Smoke Photography - Image Added

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Geoff
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A little experiment with smoke photography after I'd seem some pictures, I thought, well how hard can it be?

That's usually my first mistake, I sorta improvised with a torch and a lamp to light the smoke whilst I just kept pressing the remote trigger. Had no idea what I was seeing - I'd already pre-focused on a spot - or taking pictures of. I took 50 shots and came up 3 that I liked (and 1 composite).

Processing was in Photomatix and PSP7. First 3 shots taken in portrait and rotated. 4 is the same shot mirror imaged. All colourised in PSP7.

Canon EOS100D, Manual, f8, 1/200th, iso100, flash triggered

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Thoughts and comments welcome and any useful tips on catching smoke (alas I didn'y have a stobe...)

To be honest I don't mind failing in anything I try, as Eddison once said (and I'm paraphrasing) I didn't fail, just found lots of ways not to do it
 
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I havent tried this yet, so I can't comment on technique. However those you chose look good, even the mirrored one. So well done.
Perhaps a search on google for hints and tips..?
Perhaps focus on the tip of the source of the smoke, and use a high f#, darkened room... See if you have any coloured plastics around (wrappers from sweets and things to change the coolour of your light..?
 
Thanks, I'll certainly try colouring the light. I had done a quick Google, which is were I'd got the settings from, what I lacked was a off camera flash that was synced to the camera.
 
For me the mirrored one is most interesting.

Re colouring ... you can do this in post processing (I know because I did it myself ages ago but I've forgotten what I did - sorry:))
 
That's Chris. I did also think about using a custom white balance, I'd seen a tutorial on light painting where they did that.
 
Thanks, I'll certainly try colouring the light. I had done a quick Google, which is were I'd got the settings from, what I lacked was a off camera flash that was synced to the camera.

As said above you could just stick some gels over your torch. If this is something you want to do more of then it's a good excuse to get an off camera flash. Yongnou 560iii flash and RF 603 triggers would set you back about £60-70.

As of the colouring. I normally just tweak mine in post processing, can also create weird effect with gradient maps...

Keep at it (y)

This is mine, shot it normally then I turned it to a negative to swap the colours and added a gradient map is PS. It was a black background with normal grey smoke. I was just having a play about.

Smoke by Peanut651, on Flickr
 
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Thanks Paul - that was one of the effects I got (somehow:))
 
Thanks for that Paul, really nice image as well. I'll certainly give all these ideas a try.
 
These are so much fun, I like mixing the smoke with other things too & your Smoke Spill is great !
 
Really like these. An interesting home project that doesn't take too much equipment.
 
Thanks, the smoke spill was just something I did in 45 minutes while food was cooking in the oven (2 separate shots, then added together and coloured in PSP7).
 
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