOS camera.

DPP gives you even more creative options for combining individual shots to create a multi-exposure composition. For example, you can adjust the visibility and position of each image in a multi-exposure bracket, and choose from a range of blending modes.

Select an image, then go to Start compositing tool under the Extras menu item. You can now select a foreground image and select the effect you want to combine the images with under Composite Method. Use the arrow keys to position the images.