I’ve used smoke machines on shoots indoors before, and they never end up looking quite the way I expect. Thanks to this video from Gavin Hoey, though, I think I now know why. Obviously, I was using the wrong kind of smoke. In the video, Gavin shows three different liquids that can be used to create smoke, when and why you might want to use one over another, as well as how to light them.
Five creative tips for using a cheap smoke machine in your videos
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Smoke can be useful in all sorts of ways in your photo and video work. Jordy Vandeput and Yannick Theunissenof Cinecom.net share five creative ideas to use a cheap smoke machine and add all sorts of smoke effects to your videos.
How to turn smoke into low lying fog for your next spooky photo shoot
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Low lying fog can be fantastic for those creepy photo shoots, especially out on location. Or, perhaps you’re trying to recreate the look of a particular 80s pop music TV show. Whatever your reason, low lying fog often works much better than a more elevated smoke-filled atmosphere choking your subject.
In this video from Jay P Morgan for The Slanted Lens, we see how to make a smoke machine produce low lying fog. And all you need is a cooler and a big block of ice.
Make simple and cheap DIY smoke for photos and videos
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There are several ways of creating smoke for your photos and videos. Caleb Pike from DSLR Video Shooter will show you how to make an awesome smoke effect for your photos and videos. It’s not always easy to control the smoke, no matter the way you make it. But Caleb’s method makes the smoke easy to distribute and control. What’s more, it’s cheap and requires only two props: baby nose sucker and hand-held vaporizer. Sounds bizarre, but it works like a charm.
How to add extra details in a photo after the shot using Photoshop
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When creating images its always good to add some extra details just to keep things interesting. I recently shot a cover feature for alternative lifestyle magazine, Proper eye candy, with Madison Phoenix.
The plan was to shoot some moody images using gels. I also wanted smoke, but alas, at the time I didn’t have a smoke machine. So my plan was to fake it afterwards in Photoshop. One of the images also featured Madison smoking a cigar. Now if you have ever been in a small confined room with a lit cigar, you will know it isn’t the best of situations. Slowly you begin to choke in a dark haze of tobacco smoke. Something I didn’t really fancy….or the weeks of lingering smell afterwards. So again I decided I would fake it, by adding the glow of a lit cigar later in Photoshop. I know, I know, I am a big faker, but oh well……I like my lungs and the scent of fresh air in my studio.[Read More…]
Aerial Perspective – The depth your images have been consciously missing.
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Something I’m going to be touching on today is referred to in the painting world as “Aerial Perspective”, a way, if not “the” way to create depth in your images. When you see pictures of mountains, or landscapes you’ll often notice that they are coated with fog, clouds, smoke, steam, etc in order to make the background appear further away.
How to create shafts of light in-camera in your photos and video
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Adding shafts of light to your photos in post is pretty common, but doing it in camera is even easier. All it takes is a little know how and maybe a smoke machine.
In this video from The Slanted Lens, Jay P. Morgan walks us through the whole process. He talks about the advantages of continuous lights vs. flash and other issues you may run into.
How I Created An Abandoned Warehouse From Scratch To Shoot A Sci-Fi Latex Astronaut [NSFW]
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Short answer: Some Latex, A hat, cardboard and smoke. Hit the jump for the long answer. Be aware that it is mildly NSFW.
When An Alienbees Studio Flash Thinks It’s A Smoke Machine
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Alienbees are known to be solid and reasonably priced studio flashes, offering great value for your money.
Perhaps in attempt to give photographer Rebecca Britt more than she paid for, her one month-old Alienbees B400 decided it will double as a smoke machine.[Read More…]
Using Smoke Bombs In Portraits For A Strong Effect
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Here is a technique I did not think I will ever be covering on the blog, using smoke bombs. In fact I did not even know that there is such a thing as smoke bombs until I stumbled on the photography of Jovana Rikalo.
Serbian photographer Jovana Rikalo uses smoke bombs to create some unexpected effects in her portraits. You see, some photographers like control in their photos, but Jovana prefers the random effect she gets from the way the smoke moves in the air.
I Asked Jovana about the hazards of using this technique and she says that she only shoots outside where the smoke quickly disperses.
