Learn how to take pictures using smoke bombs to take your photography and creativity to a whole new level! Find the best camera settings for smoke bomb pictures as well as most important tips!
Smoke bombs are such a fun idea and addition for a photoshoot. Smoke bombs are great for unique and different kinds of photos but can also be hard to master as a first timer. Talk about bringing your creative juices in photography to a whole new level! Today I’m sharing some of my top tips on using smoke bombs in your pictures with clients to get amazing shots.
How to use Smoke Bombs in Your Photography
1- Safety with Smoke Bombs
Safety is a big thing to remember when using smoke bombs. It’s FIRE! Smoke bombs do let out fire when you first pull the string so you always want to make sure to point it away from your clients and
yourself. The smoke bomb will get warm while holding so make sure the client is aware of this if they are holding it. Always remember SAFETY first for your clients and yourself.
Always do a trial run before you are with your clients or practice with someone that understands you are just learning how to use smoke bombs in your pictures!!!
2- Dye within Smoke Bombs
Some smoke bombs do stain clothes. Always try and keep the smoke bomb
aiming away from the client to try and prevent any staining. Let the clients know that there is a possibility of their clothes being stained before using.
3- Watch out for Wind
Wind is a key part for a photoshoot using smoke bombs. Always make sure to use the wind to you advantage. You can make some pretty awesome photos if the wind is going in all directions and can give kind of a mysterious look to the photo.
This photo is an example of the wind going in all directions. If you want to achieve this look but there is no wind tell the client to move the smoke bomb around in front of them but to not cover their face. If there is no wind just have the client move the smoke bomb around them and they can achieve a photo like the one below.
4- Lighting When doing any kind of pictures always remember lighting and camera settings. Making sure you are using the right lighting can make or break a photo. You always want to make sure that it is not direct sunlight on the model. I recommend doing sunrise or sunset sessions to get the bestlighting…golden hour or find the best time to take outdoor pictures. Having the light coming from behind the model will make her glow as well as making the smoke brighter. Always have the light behind the clients and aim straight on or it will cause really harsh shadows.
Camera Settings for Smoke Bomb Photography
5- Camera settingsCamera settings will also trick you if it’s your first time doing any type of smoke bomb pictures. ISO/aperture is great to make sure that your lighting is not to dark or to light. For f-stop staying between 4-6 is best forcertain photos but also depends on how many people are in the photo. For shutter speed make sure to remember that the bigger the number the better photos will come out that involve movement. For all these smoke photos I used 1/1600 to get the best results.
6- Have Fun!
Always remember to have fun! Smoke bombs are a great way to get real smiles and laughter from people of any age. Whether it’s with children or adults they will have fun. Take a few breaks in between each smoke bomb to let the other one vanishes from the air to not mix the colors. If mixing the colors is not part of the plan. Using more than one colored smoke bomb is a great way to do a rainbow maternity session as well as gender reveal photos.
Hello, my name is Michelle Martinez and I live in Enterprise,AL. I am 23 years old and am a dog mom to 4 amazing Australian Shepherds. After graduating high school in 2016 my love for photography began. I picked up my camera and instantly fell in love with capturing special moments. I currently specialize in family, children, portraits and couple photography. I am in the process of making my photography a business in the next 2 years.
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