Smoke Bomb/Effect/Flare

I thought I would ask you guys as I am not having too much luck searching out exactly what I want.

I have a few ideas for photoshoots where I would like to add a little extra drama with the use of smoke or mist, think light through trees etc... Nothing too thick ideally I want a handheld and portable way of putting the smoke where I want it, like a flare or something, I want the smoke to hang around a little so it does look like mist and not that someone has just let off a smoke bomb. It also has to be a nice clean white smoke.

Any ideas?

I thought it would be quite and easy and cheap thing to find but so far all I can find is massive distress flares or tiny joke shop smoke bombs.

Cheers

Cris.

Smoke machine? The little ones don't really seem to work that well though... The other problem with smoke machines is that the fluid you use kinda sticks to everything.

Dry ice?

I won't be anywhere near a mains supply, and the solution I am looking for must be small enough to fit in my existing kit bag.

I think some kind of long burning smoke screen flare is what I am looking for, but I just can't find anything at the moment.

Cheers

Cris.

I'll be on location, Dry Ice would just stick about on the floor and wouldn't really give me the effect I am looking for.

Also I imagine that would be pretty hard to transport with me?

Cheers

Cris.

Hmmm, Paintball stuff might do it, something similar to this maybe, just not at £3.50 a pop!!!!

Anyone know a good source of this stuff in the UK ???

Cheers

Cris.

How 'bout a barbeque pit full of wet leaves?

It'll be a cloud of fairly dense smoke. Won't that obscure whatever it is that you're trying to photograph?

Pretty easy to keep it in a cooler. If you were able to mount it above your subject, it might work.

But you want smoke that's likely to float about.

I don't know if it will produce enough smoke for what you're trying to do, but people who work in HVAC have smoke pens that generate smoke that's about the same density as air so they can find drafts.

visit your local garden supplier?
http://chemistry.about.com/od/demonstrationsexperiments/ss/smokebomb.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivO6hwUmE_c

I think I will have to experiment a little once I have found several options that look likely. The hope would be that if I can move about with the smoke in my hand and leave it a few seconds, my model can step in and my camera and lights would be ready to go. I don't want a thick covering, so the smoke has to be heavy enough to hang in the air a little, not for long just enough to fire off a couple of shots.

As I will be using flash in the distance the effect of the smoke doesn't need to be that thick, but it does have to cover the whole area. The flash guns will light up the smoke (I hope!) and create a dramatic background to set my model in.

I can see my self wasting ££££ on over priced retail smoke bombs here, I was hoping I could find some kind of trade supplier.

Cheers

Cris.

You don't want smoke bombs, you need a smoke machine or dry ice - or both. The smoke machine will give you a more repeatable option. If you need to power it you can also invest in some power packs.

You can rent this stuff before deciding whether it's something you want to purchase for yourself.

Read two tips here that are right on target with what I believe you're looking to achieve:

http://www.lightingmagic.com/smokeqa.htm

I remember reading a number of other sites over the past few years about this subject, as well as tech details for posted photos with smoke effects. If I can remember them I'll update. I don't think I have them bookmarked unfortunately.

Thanks for the link Bruno.

What I am talking about is shooting on location, the idea I currently have is a shoot in a forest. I need to fill a large space with a light but lingering smoke/misty back ground. I think any smoke machine solution won't be able to output enough smoke before it's all gone.

I don't want the viewer to know I have added the smoke/mist I want it to highlight the light coming through the trees, or the light I add to the background to give my subject an interesting and dramatic backdrop to move through.

Maybe I'll have to do lots of trials before I do a shoot, I have seen the Antari M1 smoke machine which is the only one I have found at anywhere near a reasonable cost, maybe I'll find some where local who hires them out. I'll also have to get myself a few paintball style bombs I think.

Cheers

Cris.

I remember reading that Ira Spring did this to take a few shots at Mount Rainier back in the day, he wanted a misty forest effect. He just used smoke bombs.

Cris I've got a friend at Downsizer that does stage lighting and pyrotechnics, I'll PM you his email address when I find it.

Thanks

Cheers

Cris

Fix it in post?