What's the trick to smoke photography?

[xj0hnx]

So what's the trick to photographing smoke? I tried a few different methods, the most successful was using on camera flash set to 1/16th, with another light directly on the smoke, but the shutter speed maxes at 1/200 with the flash. None of the pictures came out particularly clear. I've attached one of the better one. Is there a technique that works better?

 

[Stradawhovious]

Incense and off camera flash.

This was shot with a SB600 speedlight from the left, and a stick of incense for a thick column of smoke.

 

[xj0hnx]

Thanks, what settings did you use with the SB600? I have a D5100, and when I was using my dad's SB800 it would still only max the shutter at 1/200, which I thought would be fast enough, but every picture I made was soft like the one in the OP. I was using incense cones, well, cone, and the smoke was thin, but the problem seemed to be getting a sharp image.

 

[Kerbouchard]

Thanks, what settings did you use with the SB600? I have a D5100, and when I was using my dad's SB800 it would still only max the shutter at 1/200, which I thought would be fast enough, but every picture I made was soft like the one in the OP. I was using incense cones, well, cone, and the smoke was thin, but the problem seemed to be getting a sharp image.

My guess, the room had too much light in it. Shutter speed does not matter when using flash, except to control ambient exposure. The flash fires in less than 1/1000th of a second. As long as the flash is the primary source of light, the amount of time that the shutter is open is immaterial, since the exposure is only being controlled by the flash output.

In any case, to get a sharper image, use a smaller aperture, a lower ISO, use flash to control the exposure, use a dark room so you can pretty much ignore shutter speed, and consider using manual focus based on DOF calculations that you can find using any google search. To maximize sharpness, also consider using a remote shutter release/time delay and mirror lock up.

For detail shots with a very shallow DOF, I actually use live view and zoom in to focus, focus manually, use a mirror time delay, and use a remote to trigger the capture. If that doesn't create a sharp shot, there is something wrong with your camera or lens.

 

[xj0hnx]

Hmmm, I tried it with only the flash, wide open, ISO 200 and got the pictures attached ...

The lights were out, and I was using a tac light aimed through the smoke to get the one I posted earlier. When I turned the flash up, it just lights up the whole area and the smoke is lost against the background. Maybe I need thicker smoke.

 

[mommy-medic]

You don't want any light coming from your on-camera flash aimed at your backdrop. Put your speedlight either 90 degrees left or right of the smoke (and possibly use a reflector to bounce it back). This will illuminate the smoke while keeping your backdrop dark. (Basically if you are facing the backdrop, you want the light traveling left to right or vice versa across the smoke, not towards the backdrop).

If you are getting light on your backdrop, try making some small "blinders" (like you see on horses to limit their perifferial(sp?) vision) to put on the flash head. Playing cards are the perfect size, just taped to the sides of the flash head to aim the light straight at the smoke. This image was done like that during a shooting project we did in a local photography club I belong to.



1s by awaagen

 

[xj0hnx]

That's what I was trying to achieve with the tac-light, and adjusting shutter speed. I'll see if I can get the SB800 for a night again and give it try off camera.

 

[Stradawhovious]

Thanks, what settings did you use with the SB600? I have a D5100, and when I was using my dad's SB800 it would still only max the shutter at 1/200, which I thought would be fast enough, but every picture I made was soft like the one in the OP. I was using incense cones, well, cone, and the smoke was thin, but the problem seemed to be getting a sharp image.

I have the SB600 set to manual, 1/2 power (I think) coming in from the left, with a flag on either side of it to keep the flash from bleeding through to the lens or backdrop. Your best bet is to do this in an almost no light situation, lighting 90 degrees from the camera either left or right, manual focus, relying on the flash to get your exposure, not your shutter speed.

I wish I had more time, I'd put together a video for you, or at least some sort of pictorial.

Wait a minute.......

Here yo go. This should help.

 

[KmH]

You have to keep light from spilling onto the background. Black felt or velvet for the background eats light because neither have a smooth surface.

Then there are all the fun things you can do post process -

The Rose

Post process you can also make the smoke image a negative so the black background becomes white -

 

[g13a]

Here's my shot,Strobist Info mentioned on flickr link



_DSC1264a by Mohit Khurana, on Flickr

 

[FitzTML]

I did some trial and error using a maglight and some colored LED lights.
I missed the focus but when I tried a similar setup with flash, it didn't turn out so well.


085/366 Smoke Signals by FitzTML, on Flickr

 

[Big Mike]

I'm not sure if I'm reading the situation correctly, but it doesn't seem like you off-camera light is a flash....that's the key. You want off-camera lighting but it has to be a flash (or super bight constant light) in order to get the shot you want.

 

[SoCalTiger]

I'm not sure if I'm reading the situation correctly, but it doesn't seem like you off-camera light is a flash....that's the key. You want off-camera lighting but it has to be a flash (or super bight constant light) in order to get the shot you want.

This is my interpretation of what is going on too.

You can't use a maglite/tac light/LEDs as the off camera light source. The above picture is a good example why. These constant light sources are not anywhere bright enough to achieve the correct effect. You really need a strobe (flash) ideally.

 

[Stradawhovious]

I'm not sure if I'm reading the situation correctly, but it doesn't seem like you off-camera light is a flash....that's the key. You want off-camera lighting but it has to be a flash (or super bight constant light) in order to get the shot you want.

This is my interpretation of what is going on too.

You can't use a maglite/tac light/LEDs as the off camera light source. The above picture is a good example why. These constant light sources are not anywhere bright enough to achieve the correct effect. You really need a strobe (flash) ideally.

the OP says he is using his Dad's SB-800 If I'm not mistaken, he should be able to use that speedlight as an off camera slave with Nikon's CLS system using his popup set to -/- as a master. Should easily acheive what he's looking to do.

 

[SoCalTiger]

I'm not sure if I'm reading the situation correctly, but it doesn't seem like you off-camera light is a flash....that's the key. You want off-camera lighting but it has to be a flash (or super bight constant light) in order to get the shot you want.

This is my interpretation of what is going on too.

You can't use a maglite/tac light/LEDs as the off camera light source. The above picture is a good example why. These constant light sources are not anywhere bright enough to achieve the correct effect. You really need a strobe (flash) ideally.

the OP says he is using his Dad's SB-800 If I'm not mistaken, he should be able to use that speedlight as an off camera slave with Nikon's CLS system using his popup set to -/- as a master. Should easily acheive what he's looking to do.

Ahh, you are right. I re-read the thread. It looks like it is just FitzTML that tried some other light source and then later a flash.