Compositing FIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!

OK I read this wrong... so what are you burning to photograph?

I think you read it right the first time.

Sorry if my reply to your post was offensive or anything (I didn't mean for it to be) - but you have to consider that a mailbox is very small, and very far away from the house (usually). The "risks" are very minimal, IMO.

Not sure what the grass is like in Nashville, but down here in Texas, grass fires are a real concern (everything is very dry here), so I would definitely water the hell out of the lawn prior to any kind of fire. (And of course be prepared to put out a small fire should one arise.)

But really, the worst thing I can see happening is that the mailbox would have to be replaced. Things would have to get very bad very fast for something worse than that to happen.

Except the mailbox lives DIRECTLY under a tree. And when I say directly, I mean I can stand at the mailbox, reach up, and grab some leaves. And I'm short.

ALSO... Keith wants to be able to put his hand IN the mailbox. I'm not trying to give my husband third degree burns, despite his thought that it won't be that bad. :er:

I think it depends on where you live - even controlled burns are not legal inside city limits where I live so you couldn't set your mailbox or anything else on fire in your front yard.

I live IN. Nashville. Pretty sure someone, somewhere, is going to be upset by this.

But since she's just setting a virtual fire by planning to photoshop one into her picture then the question seems to be more about compositing images than whether a mailbox flambe' is a good idea.

YES. :lol:

Hey Emily,

Back to your ORIGINAL topic.. Compositing fire. This is the only fire composite I have ever done.... ceramic dragon, and some fire, lol! ( a for a little girl who loves dragons!)

View attachment 49239

Not sure exactly what you are going for... but will help if I can.

Thanks. My concern is, since there is going to be someone (Keith) in the image next to the fire... that I know had it been a REAL fire, it would be casting light onto him, and therefore affect the overall "look" of the lighting of the photograph. Since it would be photographed with *no* fire at first... after putting the fire IN... I want to make sure it looks realistic to the point where I'd have to "change the light" in PS after inserting the fire to make it look like it was actually there.
 
Light hubby's face from a low position, using a flash that has orange gel taped to it. The small visual cue of orange light, seen paired with flames will convince the brain.

I think maybe you could try using a smallish f/stop and having him reach into the mailbox, and circle a sparkler around the box and create "flames". An OCF placed low, and gelled orange, might actually allow you to do an in-camera shot,at night, with second curtain flash firing right at the end of say a 10- to 15-second exposure.

If a sparkler didn't work, maybe make a torch, with a lighter fluid soaked rag segment wrapped with wire onto a stick. Burlap sack, soaked with diesel fuel is the old-time way to burn soot out of stovepipes; I saw my grandfather do it, and was amazed at how LONG and consistently diesel on burlap will burn. It's amazing! If a person has a dark sleeve and glove on the hand that holds a torch (or flashlight, or flash,or whatever), the arm and hand do not show up, due to the difference in brightness between a light source and black. This is the way light painting crew members dress--in dark colors.
 
I made a video tutorial on how to composite a mailbox on fire:



(HD at full screen looks pretty good - trying out a new screen capture video software here.)

Acknowledgements for the two photos used per the Creative Commons license granted to use them:

Fire: Christopher (Mr. Thomas) on Flickr here: Fire | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Mailbox: Lars Hammar on Flickr here: Mailbox to nowhere | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

As for the light on his face, I'd go with a full cut of CTO warming gel on a flash, possibly snooted or barn-doored or flagged to contain it appropriately, depending on positioning of his face and where the fire will "be".

Here's the result of my video tutorial:

mailbox_on_fire_by_Buckster.jpg
 
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There may be a difference between lighting something on fire just for the hell of it and doing so as a prop for taking photographs. Check with the local fire department to see what rules they may have. Things like an area of non-combustibles, hose or fire extinguisher, a competent adult (sounds like you already know your husband doesn't fit that role lol), might actually have to have the FD stand by and maybe a permit of some kind.

... if you gotta burn something though, do it in early morning or late evening light or you will have a difficult time trying to get the flames to show up. Buy a cheap $10 mailbox, paint on some rubber cement where you want it to have flames and light it while the cement is still wet. Won't drip all over the place so you can control where it's burning and it's easy to put out, it's a common tool for creating fire on things to photograph.


And if you do it, do it big, lots of plastic and styrofoam !!! lol

388817287.jpg
 
I would just like to say that I highly support this relationship and give it 3 thumbs up.
 
There may be a difference between lighting something on fire just for the hell of it and doing so as a prop for taking photographs. Check with the local fire department to see what rules they may have. Things like an area of non-combustibles, hose or fire extinguisher, a competent adult (sounds like you already know your husband doesn't fit that role lol), might actually have to have the FD stand by and maybe a permit of some kind.

... if you gotta burn something though, do it in early morning or late evening light or you will have a difficult time trying to get the flames to show up. Buy a cheap $10 mailbox, paint on some rubber cement where you want it to have flames and light it while the cement is still wet. Won't drip all over the place so you can control where it's burning and it's easy to put out, it's a common tool for creating fire on things to photograph.


And if you do it, do it big, lots of plastic and styrofoam !!! lol

388817287.jpg

Good idea, and not quite as dangerous as John's homemade napalm! lol!
 
I made a video tutorial on how to composite a mailbox on fire:



(HD at full screen looks pretty good - trying out a new screen capture video software here.)

Acknowledgements for the two photos used per the Creative Commons license granted to use them:

Fire: Christopher (Mr. Thomas) on Flickr here: Fire | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Mailbox: Lars Hammar on Flickr here: Mailbox to nowhere | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

As for the light on his face, I'd go with a full cut of CTO warming gel on a flash, possibly snooted or barn-doored or flagged to contain it appropriately, depending on positioning of his face and where the fire will "be".

Here's the result of my video tutorial:

mailbox_on_fire_by_Buckster.jpg


thanks for taking the time to do that Buckster :sillysmi:

I would just like to say that I highly support this relationship and give it 3 thumbs up.

:biglaugh: :clap: :lmao:
 
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Homemade napalm is only as dangerous as you let it be.

Seeing as how a mailbox that you purchased and put on the street somehow magically becomes government property (I still don't believe that, not that it's legal anyway - but I'm not going to argue it anymore), the obvious answer is to put it in your back yard, lol. Then you can do whatever you want to it and nobody will ever know. You would also have to buy/make a post for it though... The whole thing might cost you $50. Depending on how the image will be used, a $50 expense could totally be worth it.

Anyway, you should know that I really hate the post office, and I'm quite fond of setting stuff on fire, so ... yeah. What were we talking about?

You might be able to pull it off with composite fire, but real fire will always look better, IMO. I think I would get along with your husband pretty good. :lol:
 
I like people who make home made napalm and other things that burn or blow up..... they have kept my job secure for over 35 years.

They only let me operate the one with six tires. :grumpy:
17853694.jpg
 
Homemade napalm is only as dangerous as you let it be.

Didn't need to read the rest. Because seriously, I'm printing this sh*t, putting it on t-shirts and selling it at metal concerts.
 
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