How to: Use a Colour Walk to Inspire Your Multiple Exposure Photography
As photographers, we're often looking for inspiration in grand landscapes, dramatic light or far-flung destinations - I certainly love travelling for my images. We tell ourselves we'll take the camera out when we have somewhere interesting to go or when the conditions are perfect. But what if creativity was waiting just outside your front door?
That thought came to me after reading Still by Paul Sanders. In the book, he talks about an exercise of choosing a single colour to focus on throughout your day. Paul links colours to mood, making this not only a photographic challenge but also a mindful one.
As you know, my world is created with layers, so I immediately wondered what would happen if I photographed a whole collection of images united by a single colour. Rather than looking for one perfect photograph, I'd be gathering layers that could later be woven together into something far more creative. It sounded wonderfully simple, yet surprisingly powerful, so last weekend I decided it was time to give it a go. I didn’t do a whole day, although I imagine it would be a fascinating process, but applied the principle to a walk I had decided to go on.
By blending textures, flowers and golden tones together, this multiple exposure captures the feeling of seeing the world through one colour.
Interestingly, I didn't take my camera.
Instead, I reached for my Samsung S25 Ultra.
When I bought the phone, one of my intentions was to spend more time learning mobile photography. The reality, however, is that I've hardly used it for anything more creative than the occasional snap of my cat Hermie or the horse I loan (if you follow my stories on instagram you will know both well!) . It seemed a shame to own such a capable camera and not really explore what it could do. So, with the phone in my pocket and no expectations beyond enjoying a walk, I headed out.
The first decision was choosing my colour, and after a little thought I settled on yellow. It's not a colour that appears particularly often in my photography. I tend to gravitate towards blues and pinks. Yet on that particular day, yellow felt right. I was feeling relaxed and content, and for me yellow represents warmth, comfort and optimism. It reminds me of sunshine, summer evenings and those fleeting moments when everything feels calm.
Once I'd made that decision, something fascinating happened. My brain seemed to switch into a completely different way of seeing.
At first, I wondered whether I'd actually find enough subjects. Surely there couldn't be that much yellow around? I couldn't have been more wrong. The first thing I noticed was a patch of cheerful buttercups glowing in the grass. Then came the bright yellow centres of daisies and a golden wheat field shimmering gently in the breeze. As I continued walking, I found faded signs, weathered leaves and tiny splashes of colour tucked away in hedgerows. The more I looked, the more yellow appeared with the crowning glory of my beautiful yellow osteospermum in my garden at the end of the walk.
It was almost as though someone had quietly turned up the saturation of the entire world.
Of course, the colour hadn't suddenly appeared. It had always been there. I simply hadn't been paying as much attention.
A collection of yellow moments woven into a single multiple exposure, proving that creativity often comes from connecting images rather than viewing them in isolation.
As I walked, I wasn't just thinking about individual photographs. I was already imagining how they might work together. The delicate petals of a flower could become a soft background, a wheat field might add texture, while a weathered sign or bright leaf could provide an unexpected focal point. Every photograph became another ingredient for a future multiple exposure rather than a finished image in its own right. Instead of asking, Is this a good photograph? I found myself asking, How might this layer with another image?
One of the unexpected joys of using my phone was how freeing it felt. There was no heavy camera bag, no changing lenses and no worrying about camera settings. There was also no pressure to create "portfolio-worthy" images. Instead, I simply wandered. If something caught my eye, I photographed it. If it didn't, I kept walking.
There's something wonderfully liberating about photographing with a phone. It encourages spontaneity rather than perfection, and I found myself making images I might never have considered if I'd been carrying my usual camera. Sometimes photography becomes so wrapped up in technical excellence that we forget how much fun it can be simply to observe. This walk reminded me of that. The camera you have with you is often all you need when the aim is to explore rather than impress.
Every photograph on my colour walk became a layer for a future multiple exposure, allowing simple subjects to tell a richer visual story together.
When I got home, I already had a plan. Rather than simply editing the photographs individually, I wanted to see how they could work together. This is one of the things I love most about multiple exposure photography—it allows you to tell a story using a collection of images rather than relying on just one.
I opened Snapseed and began combining several of the yellow photographs into multiple exposures. Flowers merged into fields, leaves blended with petals and signs floated amongst buttercups. The finished images felt dreamlike, almost like visual memories rather than straightforward photographs. Because every image had been made with the same colour in mind, they naturally complemented one another. It was fascinating to see how even the simplest photographs took on a completely different life when layered together. If you want to know more about snapseed and how you can start to use it for Multiple Exposure then do check out the blog HERE.
The Samsung S25 Ultra does allow you to create multiple exposures within the phone itself, although I have yet to discover how to change several settings at once. I’ll explore that further later this summer - maybe I’ll write a blog about it! For now, Snapseed gave me the flexibility I wanted, and I thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with different combinations. It reminded me that creativity doesn't have to end when you press the shutter. Sometimes that's only the beginning.
A collection of yellow moments woven into a single multiple exposure, proving that creativity often comes from connecting images rather than viewing them in isolation.
Our brains are remarkable at filtering information. Every second we're surrounded by thousands of visual details, yet we only consciously notice a tiny fraction of them. Giving yourself one simple task - look for yellow, for example - cuts through all that visual noise. Suddenly your mind has purpose. You're no longer thinking about work, emails, shopping lists or everything else competing for your attention. You're simply looking. Really looking.
I found myself slowing down naturally, taking routes I wouldn't normally take and stopping to appreciate small details I'd usually walk straight past. In many ways, it felt less like photography and more like mindfulness with a camera. I came home not only with a collection of photographs but also feeling refreshed and creatively recharged. I find that if I go out with my camera on multiple exposure mode then I get a similar sense of calmness, but this was definitely a variation on a theme.
One of the biggest surprises from this little project was realising that a colour walk isn't just an exercise in observation, it's also a wonderful way to gather photographs for post processing multiple exposures. By limiting yourself to one colour, you're also creating a collection of images that naturally work together. The colours, shapes and mood are already connected before you even begin editing.
One of the things I love most about this exercise is that no two walks will ever be the same. Next time I might choose blue and head towards water, green in a woodland or perhaps red in an urban environment. I might even walk exactly the same route but search for a completely different colour. I suspect I'd come home with an entirely different collection of photographs. The locations wouldn't have changed, only the way I was seeing them. That's quite a powerful thought.
A multiple exposure created by layering yellow flowers, celebrating the warmth and optimism that inspired my colour walk.
If you're feeling uninspired, stuck in a creative rut or simply looking for an excuse to spend an hour outdoors, I'd highly recommend trying your own colour walk. Choose a colour that matches your mood - or perhaps one that challenges it. Leave expectations behind, use whatever camera you have (even if that's the one on your phone), and simply wander. Walk slowly, notice, photograph and be curious. Don't worry about creating the perfect image. Instead, think about collecting a series of photographs that share a common thread and see what happens when you combine them later. You may be surprised by just how much of your chosen colour is hiding in plain sight.
My yellow walk certainly reminded me that creativity doesn't always come from travelling somewhere spectacular or buying new equipment. Sometimes it comes from giving yourself one simple challenge and allowing yourself to see the familiar with fresh eyes.
So now I'd love to hear from you. What colour would you choose? Where would you go looking for it? Have you ever tried a colour walk before?
If you decide to give it a go, I'd love to see your photographs. You can email them to me, share them on Instagram and tag me, or post them in the Multiple Exposure Hub so everyone can enjoy them too.
And if you've enjoyed this post, I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a comment below. Hearing your thoughts is always one of my favourite parts of writing these blogs, and who knows—you might just inspire someone else to head out on their own colour walk.
