September Newsletter

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Have You Ever Tried
Multiple Exposure
Photography ?

Many SLR cameras and even some point & shoot models have multi-exposure capability that allows you to combine two or more shots on the same frame of film. Check your camera manual for instructions on how to use this feature. While not every picture is a candidate for this interesting technique, it adds a creative and unusual appearance to photos. There are many types of subject matter you can blend together. For example, a close-up picture of a sandy beach adds an interesting texture pattern when double-exposed on top of a casual portrait of a companion or a sunset over the lake or ocean. Or by using a half black-half clear double-exposure filter, take a picture of a friend pointing a finger at herself by combining two shots together. If you don't have a double-exposure filter, a black background works well for this type of shot...try shooting outdoors at night with flash. There are special masks like the Double Take Masks on p.45 of Porter's catalog that are great for blending two or more shots together in a montage. Try multi-exposures and add some magic to your photos.

FILTER INFORMATION Customers often ask us for filter recommendations. Many filters are useful for specific correction or special-effect needs, but here are some that improve fall scenery pictures and other subject matter all year long.

Picture courtesy Tiffen
Graduated Filter This type of filter is clear along one edge and tinted in gray or color on the opposite, with a gradual blending where the two densities meet. Gray graduated filters are very useful for controlling areas of contrasting brightness. For example, if you take a picture of a scene with a shaded lake in the foreground and a brightly lit sky and foliage in the background, you will have either a dark featureless lake or a washed out background. This is because the brightness of the scene exceeds the exposure range of film. But adding a graduated gray filter allows you to darken the background without changing the foreground, so the exposure is now within the film's range. Graduated filters are available in other colors besides gray so you can creatively saturate portions of a scene or subject with color.

Picture courtesy Cokin
Enhancing Filter An enhancing filter is made of a special didymium glass that appears blue-green to the eye, but adds richness to yellow, orange and red tones in a photo. This is a favorite filter for breathtaking fall scenes, because the warm colors take on added saturation while neutral and cool tones are not changed.