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How to create real clouds for photo shoots with soap

Oct 16, 2016 by Udi Tirosh 4 Comments

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If you want to have really fluffy clouds in your photos, you basically have three options: The most time consuming option is probably shooting on a day where the weather fits. Your second option would be to compose some clouds in (there is quite a wide selection here). But the most fun way would be to create your own clouds.

We shared one method before which involved balloons and pillow stuffing, but this method was is definitely more fun, and kids friendly. Not to mention it will make your house smell nice for about a week.

Photographer Alex Zatsepin (previously) showed us this cool method of creating microwave clouds with soap. If you are in the US, you’d wanna use a brand called Ivory for its physical properties. (its like 40 cents a bar, or 40 cents a cloud). That soap is filled with air so it creates magic when put in the microwave. (If you don’t have access to Ivory brand, look for soap bars that float in water)

You are going to place the soap bar in the microwave and run it for about 80-90 seconds. This will inflate the soap bar into a cloud. It will also create a massive soapish smell that will stick to the microwave (and your M/W chicken, soup and toast) for a long time. So, make sure you have permission from the microwave owner (mom/dad/wife/husband). And we are definitely not recommending trying this at work (when other employees can see you, at least).

Once you have the cloud, Alex shows just how effective some lighting can be to make it look 100% real.

A trivial cloud can be made by combining soft and hard light:

soap-cloud-01

and some gels can place it in the sky

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But you can take this to other, more creative places as well:

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Related posts:

Real-Time Digital Make Up Alters Real Faces In… Real-Time Default ThumbnailCreate Wonderful Worlds Using Soap Bubbles How to create wars of clouds with water and ink How to build your own realistic artificial sun with soap and a satellite dish

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: Alex Zatsepin, clouds, diy props, props

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.net

About Udi Tirosh

Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

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Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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