What Is Smoke Bomb Photography?
With Smoke Bomb Photography, you can add amazing-looking smoke cloud effects to your Wedding, Portrait and Street Photos. This technique helps you get vibrant pictures that instantly get the viewers attention due to their popping look. You can use the smoke as the background as well as the foreground and it looks great either way. Not only the smoke enhances your image, but the bomb itself is also a great prop to have in a model’s hand.
Smoke Bomb Photography is a great option if you are planning a portrait shoot. We have also seen couples use Smoke Bombs in their wedding shoot after the ceremony. Hence, this Smoke Bomb Photography trend has widely spread all over the world, and we at Spyne are not at all complaining. This style has a lot of different elements that you can play around with to get the best Smoke Bomb Photography. And we are here to tell you everything that you need to know before going for your very own Smoke Bomb Photoshoot. So if you are ready to add much more drama and action to your portraits and street photography, then go through this blog, as each and every subheading is going to help you understand the concept of Smoke Bomb Photography.
What Kind Of Smoke Bombs Do You Need For This Shoot?
Since you are new to the field of Smoke Bomb Photography, we would like to give you a couple of pointers so that you can select the best Smoke Bombs for your shoot. So to get the most out of your shoot, you need Smoke Bombs that are:
1. Cool-Burning
Mainly there are two types of Smoke Bombs, the ones that get too hot while they are in use, and the others are Cool Burning Smoke Bombs. So if you are planning to have the bomb in the model’s hand at the time of the shoot, then you definitely have to go with the Cool-Burning Ones. The cool-burning Smoke Bombs also get hot but not as much as the regular ones.
2. Wire Pull Grenades
In terms of activation, again, there are two kinds of Smoke Bombs. There are smoke bombs that you need to ignite with a lighter, and the others that ignite themselves with a pull of a wire. The pull-wire grenades are much more convenient. So make sure you go with them rather than the conventional ones.
3. Longer Burn Time
At the time of photography, you need Smoke Bombs that last long, at least 90 seconds. And since you are a beginner, you can use all the time you can get. So always prefer Smoke Bombs that have a longer burn time.
4. Density
The word density here refers to the density of the smoke that comes out of the Smoke Bombs. And what kinds of Smoke Bombs you should buy, in terms of density, depends on what kind of shoot you are going for. For this, you need to picture whether your photos will look better with very dense smoke or not-so-dense smoke.
Equipment You Need For Smoke Bomb Photography
And just like any other genre of photography, you need some specific set of equipment for Smoke Bomb Photography as well. So here is a list of items that you will need for your Smoke Bomb Photoshoot:
1. More Than A Couple Of Smoke Bombs
2. Proper Lighting, To Make The Smoke Colours Pop
3. A Fan, To Give The Smoke Direction
4. A Tripod
5. A Metal Bucket
6. Water
7. A Camera With Good Colour Reproduction
8. A Model
Tips And Techniques For Smoke Bomb Photography
Since you have everything that you need for a Smoke Bomb Photoshoot, here are some great tips and tricks that you can try to enhance your images drastically.
1. Use The Right Smoke Bombs For Your Shoot
You need the perfect smoke bomb if you want your photos to turn out perfect. And the four pointers that we discussed earlier in this blog are enough to give you an idea on what kind of Smoke Bombs would be best for your shoot.
2. Make Sure That Your Model Is Familiar With Smoke Bombs
Before kicking off the shoot, you need to make your model familiar with smoke bombs since no matter how great they look, they still emit sparks and can easily harm someone. The more experience your model is with Smoke Bombs, the less likely it is for someone to get hurt.
3. Rehearse The Shot Before Using The Smoke Bomb
Even with some of the most expensive Smoke Bombs, you only have a minute and a half to get the right photo. So rather than going with the flow, your photos would look much better if they are planned and more importantly rehearsed.
4. Choose The Right Location
Even though the smoke masks most of the background, you still have to choose the best place for the shoot. And you also need to make sure that the location you choose should neither be indoors nor a public place.
5. Keep Up To Date With The Weather
Rain or even strong winds can ruin the whole shoot. Hence you have to keep tabs on the weather for your shoot.
6. Do Not Move The Smoke Bomb Quickly
Moving the Smoke Bomb slowly results in much better and denser-looking smoke, and this is what makes the photos look special. On the other hand, moving it quickly will give you light and thin-looking smoke which takes away the overall appeal of the image.
7. Try Out Different Shutter Speeds
Most of the time, to capture sharper images, photographers only use faster shutter speed. But you can also try and capture the motion of the smoke with slow shutter speeds.
8. Properly Light Up The Scene
Smoke Bomb Photography is all about vibrant Colours. And to portray the colours as they are, you need external lighting that can make the colour of the smoke pop.
9. Have Spare Colour Bombs
Since every smoke bomb gives you a window of 90 seconds, you need to have more than a couple of them so that a few failed attempts do affect your whole shoot.
Ideas And Inspirations for Smoke Bomb Photography
Where Tips help us understand the concept of the shoot, Ideas and Inspiration help us make the photos look great and out of the ordinary. So here are some ideas that can make your Smoke Bomb Photos look amazing.
1. Show Half Of The Model’s Face
Having smoke everywhere except in front of the model’s face gives a feeling of suspense and wonder. Makes the images more thrilling.
2. Use Props
Even though Smoke Bombs are considered to be props themselves, you can also use other props to make your photo look even more fun.
3. Choose Vibrant Colours
You have to make sure that the colour of the background, the model’s clothes and the smoke look great together.
4. Give It A Cinematic Look
Photos with moody editing and cinematic aspect ratios are really something else.
5. Try Out Portraits
As we said, it is best to try Smoke Bombs in a portrait photoshoot.
6. Use The Smoke As Background
You can also use the smoke as a screen. This eliminates all the other distractions and makes the images look dreamy.
7. The Smoke Cloud Effect
You can try this if your bombs emit the dense smoke.
8. Choose A Black Background
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Not only the black background makes things more interesting, but it also helps the smoke colours to pop in the image.
9. Smoke Coming Out Of Objects
This is also a great idea for a Smoke Bomb Photoshoot.
10. Do The Shoot At Golden Hour
The natural light at the time of holden hour is only going to help you make your photo look better and more colourful.
Here Are Some More Smoke Bomb Photos For Inspiration
Also Read: How To Get Started With Still Life Photography? | A Complete Guide
Camera Settings For Smoke Bomb Photography
First, you must pick the correct camera for photography, after which you should familiarize yourself with camera settings. And yes, there are no particular setting values that you have to use for Smoke Bomb Photography, as every photographer has a different style which leads him/her to use a different set of settings. But still, you need to use your camera in manual mode, so that it’s you who has full control over the shoot, not your camera.
And even though there are no literature values for the best camera settings, it is always advised to take pictures in RAW Format over JPEG. And when it comes to the ISO, you should keep it to the minimum according to your lighting situations. With the ISO set to minimum, you can easily capture the details in the smoke. And to perfectly nail the focus, you need to use an aperture between f/8 and f/14. And when it comes to the shutter speed, you must sync it with your external flashes i.e 1/250. But if you want to capture the texture of the smoke, then you have to use much faster shutter speed.
Safety Tips
1. Hold The Bombs From The Bottom
2. Do Not Aim Them Towards The Face Or Clothing
3. Put The Bombs In A Metal Bucket After Use
4. Do Not Take Photos In A Dry Place Or Near Flammable Objects
5. Bring Assistants To Hold The Grenades
6. Pour Water On The Bombs After Use
Conclusion
Smoke Bomb Photography is sure one of the most captivating photography styles and can really help your images stand out. Whether you are building a portfolio or doing the shoot for a client, smoke bombs are great props. The fact that they are affordable and easy to use, once you are familiar with the rules, makes them more practical. Smoke Bombs look great in every lighting condition.
Plus, for this style, you do not even need a lot of special photography equipment. Hence, no matter what photography genre you are shooting, you can definitely amp up your shoot with a couple of coloured smoke bombs.
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