New Orleans Photo Alliance - Déjà Vu: Double Exposure

Much like déjà vu, a double exposure can evoke a sense of mystery and layered meanings. Déjà vu itself is an illusion of memory, where a vivid sense of recollection arises even though the time, place, and context of the “previous” experience remain elusive or impossible. A double exposure can hold many interpretations. It might be two negatives stacked in a darkroom, a single 35mm frame exposed twice, or the juxtaposition of two contrasting ideas—love and hate—somehow captured within a single image. We challenge you to delve into your vision, expand your photographic mind, and uncover the double exposures that move you, make you think, or stir your emotions.

Double exposure photography has a long and fascinating history. Emerging in the mid-19th century, early photographers experimented with multiple exposures on a single plate or film. This technique gained popularity in the Victorian era, particularly within the realm of spirit photography, where ghostly figures were often superimposed onto portraits. In the early 20th century, artists like Man Ray and László Moholy-Nagy embraced double exposure as a means of expressing surrealist ideas and challenging traditional photographic conventions. With the advent of digital photography, double exposure became more accessible, leading to a resurgence in popularity and fostering a new wave of creative experimentation.

This call accepts images that are digitally manipulated to create a double exposure, however, AI generated photos are not permitted for submission.