These beautifully composed triple exposure photographs were created completely in-camera by Seattle Times photographer Marcus Yam. Challenged to produce a visual story to go along with a Seattle Times essay, Yam determined that his standard photojournalistic approach would not fit with the content. So, he decided to illustrate the story by merging three ideas into one unique photograph without using any post-production Photoshop techniques.
The entire process required a lot of forethought, reading, research, and planning, both conceptually and technically. In order to capture all of his desired elements within one single frame, Yam had to progressively underexpose each shot so as not to completely blow out all of his details. The complexity of the elements perfectly blend together into an elegant composition.
“In order to complete some of these images, I went on a citywide search. I learned how light falls in Seattle, became the ultimate tourist and used all the history books I’d devoured as my guide,” said Yam, “Sometimes I was looking for a metaphor, sometimes a precise moment. Other times, it was just a simple object that carried symbolism. I spent close to 400 hours working on this project. Ultimately, three things were necessary: a lot of patience, a pair of comfortable shoes and a light meter.”
