Strange question: how to create smoke for photo

Ok--this is a strange one. I have an idea for a photo that will occur on-location (in a forest) and am curious about the ways in which one can introduce smoke into a scene whilst being safe and responsible about it. I'm hoping to avoid using fire, although there are definitely are safe ways to do that if I need to.

Any suggestions ?

Christopher Steven b wrote in post #17238199
Ok--this is a strange one. I have an idea for a photo that will occur on-location (in a forest) and am curious about the ways in which one can safely introduce smoke into a scene whilst being safe and responsible about it. I'm hoping to avoid using fire, although there are definitely are safe ways to do that if I need to.

Any suggestions ?

First, check a listing of smoke and fog machines.

Then, consider using hot water and dry ice.

What kind of smoke, how much are you looking for, and where do you want it to appear to come from? Also where is this happening? (I'm assuming somewhere in Ontario/Quebec?)

Unless you want to use a fog machine, which gives a rather different look and feel in my view, you're most likely going to need actual combustion of some kind. However it is safe enough to work with if you're shooting in damp to wet conditions with no bans on fires and use the proper containers.

There are a number of fairly easy to work with recipes for 'smoke bombs/grenades' or 'smoke pots' floating around, and what you go with would depend on what you actually want for the effect and will probably take you some experimentation. (Personally I prefer to use custom stuff rather than over the counter ones for the greater control. If you were reasonably good at chemistry and physics then they're not excessively hard to work with.)

Also drop in on the fire department and forestry service in the area you're wanting to do the photo shoot. Even if you are only using a fog machine and generating a fair bit, it is usually best to have them in the loop to avoid surprise calls. You might even luck out and find someone there who is interested in the project and willing to help.

Will a fog machine work ?
http://www.amazon.com …96&ref=pd_sl_8b​6g41dz2u_b
You could use dry ice or liquid nitrogen. Both can be dangerous if you don't use protective gear.

You could by a Bunch of Incents

farmer

If you have to do it in post, this is the best fog tutorial I found (be sure to download their brush): https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=KezUE5Pn4gs#​t=695

armis wrote in post #17238275
If you have to do it in post, this is the best fog tutorial I found (be sure to download their brush): https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=KezUE5Pn4gs#​t=695

That was very nice. Thanks for sharing the find.

Fog machines are tough to use outdoors - you need electricity, and medium-to-small machines don't generate a huge volume of smoke. Depends on the look you're going for.

You can get single-use smoke bombs and smoke flares that might work well enough for photos.

May want to check with local authorities to make sure fire trucks don't show up, though.

How much smoke? A little larger than incense would be sage smudge sticks.

Guys--thanks so much for the questions and suggestions.

I've looked at some fog machine options and find that they generally result in a low-laying kind of fog. I'm looking more for something that rises in a plume like smoke. I'll need something that isn't too thick but will cover a fairly large area (10 feet wide) given the size of the architectural subject.

Are there varieties of fog / smoke machines that can create this kind of effect ? I have looked but haven't seen videos of this.

@Luckless--yes, in Quebec (though I'm from Ottawa). I'm looking for something that resembles what a campfire would produce in terms of smoke--a campfire with wet leaves is probably better. I'll be shooting light through it and think I can probably make even a thin cloud work. I'll have a look at 'smoke pot' and similar options--I've never even heard of this stuff ! Good suggestion about contacting the relevant authorities.

@Armis: thanks !

@Nathan: right--that's another reason smoke / fog machines won't really work in this situation: There will definitely not be a place to plug in. Smoke flares--another thing to investigate. Thanks man !

@J Michael: that looks to be as close to a DIY way of getting this done as I've seen. I'm going to test this out.

I'll be back to the thread to show my progress and the final shots !

The cheap small fog machines might or might not work, you should be able to power them from your car (if it's close enough) with a power converter. Or buy/rent a small generator and 'real' fog machine. We used one recently in the studio, don't know the model but it created so much fog we only could run it for a couple seconds before the entire studio was fogged up and we had to open the garage door and blow it out. When we ran it to empty it out at the end we pointed it out the door and pretty much covered the parking lot, LOL.

For real smoke you could also look into the tools bee keepers use, no idea what those are called though.

But if you can use fire, it might be easiest to bring a small bbq, light some coals and when you need the smoke, throw some wet leaves (or maybe even newspaper etc) on it.

Christopher Steven b wrote in post #17251971
I've looked at some fog machine options and find that they generally result in a low-laying kind of fog. I'm looking more for something that rises in a plume like smoke. I'll need something that isn't too thick but will cover a fairly large area (10 feet wide) given the size of the architectural subject.

Are there varieties of fog / smoke machines that can create this kind of effect ? I have looked but haven't seen videos of this.

I don't think this is correct - at least, not for the two fog machines that I've used recently.

It actually takes extra equipment (a fog chiller) to keep the smoke low on the ground. The fog juice is turned to fog by a heating element; without a fog chiller in place, it comes out of the machine hot and therefore rises and swirls. If you just keep the machine running, it'll haze up the whole area.

For photographing relatively small subjects (such as people), I actually prefer my old cheap-o fog machine. It's finicky, but the fog comes out in a small amount and is much more controllable.
I recently got THIS MACHINE and it will haze up a whole room with just a few blasts. However, the pump is very high-pressure and it's much harder to control and direct the fog into discrete swirls. I haven't yet experimented much with different ways to direct and control it.

In any case, if you don't have power then all of that is pretty moot.
Look here, see if this is what you're going for - I haven't used them but the results look pretty nice.
http://www.enolagaye.c​om/


Know that if you're working outside, even the slightest breeze will move your smoke all over the place.

I have a few smoke-machine shots in my Flickr feed but I can't link directly to them right now. The green-tinted Maleficent shots were using the haze from the new smoke machine; if you go back a ways there's a photo of a different Maleficent and an Evil Queen that are using the old small smoke machine; if you go back even further there's a Wicked Witch where I used the old small smoke machine.

How about trying it by using a campfire with wet leaves?

Maybe go hunting around for some old heavy duty pots to use as portable firepits, and then experiment with trying to generate the style of smoke you're looking for? Just keep a buckets of water on hand and work on damp days for safety and all that. Ones with lids are nice as you can cover them to encourage smouldering and additional smoke.

Careful use of damp canvas covers can let you build up a mass of smoke from a fairly small smouldering fire, and then release a plume of it in a fairly controlled manner.

Beekeeper's smoker tools can be useful to shape the smoke as well, depending on what exactly you're looking for. I've seen some guides to making them out of old soup cans, wire, and a metal teapot, or you can buy them online fairly cheaply. (Just read reviews carefully and critically. Some cheap designs get hot and are hazardous to use.)

Good luck with your project, and I'm curious to see how things turn out.

The problem with a bee smoker is that you have to keep pumping it to keep the smoke coming and I doubt seriously you could maintain a smoke screen that is 10' wide (I keep a several colonies of bees). Probably a small camp fire burning nicely and then throwing on some semi-damp or green leaves on it would do the trick....old junk blue jeans (cotton) make some nice smoke as does old rotten wood and burlap.

Ed

Campfire with wet leaves is probably the best way to ramp up the volume of smoke.

Different kinds of fog machines produce totally different kind of smoke.

The classic fog machine is closest to what you want based on your description.

there is also a thing usually referred to as a "hazer" which uses atomized mineral oil to produce, well a haze.

Dru Ice is a totally differernt (and very cool) effect, but it is by far the most costly in resources, and aparatus to get large effect.

The dry ice fog has "weight" and remains low to the ground, giving that very eerie old horror movie effect. It follows you around when you walk through it, etc.