Wouda Interviews International Photographer Jana Cruder – Exposures

Jana Cruder is a woman whose talents are as diverse as the people she captures. She describes her series ‘Evocation’ as the essence within the divine and created it by means of exploring in camera techniques she’s learnt over the years. Creating a series of mirrors where the viewer can get a sense of her personal experiences of awakening in her heart and soul.

Multiple exposures has to evoke emotion

“I feel multiple exposures need a purpose in creating them, there has to be an emotion to evoke.” She first learned about the technique of multiple exposures during film using a single negative before advancing it.

How in camera layering works

Nowadays, some of the digital cameras also have the ability to capture multiple exposures in-camera. In the menu option it will have a function that ‘sandwiches’ the layers on top of one another. Some cameras keep the original files but produces a layered file as well; it might slow down the process of the shoot a little bit but in her opinion, that’s the fun bit!

In camera fun

Jana encourages photographers to go this route since it allows room for what she calls ‘the happy accident’ and believes that is when the best multiple exposures happen! She goes on to explain that once you understand how the camera layers the files, you can have fun with it.

Creating the image you had in mind

Like always, planning plays a role. You can have a certain image in mind but for some or other reason it doesn’t want to work. Then, depending on how much time you have with the subject, you can keep pushing it to create the image you had in mind or roll with it and do something different.

Creating different effects

For the most part, she tends to steer away from post-production. She might flip an image or apply a duplicate layer but that’s about it. To create that exceptionally unique look of hers, she makes use of home-made filters and different bits and bobs in front of her lens to create different effects.

Photography is smoke and mirrors

Jana urges photographers to grab your camera and gear, be observant and play around till you see what you have in your mind’s eye. “Photography is truly smoke and mirrors after all.”