How to Shoot Double Exposures on Any Film Camera

How to Shoot Double Exposures on Any Film Camera

How to Shoot Double Exposures on Any Film Camera (Even Without a Double Exposure Feature)

Hello and welcome! In today’s post, I’ll show you how to shoot double exposures on any film camera, even if your camera doesn't have a built-in double exposure feature. Don't worry—it’s easier than it sounds! Follow this step-by-step guide, and you’ll be creating stunning double exposures in no time.

      Step 1: Load Your Film Normally

To start, load your film into your camera just like you usually would:

    1. Open the back of your camera.
    2. Place your film in the camera, pulling it across to the take-up spool.

      Step 2: Mark the Film Canister

Here’s where the magic begins:

      1. Take a Sharpie (or any marker that won't rub off) and draw a line on the side of the film canister, right where the film comes out.
      2. This line will help you later when we reload the film for the second exposure, so don’t skip this part!
      3. Make sure it’s loaded properly, and then close the back.

Step 3: Shoot Your First Roll

Now, it’s time to shoot your roll of film. A key tip here:

      • Shoot everything either horizontally or vertically. This will help ensure that your double exposures line up nicely when you reload the film. Mixing horizontal and vertical shots will make it harder to align the two exposures later.

Go ahead and shoot your entire roll—take your time and get creative!

Step 4: Rewind, But Don’t Fully Rewind!

After you finish shooting the roll, it’s time to rewind, but with a twist:

      1. Release the film, but do not rewind it fully into the canister. Keep an eye on the film counter or listen closely for when you're nearing the end of the roll.
      2. If you’re worried about rolling it back in too far, open the camera back (ideally in a dark room) when you feel like you’re near the end. The goal is to leave a bit of the film leader sticking out.


Step 5: Reload the Film

Now that you have the film partially rewound, it’s time to reload it:

      1. Look for the line you drew earlier on the canister.
      2. Align the film with that line when you load it back into the camera, so it’s in about the same position as when you first loaded it.


Step 6: Shoot Again!

Now, go ahead and shoot the roll again. Since we already shot everything either horizontally or vertically, stick to the same orientation to make sure your double exposures line up as best as possible.

Pro Tip: Adjust Your Exposure Settings

When shooting double exposures, keep in mind that your film will be exposed twice. This can lead to overexposed images unless you adjust your settings:

      • Shoot at half the exposure. For example, if your light meter suggests an exposure of f/8, shoot at f/11 or adjust your shutter speed to let in half the light.

This trick ensures that your two exposures combine for a balanced, properly exposed final image.

Final Thoughts

That’s it! You’ve now shot your first roll of double exposures on a camera that doesn’t even have a double exposure feature.

Good luck! And happy shooting!

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