Street Photography, But Not As We Know It – with a Fuji X-T50 and Multi-Exposure

Yesterday (Friday December 13th), on a darkish and grey day, I joined my friends Richard Hall and Rob Hill for a visit to Lincoln’s London Camera Exchange (LCE), where we had the pleasure of attending a creative photography session led by Fuji expert Carol Hartfree. Vince Cutler of LCE joined us too, making for a great group of photography enthusiasts. Richard and Rob brought along their impressive Fuji GFX cameras, Carol used her favourite, the compact and stylish Fuji X-E4, Vince carried the versatile X100V, and I took my trusty Fuji X-T50.

The session lasted for about 90 minutes, and we didn’t stray more than 200 yards from the shop. It was a focused, hands-on experience that showcased Fuji’s multiple exposure feature, something I’ve dabbled with before but never seriously considered as part of my workflow. By the end of the session, however, I was thoroughly inspired. Passers-by must have found our small group intriguing as several stopped to ask what we were up to. One curious onlooker even went back to the shop and signed up for the afternoon session!

Getting Creative with Multiple Exposure

Fujifilm’s in-camera multiple exposure feature is like having a mini Photoshop in your pocket, allowing you to layer two or more images directly in-camera. On the X-T50 the option is found by pressing the ‘Drive’ which is on the top left corner on the back of the camera. Here’s how it works:

1. Compose Your First Shot: Take your first image as normal.
2. Compose the Next Frame: The camera displays the first image in the viewfinder or LCD as an overlay, letting you line up the second shot precisely.
3. Blending Options: You can combine the exposures using different blending modes, such as Additive, Average, Dark, or Light, to control how the images interact.

While Photoshop layering might be more familiar to many photographers, doing it in-camera adds spontaneity and encourages experimentation. The different blending modes make it versatile:

• Additive: Combines brightness for a high-key effect.
• Average: Balances exposures to prevent overexposure.
• Dark: Highlights shadows and darker areas, perfect for moody images.
• Light: Prioritises lighter areas, creating dreamy effects.

I think I found the dark mode my favourite, but I intend to experiment more with all the modes in the future.

Carol gave us a brilliant tip: using a constant element in the layers, or as I refered to it as being a compositional anchor, to create a cohesive composition that revolves around something. This struck a chord with me as I thought about the work of Saul Leiter, whose layered compositions can be complex but always include an identifiable point of focus.

Having an anchor is important. I’ve always been mindful of avoiding cognitive overload in my images. It’s all too easy to make a composition so complex that it overwhelms the viewer, leading them to disengage. Multiple exposure has the potential to fall into this trap, but with careful planning and a clear anchor, I think it can help produce stunning, multi-dimensional results that are creative and artistic, and enjoyable to view.

The images I’ve included were all taken during the session. You can see others in the Youtube video below Each one is an experiment in layering, blending textures, and creating dynamic compositions. I tried to ensure that each image retained clarity while exploring the interplay between elements.

Carol’s emphasis on anchoring the composition and the discussions we had as a group about cognitive overload were incredibly helpful. The session wasn’t just about technique—it was a conversation about visual storytelling, and that made it all the more engaging.

Final Thoughts

This 90-minute session gave me a new appreciation for multiple exposure photography. It’s a feature I’ll certainly explore more in the future, and I encourage you to try it too if you own a Fuji camera. It’s an easy way to push your creativity in-camera without relying on post-processing.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do these images strike the right balance, or do they lean towards cognitive overload? Let me know in the comments—I value your perspective.