“JET CITY”
Seattle Times photographer Marcus Yam took these beautiful triple exposure photos for a Seattle Times essay that documents the city’s growth ‘from a pioneer settlement into the largest metropolitan area in the Pacific Northwest.’ Not content with the typical journalistic style of shooting that accompanies such pieces, he decided to merge three images into a photo without any Photoshop manipulation.
This approach required an immense amount of thinking, planning, reading, and research on the concept and technical issues. Yam had to underexpose each shot in order to ensure the details in the images would not be lost.
The photos were shot completely in-camera and all the elements came together to create truly unique and intricate compositions brimming with dynamism and energy. Some of them look like paintings or abstract collages, with dreamy surreal effects and vibrant colors that leap off the screen.
Yam said of his process, “In order to complete some of these images, I went on a citywide search. I learnt how light falls in Seattle, became the ultimate tourist and used all the history books I’d devoured as my guide. 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.”
View Yam’s amazing photos below.
“GROWING PAINS”
“INFORMATION AGE”
“THE CHARM”
“CHIEF SEALTH”
“UNIQUENESS”
“DISPARITY”
“CACOPHONY”
“TRADING IDEAS”
“OVER THE HORIZON”
[via My Modern Met, The Seattle Times and Photojojo, images by Marcus Yam for The Seattle Times]