Double takes

Combine images the modern way for an old-school film effect and learn key layer skills in Affinity Photo with expert James Paterson

- James Paterson

THE MISSION

Blend two photos to create a double exposure

Time needed 20 minutes

Skill level Beginner

Kit needed Affinity Photo

Double-exposures are among the easiest of effects to try out on your photos. The act of blending two images into one is not only eye-catching, but also allows you to explore conceptual themes in your photography.

Through your choice of photos, you can create conceptual images that spark ideas and pose questions. You could evoke an atmosphere of big-city melancholy like this, or juxtapose themes.

The technique is simple in Affinity Photo, and offers an ideal introduction to several layer tools and tricks. We begin by copying one image on top of another, so that they each sit on their own layer. Once done, we can use a layer blending mode to merge them, so that the lighter parts of each image show through, like an old film camera double exposure.

After this, we can fine-tune the blend by tweaking the positioning and using a layer mask to control which parts are visible. Finally, we can add a black-and-white effect to help everything gel together. The real skill here is in choosing images that work in harmony with one another. Strong, bold shapes, like the silhouetted couple and the building here, tend to work very well – you can download both start images (double_1.jpeg and double_2.jpeg) for free from the link on the left. But it’s worth experimenting with different photos in your own image library to see which works best.