How to - Duplicate yourself in a photograph

Cameras are great fun to play around with and when combined with a good image manipulation programme, there are tonnes of tricks you can employ to add all sorts of effects to your photographs. Here, we'll show you how to shoot and duplicate many images yourself into a picture in about 10 minutes. Here’s a glimpse of what we’re trying to do.

We’re going to do this by clicking a sequence of photos without moving the camera so we’re able to use Photoshop or any image editing application to remove redundant parts of the images to create this illusion.

Step 1. Set up your scene

Choose a location for the sequence of photos to be shot first. It should ideally be a place where none of the objects or background move or change. For this trial, it’s important that all of these photos be shot in quick succession so none of the elements in the scene are very different. Any movement or change means that shadows or lighting conditions may change as well and the effect we want to achieve will be lost. For the sake of our trial, we asked Karan to be our subject. We wanted to replicate him four times.

Step 2. Setup the camera

The placement of the camera and its settings are important. The camera must ideally be set on a tripod or on a stationary, stable surface so it doesn’t move between different shots. A few settings must be tweaked for getting the right photo too. Ideally, set the camera to the Shutter speed priority. In our case, we adjusted the ISO settings to match our lighting conditions and we set the shutter speed of the camera to 1/30. This is, of course, if you’re shooting indoors. With a better lit setup or outdoors, you can further reduce the shutter speed. We’re being particular about the settings so that each image can look as identical as possible.

Step 3. Click the photos

With the camera in place, click the first photo without any subject in the scene. The next step is to ask the subject to stand in place and pose. Of course, remember that there are going to be a couple of shots of the subject, so try and avoid overlapping as much as possible. Once done, ask the subject to move to another place and click another photo. Do it some 3-4 times with the subject or object in different places, avoiding overlap as much as possible. Let your creativity go wild here and once you try this out, you’ll discover a tonne of things you can experiment with.

Step 4. Open the images in Photoshop (or any other image editor)

Opening all the images in an image editor

The next step is to copy the images on the PC and open them in Photoshop. You can also use any other image editor that supports layers and transparency support.

Loading layers, one after another

Now, open the first image that you shot (without any subjects in the view) and add the other photos you shot with other subjects in place as separate layers. 

Step 5. Clear out the layers, one at a time

Using a soft, round eraser brush to clear layers

The next step is to use the eraser tool and clear out the background one layer after another, keeping only the subject visible. Do the same for other layers, taking care not to deform or erase parts of the subject in the image.

Erasing the background from the layer

When you’re done with this, you’ll find that you’ve achieved the desired look and effect. Of course, you’re free to use effects and play around with the look and feel of the final product.  

The result, at last!

This is what we came up with. Once you've gotten used to this, you can try experimenting with more objects. With practice, it won't take more than a few minutes to come up with such creations. Don't forget to share your creative experiments with this trick on our forum.

Nikon 1 J2 announced with minor upgrades for 2012 edition

Nikon has recently announced the expansion of the Nikon 1 camera with Interchangeable Lens System with the addition of the Nikon 1 J2 camera and the 1 NIKKOR 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. With this model, users can capture 1080p HD video in a portable package. 

The Nikon 1 J2 improves upon the Nikon 1 J1 with new features such as a Creative Mode that provides a variety of photo effects to users, a metallic body, a higher resolution LCD screen and the addition of stylish new color offerings. Nikon claims that the J2 is designed to assist users to capture content with above average image and HD video quality. In addition to the camera, the 11- 27.5mm lens is a super-compact zoom lens that offers a helpful 2.5x zoom range in an easily pocketable size.

Now features a mode dial at the back

"Building on the success and popularity of the Nikon 1 cameras and lenses, the new J2 and 11-27.5mm lens are welcomed additions to the ever growing Nikon 1 System," said Bo Kajiwara, Vice President of Marketing, Planning and Customer Experience, Nikon Inc. "Expanding the Nikon 1 System demonstrates Nikon's continued dedication to creating compact and portable advanced cameras with interchangeable lenses that are easy-to-use and allow users to explore and redefine their creativity."

The new Nikon 1 J2 offers a new Creative Mode which is accessible from the Mode Dial of the camera to let users express themselves in new creative ways. When in this Creative Mode, photographers will be able to take advantage of a range of shooting modes which include Panorama, Selective Color, Miniature, Soft, Night Landscape, Backlighting and Night Portraits. By selecting these modes, the camera will automatically adjust the settings for optimal results when capturing an image. The Creative Mode will also provide fast access to manual exposure controls (P,S,A,M), similar to those found on Nikon D-SLR cameras.

In addition to the new Creative Mode, the J2 will sport a metallic camera body and Mode Dial, which Nikon states will give users a comfortable grip on it. The camera is available in a variety of colours which include White, Black, Silver and Pink, as well as two new colours, a deep Red and Orange. The Red and Pink varieties of the J2 will have a textured grip. What's more, the camera's new high-resolution 3.0-inch, 921,000 dot LCD monitor provides sharper detail when sharing and composing images and HD videos.

The new Nikon 1 J2 features a 10.1-megapixel CX-format CMOS sensor and the EXPEED 3 image processing engine that will help users in capture images in challenging lighting situations. Nikon claims that the responsive Advanced Hybrid Autofocus (AF) system gives users a fast shooting speed, allowing them to capture fast action with stunning clarity while the camera's 73 point AF array will ensure accuracy and precise focus, even on moving subjects.

The Nikon 1 J2 retains user-friendly features such as Full HD video recording and a reputation for blazing fast speed with the ability to capture moving subjects at 10 frames-per- second (fps) with AF, or up to 60 fps with AF locked on the first frame. For even more creative freedom and to capture fleeting moments, Motion Snapshot Mode gives the ability to capture a spontaneous moment as a still image and combines it with a slow motion movie vignette. To help ensure the best shot every time, Smart Photo Selector captures multiple shots and lets the camera select the best one automatically.

Alongside the new Nikon 1 J2, the versatile 1 NIKKOR 11-27.5mm lens will inspire shooters to take their creative expression on-the-go with an extremely versatile yet compact and lightweight lens. With a 2.5x zoom (30-74mm equivalent), this is an ideal lens for general shooting including landscapes or portaits. The 11-27.5mm lens will be offered in Black and White, and will be compatible with the Nikon J2 as well as the Nikon 1 V1 and Nikon 1 J1.

The Nikon 1 J2 camera with the 10-30mm lens will be available in the US in September 2012 for the suggested retail price of $549.95 (Rs. 30,255). The 1 NIKKOR 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 lens will also be available in late September 2012 and will have a suggested retail price of $189.95 (Rs. 10,449).  As of now, there is no word on the pricing or the availability of this camera in India.