Posted July 7, 2015 by Gavin Hoey in Videos

Smoke on location

It’s amazing how adding a little bit of smoke can completely alter the look of a portrait shoot and a few months back I made a little video showing how I use a smoke machine in my studio.

But with the long summer days and warm weather I love to get out of my home photo studio and into the great outdoors. Of course shooting portraits in the woods makes using an electric smoke machine a real challenge but I found an alternative that’s even better.

The smoke in the photo above comes from a small smoke bomb. Also called smoke grenades, it’s basically a firework without the explosion. I used smoke bombs from Enola Gaye which is a UK company that sells their non-toxic smoke granades around the world. You can get them online but if you head along to your nearest paint ball or airsoft park you should be able to pick them up fairly inexpensively and in smaller quantities.

If you’re going to use smoke bombs in your photography, do so responsibly. I cover most of the important stuff in the video above but read the instructions on the smoke bombs before use. If nothing else follow the final bit of advice written on the side of every Enola Gaye smoke bomb… Don’t be a dick with this product.