P: Add a Multiple Exposure option to Photo Merge

[Arizona Bev]

I would like to see an option to merge photos for multiple exposure in the Photo Merge section.  It could have the typical options for merging, such as Additive, Average, Bright, and Dark.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Can you add Double Exposure feature in Adobe Lightroom CC Android

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Add featur

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Hi, it would be really helpful if you can give an option to create double exposure or allow to make composite images in Lightroom mobile

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Extent and Double Exposure options present in Google Snapseed. If these options make way into Lightroom it will be more useful.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Please add a double exposure tool for blending a composite image. Please also add the adaptive feature to remove unwanted objects from images without having to use the clone brush. The clone brush is great, but no good when you don't have sufficient area to clome from. Chromatic aberration removal tool needs work if possible. Love the app but my hardware at home isn't sufficient to run the program so im forced to use the mobile version and would just like to see a little more bang for my buck with my subscription. Features like this and some other features would make a big difference for mobile users.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

It could have an double exposure option, because I can't have a great control of the dinamic range using RAW pictures, then I have to choose if I get the correct exposure on the sky or the subject

[GoldingD]

I assume you are referring to a concept/technique described in:

https://jmpeltier.com/multiple-exposure-blending-modes/

And not the common Merge Photo HDR.

You may want to expand upon that, and give more/better examples/references. And can you include any post processing software that has this capability in it as examples.

[Arizona Bev]

You are correct.  Not HDR, not Panorama, and not HDR Panorama; but an additional Photo Merge option called Multiple Exposure.

The Multiple Exposure option would merge two or more photos (suggested maximum limit: three to five photos) using the blending modes as described in the link you provided. Those modes are generally referred to as Additive, Average, Bright, and Dark.

I don't know what post processing software may already have that capability.  I use Lightroom Classic exclusively, with an occasional edit in Photoshop.  I don't like going from Lightroom to Photoshop because I don't like having to save it back into Lr as a TIF file.  I wish Ps saved the image back to Lr as a DNG (but that's the subject of another suggestion).

To the best of my knowledge, a multiple exposure merge can be done in Photoshop, but it is a manual process.  Canon EOS cameras (and likely Nikon) provide the in-camera capability to merge multiple exposures, but you have to know which photos you want to merge beforehand and the process is a little cumbersome.

Having multiple exposure merge capability in Lr would allow the user to choose whichever photos he or she wanted for the merge (within the same folder), then select Photo Merge > Multiple Exposure.  Within the Multiple Exposure screen, there would be four merge options:  Additive, Average, Bright (or Light), and Dark.  In practice, this would be similar to how you have options for selecting different stitching perspectives in panorama merge.

I hope this additional information is helpful.

[JohanElzenga]

The big advantage of using Photoshop for this is that Photoshop can keep the images separate as layers (if you save the image as TIFF or PSD), giving you the option to change something at any time. Lightroom does not support layers however, and the DNG file format does not support layers either.

[richardplondon]

Another benefit of merging multiple exposures in PS not in LrC, is the availability of such algorithms as "Median" - which would probably never fall within ACR / LrC's scope, having more to do with image content than with image adjustment.

Median allows e.g. eliminating all traces of occasional people walking through, from an extended-time series of photos of the same fixed scene.

[Arizona Bev]

All of those Ps advantages also apply to HDR and Panorama, yet Lr offers those features, too.  Why draw the line at Multiple Exposure merge?

Another advantage over in-camera Multiple Exposures is that you'd be able to try it using different blending modes on the same images.  In-camera, once you've selected a mode and taken the shots, it's done.  You can't undo it to try a different mode.  If you used a saved base image (Canon allows this) as the first image, you can always re-snap the subsequent images using a different blend mode (we're talking in camera), but conditions change, objects move, light is fleeting. 

[JohanElzenga]

"All of those Ps advantages also apply to HDR and Panorama, yet Lr offers those features, too.  Why draw the line at Multiple Exposure merge?"

True, but in HDR and panorama the desired outcome is usually clear, so the user can leave it to Lightroom. In case of multiple exposures it is much less clear and subject to personal preference. That makes multiple exposure something I would always do in Photoshop, so personally I would not be interested in such an option in Lightroom. I would rather see Adobe add focus stacking, for example. BTW, I do occasionally use Photoshop for HDR and/or panorama too, however.

"Another advantage over in-camera Multiple Exposures is that you'd be able to try it using different blending modes on the same images.  In-camera, once you've selected a mode and taken the shots, it's done.  You can't undo it to try a different mode.  If you used a saved base image (Canon allows this) as the first image, you can always re-snap the subsequent images using a different blend mode (we're talking in camera), but conditions change, objects move, light is fleeting."

I read this as a confirmation that using Photoshop with all it's options is probably a better idea than having a much more limited option in Lightroom...

[Ryan Clark Photography]

Being a busy photographer processing over a 1000 photos a week I am trying to keep upto current trends such as utilizing multiple exposure photography. The only way to do this now is to open esch image one at a time in photoshop which is very time consuming.

i would love to see lightroom receive an uodate where we can do basic 2-3 multiple exposure overlays with blending mode options which woukd help increase speed of workflow and just keep everything in one application.

i feel this feature could bring lightroom to another level where it could spark even a higher degree of creativity and creative workflows!

[GoldingD]

What version of LrC do you have?

[Ryan Clark Photography]

Yes thats what I am refering too not photo merge!

[Ryan Clark Photography]

I have the latest update currently so whatever is the most recent!

[Ryan Clark Photography]

Arizona Bev nailed the concept right on the head this is exactly what I was talking about in more specific details so thank you for that explanation.

The On 1 application so fsr to the best of my knowledge is the only softwsrr thst really has done this adding layers into their applications kind of blendijg both lightroom and photoshop together while makijg it feel more like lightroom catered soecifically for photograohers as a digital darkroom.

i just feel having the option to do multiple exposures at even a basic level with belndijgnmodes would be a huge game changer and could really make this application above the rest tbh.

[Ryan Clark Photography]

How would this look like in lightroom?

The  way I see this working is by making a nee icon beside the "masking" icon that is soecificslly for photo layering possibly upto 2-4 images by selecting multiple images in the photo roll and then having that blending mode section be able to merge those images and be able to have a drop down to select what blending mode to use.

we do not need full on layers just the sbility to overlay images ontop of one another via blending modes thats simple nothing more complex!

I feel this could be a realistic and sucessful update to make thst everyone can benefit from that makes sende to traditional photography and dark room techniques.

This can be done in photoshop but so can AI which is integrsted into both applications and feel blending modes snd overlays shoukd also be offered in both to accomomodate different workflows!

[Ryan Clark Photography]

Benefits from having overlay options:

One unforseen way this update would be beneficial from a creative stand point is that it makes using textured overlay packs make sense for lightroom. For example lightroom could then benefit from being able to sell or provide overlay packs within adobe cloud or making use of their stock photos which only adds to the value of this product and creates deeper integration and also has a potential to make more money by selling packs also.

for example if I were to do this idea of using texture photos I would import all the overlayed textures I would want to use for that photo gallery into the gallery as imported photos as normal then throw them all into an assets collection folder and then use that as my project libary of overlay stock images for that catalog.

Having this ability again in lightroom would massively speed up workflows and could be a feature worth developing that makes sense for photo editing and not just digital design or graphic design which photoshop more gears towards is design, photoshop isnt a photo darkroom, lightroom is and thats where all the photograohy edits and techniques should be done is lightroom.

there is no right way or wrong way in doing things the more options and features rhat makes sense to our workflows is all benefiical for everyones different ways they work!

[Ryan Clark Photography]

Imagine being able to batch process one texture over an entire photo gallery of like 100 images all at once, this is something photoshop cant do and why this would be insanely powerful and unique for lightroom classic!

[Tosha187]

Life would be incredibly more fulfilling if we had a double exposure photo merge module that does some blend modes and maybe a brush for manual opacity masking .
Don't you agree?

You select a few photos in the timeline, order the layers, choose the blending type, and then mask out the transition areas to maximize the awesome.