Latest Posts › Photography Forums › General Photo Chit Chat › Photography Throwdowns › Throwdown: Smoke
- This topic has 56 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 8y, 1mo ago by Anonymous.
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May 11, 2015 at 6:31 pm #192447
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May 11, 2015 at 10:49 pm #192489
Love the rainbow smoke!
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May 12, 2015 at 4:06 pm #192557TershaKeymaster
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/diane_rose/
- Allows Edits: Yes
@tersha- Posts:17259
Allows Edits? Yeslove these, @dchester1001!
I’m guessing you did these in a similar way to my coloured glasses, with coloured gels? -
May 12, 2015 at 5:48 pm #192573
Thanks @tersha.
Actually the colour is added in post processing. -
May 13, 2015 at 6:42 am #192651
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May 30, 2015 at 6:52 am #195031
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May 31, 2015 at 4:06 pm #195169TershaKeymaster
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/diane_rose/
- Allows Edits: Yes
@tersha- Posts:17259
Allows Edits? Yesreally liking these, I’m gonna have a go…. 🙂
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June 1, 2015 at 6:27 am #195322
I hope you do @tersha! I look forward to seeing your images (It’s getting lonely in this challenge…)
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June 12, 2015 at 12:29 am #196465
These kind of look like anatomy to me. The top one looks like a uterus(I know probably not your intention, just what I saw), and the third one looks like a pelvis attached to femur bones.
The second one however, reminds me of my Wizard character in Diablo III 🙂
I like all of the ones you’ve done on this thread, but I like the mirrored ones the best 🙂
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June 12, 2015 at 6:34 am #196481
Thanks Amber.They are rather anatomical, aren’t they?
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June 4, 2015 at 7:15 am #195619
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July 8, 2015 at 3:43 pm #199311Chrissie BeeParticipant
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@chrissiebee- Posts:1264
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Allows Edits? YesVery cool, David.
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June 11, 2015 at 11:21 pm #196460
I like the solidity of the last one David.
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June 12, 2015 at 6:32 am #196480
Thanks @quasiphoto – in that one I used the PS paintbucket to change the background from black to white. I liked th effect also.
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June 18, 2015 at 10:43 am #197212
A different interpretation of your throwdown – “Smoke”
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June 18, 2015 at 4:58 pm #197231
Nice. I like it!
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June 20, 2015 at 11:37 pm #197404Chrissie BeeParticipant
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@chrissiebee- Posts:1264
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Allows Edits? YesGood idea. I like the background shadows too.
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June 21, 2015 at 12:00 am #197406Chrissie BeeParticipant
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@chrissiebee- Posts:1264
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Allows Edits? Yeshttps://www.flickr.com/photos/chrissie_bee/18818755528/in/photostream/
Click for FlickrView of the smoke from the May 2015 wildfire in San Marcos, CA. taken
about 20 miles away.-
July 8, 2015 at 3:33 pm #199306
Wow! Cool shot. Forest fire?
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July 8, 2015 at 3:41 pm #199309Chrissie BeeParticipant
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@chrissiebee- Posts:1264
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Allows Edits? YesThanks, Kent. Just one of the run-of-the-mill wildfires in the west. This was a particularly bad one last year.
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July 8, 2015 at 3:32 pm #199304TershaKeymaster
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/diane_rose/
- Allows Edits: Yes
@tersha- Posts:17259
Allows Edits? Yes -
July 8, 2015 at 3:42 pm #199310Chrissie BeeParticipant
- Allows Edits: Yes
@chrissiebee- Posts:1264
No Achievements Yet!
Allows Edits? YesBeautiful abstracts, Diane!
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July 8, 2015 at 7:27 pm #199316
Nicely done Diane @tersha! I like the ethereal effect in yours.
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August 16, 2015 at 8:14 am #203604
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August 16, 2015 at 6:39 pm #203633
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August 17, 2015 at 2:13 am #203698
Never thought I’d ever use this shot. Taken after hearing a thundering bang when out photographing our main cultural monument. When looking up, Pretoria was covered in smoke. We’ve discovered later on that it was caused by the implosion of a building in the middle of the city.
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November 25, 2015 at 1:03 am #213166
Amazing smoke photographs everyone! I am a little late to the party but I am new to Light Stalking and have been perusing past posts (I love alliteration). I was so excited to see this, David, as I have the opportunity to do this on Friday with a high school class. Their teacher has invited me to their gr.12 photography class and they are going to teach me their technique (all part of a master plan to have them ‘learn through teaching’). I get to show them what I have been doing with oil and water photos. A good trade, I think. Anyway, I am a “developing” photographer (I think I like that better than newbie, or beginner) and I challenged myself to take a photo a day in 2015. This was from day 99, way back in April. My first smoke photograph!
<script async src=”//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
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November 25, 2015 at 4:46 pm #213247
Really cool hand blender.
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November 25, 2015 at 8:03 pm #213265
Thanks Tersha (what is a Keymaster, by the way?). In the original shot you can see a bit of the background and I had to edit it out. Also, I used a reading lamp for my light, as I didn’t have my external flash yet. I can’t wait to learn a better way on Friday!
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November 26, 2015 at 7:37 am #213287chris pookParticipant
- https://www.instagram.com/christopher.pook/
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/pookies_pics/
- Allows Edits: Yes
@chrispook- Posts:3263
Allows Edits? YesPretty perfect post people! Sensibly stopped smoking Sunday. Need nicotine now but will wait while walking. (Ok, stop now)
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November 30, 2015 at 12:30 am #213538
LOL! Didn’t see this comment until just now, Chris! Awesome alliteration!
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November 28, 2015 at 4:02 am #213422
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November 29, 2015 at 8:32 pm #213514
Nicely done @LeanneC! I like it
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February 18, 2016 at 4:59 pm #220930
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February 19, 2016 at 10:57 am #221021chris pookParticipant
- https://www.instagram.com/christopher.pook/
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/pookies_pics/
- Allows Edits: Yes
@chrispook- Posts:3263
Allows Edits? YesThat bottom one…. it’s a playful smoke dragon smiling…! 🙂
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February 23, 2016 at 11:39 am #221426chris pookParticipant
- https://www.instagram.com/christopher.pook/
- https://www.flickr.com/photos/pookies_pics/
- Allows Edits: Yes
@chrispook- Posts:3263
Allows Edits? YesAnd every time I come back to this thread I want a cigarette!
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February 23, 2016 at 6:37 pm #221482
🙂 I love that we can see so many images in these, Chris!
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February 23, 2016 at 10:14 pm #221517Robert AppleModerator
- https://www.instagram.com/robert.apple.98/
- https://photography667a.myportfolio.com/
- Allows Edits: Yes
@robertapple- Posts:8860
Allows Edits? YesMy daughter’s are home now and doing all the cooking, so as soon as my wife @Diana_Apple makes her next meal, I’m going to have the camera ready and you all are see some smoke.
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February 23, 2016 at 10:46 pm #221522
Can we talk technique?
How do you create the actual photo, first of all. 🙂
then in post and u using gradients and color blending layer? -
February 24, 2016 at 12:40 am #221547
David would probably do a better job explaining, as he has been doing this for awhile and I am still just learning. But I will try (and let him fill in if I miss something or if there is a more efficient way to do it!).
1.Black background, no light source other than your flash, which you need to position to the side and back of the smoke source. I used incense, as it gives off a nice steady smoke. The first time I saw it done, was in a Photography 11 course (the students were teaching me the technique) and they used a studio flash with barn doors, to get the light right on the smoke but get a nice dark background. I made my own “barn doors” and it helped a bit. Still had to deal with some of the black background in post. Focus on the tip of the incense, then re-frame your shot to get the area that the smoke will cover. I shot at f11, to ensure that all the smoke was in focus. Fan the smoke to get some interesting images.
2. I start my PP in Lr, but I am sure there are different ways to do it. I clean up the background (adjust the exposure to pop the smoke, then pull down the black/shadow). If you use “show shadow clipping” it is really easy to see spots you have missed and then use the adjustment brush, with the exposure/black set low. You are left with a nice clean smoke trail. If it has a bluish tint, you should get rid of it (I usually just turn to B&W). You can play with the highlights/clarity now or later (I do it later, as I like to see how it looks coloured).
3. I move to Ps to add colour. And I think you figured that part out. I create a layer, choose overlay and paint in the different colours. You can go to Image>Adjustments>Invert, if you want to work with the same image and have a white background. Just remember that if you have colour, it will get flipped too!I am sure there are many ways to do this – this is the way I do it. You can duplicate and transform your images to create reflections and put them together to make an interesting Rorschach-like design. Have fun! Can’t wait to see some more images! Let me know if these instructions actually worked or if you have questions!
Here is a before (I had to do a quick one while I wrote the instructions):
<script async src=”//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>And after:
<script async src=”//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js” charset=”utf-8″></script> -
February 24, 2016 at 5:30 pm #221631
You got it @LeanneC, though I don’t use lightroom (having been a photoshop user since very early days, never bothered to learn LR.)
I open the RAW image, use ‘auto’ then adjust blacks as you describe.
When I open it in PS I ‘auto level’ it, add a layer and generally use a gradient fill to add the colour (changing the layer type to ‘Colour’)-
February 24, 2016 at 10:39 pm #221654
Thanks David! Love the image! Did I mention it looks like Tinkerbell? 😉
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February 24, 2016 at 6:06 pm #221638
Just found this thread. Have to say the images are a lot of fun. Thanks for the tutorial. Does everyone use incense or are there other sources that are also good?
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February 24, 2016 at 10:46 pm #221656
I’ve only used incense, Rob. There are a couple of different kinds though – the sticks and the cones. The cones give off a slightly thicker smoke, I think. You want to have a nice steady smoke. The rest is just snapping lots of shots and getting lucky once in awhile (since it is dark, you don’t really see what you are getting until the flash goes off). You will find yourself huffing and puffing to get the smoke to move and create some interesting shapes. I’d love to hear if anyone has used anything else too. Hope to see some more smoke shots soon!
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February 25, 2016 at 1:47 am #221668
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February 25, 2016 at 8:59 am #221691
Thanks guys…..takes me back to the 60’s but I’ll see if I can round some up and give it a go.
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February 25, 2016 at 1:38 pm #221737
Not sure where you are located Rob, but our local dollar store carries incense.
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February 25, 2016 at 2:55 pm #221738
Thanks Leanne I’ll look there. I’m in Ontario
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March 11, 2016 at 3:25 am #223319Anonymous
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Wow! All these are awesome.
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