By : Nikon School Blog | 16 Jun, 2015 |
Bored of shooting the usual ? Maybe it's time to put some texture into your images, literally. Putting textures to images using multiple exposures is an old practice going back to the film days. It is indeed one of the techniques that can create amazing images with a little practice.
Simply put, a textured shot is one which comes out as a result of merging any ordinary image with that of some texture. This merging can be done during post-processing, or as we discuss here, with a simple tool already present in your Nikon D-SLR – multiple exposure.
Coming back to the process -the first step of course, is to visualise the image. This always helps as you know which kind of shots is required for the desired effect.
First, put your D-SLR on multiple exposure mode. Or, you can shoot both files in NEF (RAW) format and then use the 'image overlay' function in 'retouch' menu to merge the files.
Two images would suffice to make simple textured images. Let's take a portrait first. Shoot the frame as you have visualised. Now find out the right kind of texture to merge with the portrait. In this image, I have used the bark of a tree and pebbles with strong textures to create a surrealist effect.
The above image is an 'image overlay' done on two NEFs. The water ripples have been overlaid on the building image to form an illusion of reflection on water.
If you want straight out of the camera results, then use auto-gain. This way the camera compensates for the loss of brightness due to merging the two images. Of course, you can always work on the final file to give it some finishing touches.
You can try this technique on landscapes, still life subjects, anything your creativity can conjure up. Remember, the textured image will work only if the two individual images blend well. Mis-matched images may look great individually, but may not work together.
Textured shots look more dramatic when shot in monochrome, as the texture gets amplified by the absence of colours. Select monochrome under picture control in Nikon D-SLRs to shoot monochrome images.
Try this technique the next time you are out trying to make new and exciting images.