Self Directed - Double Exposure

Inspired by@abbigriefphotos and @eringilmorephotos, I wanted to experiment with double exposure! I did a lot of double exposure work for my A-Levels but haven’t done much since.

Erin Gilmore specialises in equestrian photography. This stems from her many years as an equestrian journalist and photographer, and during her career, she has even been lucky enough to stand ringside at the Olympic Games, interview the sport’s best athletes around the world, and photograph the treasured partners of riders at all levels.  I agree with what she says, that it takes a horse person to truly showcase that connection between humans and their beloved equines. As a rider and lifelong horse owner, she understands that bond and nothing makes her happier than showcasing it through images. Erin is based in Northern Virginia in the USA, where she offers photoshoot sessions that range from family to senior, portrait sessions with your horse and lifestyle photography in the clients setting of choice. She also travels to Wellington Florida for shows as well as to her home town in California.

In photography and cinematography, double/multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image, and double exposure has a corresponding meaning in respect of two images. The exposure values may or may not be identical to each other.

Alongside her portrait and event photography, Erin Gilmore also creates double exposure edits. She has shared these to her Instagram. Her use of colours really add to the mood of each photo, from soft to dramatic.

I wanted to try this using my portrait illustrations and a background photo. Unfortunately I don't have many landscape photos so I used some from the internet in order to get the colours and mood I wanted. If I were to create prints in this style I would use my own photos due to copywriting issues.

I posted my favourites of these on Instagram and got people to vote for their favourite in the comments! https://www.instagram.com/p/B_U3SBxHTUt/

Below is my drawing of Ko-Ko with a northern lights background. My drawing used a green background and I wanted to feature green again, but something more unusual. The bright green in the sky matches the bright green near his mouth from where he was eating grass. I like the combinations of texture between the fur of the horse and the waves in the sea and the graininess of the sand.

Below is my drawing of Tyrone. I wanted to use a picture of Sicily as this is where Tyrone lives (at Pippa's Paddock) but I was in Prague on the Illustration trip at the time I made this and so ended up using a picture of Prague. I wanted to use pink tones and this photo framed it perfectly. I like how part of the bridle and bit stand out too.

Below is my drawing of Tequila. I wanted to try a floral background, with purple colours to match the tones in her eye and on her browband. This photo is quite busy and I perhaps should have made her eye stand out more.

Below is my drawing of Nelson. This is an unusual edit, but a personal one. Nelson's owner, Becky Potter is my best friend through University. Becky loves flamingos, she has them on her phone case and in her bedroom. I made her a flamingo themed birthday card and gave her a flamingo Christmas decoration. I thought it would be funny to try and edit Nelson with flamingos in! I actually really like how this turned out but you have to know the story behind it to understand!

Below is my drawing of Lexington. His owner lives in Toronto, Canada, so I wanted to use a photo of a landmark in Toronto to signify this. I wanted to include yellow and orange tones to match his coat and the flower.

Below is my drawing of Gordon. Gordon's owner lives in the Isle of Man and I wanted to use a picture from there. They often go on beach rides and so I wanted to use a picture from the beach on the Isle of Man.

Below is my drawing of Morph. I wanted to use a blue background as it is his owners favourite colour. I really liked the idea of the moon on his forehead, it makes for quite an abstract piece.

I then had a go using my horse photos.

Below is my photo of Buster, a chestnut gelding. I wanted to use an orange sunset so decided to use a sunset from Africa. I liked the canopy trees that follow the shape of his neck.

Below is my photo of Paddy. This is one of my favourite edits. I love the clouds in the jacket and the way the mountains follow the line of his neck. The trees follow the shape of his belly and give shading to his muzzle.

Below is my photo of a horse and rider from Sparsholt. I tried lots of different pictures but struggled to find something that worked due to the horses light coat. I knew that I wanted something pretty but wasn't sure what exactly. I found this picture of cherry blossom trees and it was perfect!

Below is my photo of Lyric. I wanted to try an urban landscape for a change. I really like the structure in this photo and could be used in an advertisement.

Below is my photo of Mo. The blue tones worked so well and the landscape works with the shape of the horse. I particularly liked how the tack stayed dark and stands out rather than blending with the background. The eye, ears and muzzle are also very clear too. The University of Portsmouth Equestrian Club asked me if they could use this edit for a post of Earth Day after I posted it. https://www.instagram.com/p/B_S5z3vJtGS/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B_R162KnoGf/