Ideas on how to photograph smoke from a gun barrel?

[Lightsped]

I'd like to make a closeup photo of smoke coming from a gun barrel. Not an action shot of someone firing a gun, but more of a gun laying on a table with smoke coming from its barrel. Any ideas on this one? Thanks as always!

 

[Tailgunner]

I would probably stage the smoke using a match. This way you could do the shot any where, inside or outdoors, city or county etc.

 

[Lightsped]

Wow, amazing, I honestly didn't think of a match! Yep, that should work. Guess a black background would be best....

Now something else popped into my head. What about taking a photo of a empty shell casing with smoke coming from that? Any ideas how I could get the smoke inside the shell casing?

Thanks

 

[480sparky38 37]

Incense.

 

[Tailgunner]

Wow, amazing, I honestly didn't think of a match! Yep, that should work. Guess a black background would be best....

Now something else popped into my head. What about taking a photo of a empty shell casing with smoke coming from that? Any ideas how I could get the smoke inside the shell casing?

Thanks

I guess that all depends on the size of the spent shell? You could still use the match trick but something like a 22 Short could be tricky...probably just cut the match head off and drop it down the casing.

 

[Lightsped]

Thanks for the help. I was thinking 9mm or 45acp since I have plenty of those laying around. I'll work on these ideas and post to 500px.com in a day or so.

 

[Tailgunner]

Thanks for the help. I was thinking 9mm or 45acp since I have plenty of those laying around. I'll work on these ideas and post to 500px.com in a day or so.

Ya, those shouldn't be an issue...maybe cut a matches down a little in order for them to fall down inside the casings.

Anyhow, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

[vipgraphx]

Good ideas and when all else fails PHOTOSHOP.

 

[cmhbob]

Consider putting just a matchhead in the empty case, then holding a lit match to the bottom of the case. That should be enough to touch off the matchhead and get you your smoke.

 

[DSRay]

A little water & dry ice

 

[EIngerson]

For the casing it's the same thing. A match. Break it from the stick, put it inside the empty casing, light it and let it burn out…..picture time…..smoking casing.

 

[Overread14 2]

You might also find that you need a flash or other light source aimed at the area the smoke will be in so that the smoke itself is lit. That lets you expose the smoke with the added light whilst that light source is aimed across the scene (ergo its not landing on anywhere else in the shot). That way you can bring the exposure of the smoke up to make it stand out a lot more than it normally would.

A match can work - incense (you can get scentless incense) might be easier as it burns slower and longer.

 

[Derrel]

I would try to keep the background very dark, and use an electronic flash fired from behind, and toward the camera at a crossing angle, as a way to backlight and make the smoke really stand out well.

 

[Lightsped]

Yeah, the lighting/positioning is what I am trying to work on now. I only have one Nikon Speedlight flash (SB 600). So should I try to use the built in flash on my DSLR bodies? Can the SB 600 be fired without using the DSLR built in flash?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Tailgunner]

I probably should re-vise my previous statement when I said you could photograph this scene any where using a match vs actual discharging said firearm. Anyhow, I just wanted to mention that people should understand their state and local laws when it comes to firearms. Although you may innocently display a firearm for the sake of a photo scene, it could be viewed as "Branching a Firearm" in some states and punishable by law. So double check your state and local laws first.

*This is mentioned to help inform readers and should not be used to hijack this thread into a political of firearm discussion.*