I knew there was a practical use for Vapes somewhere in photography. I’d experimented with smoke machines before, but they’re very difficult to control and quickly fill a studio with mist.
Using an e-cigarette lets you be far more precise.
The setup is very simple, and you wont need expensive gear (although a camera that’s good in low light is preferable, for this I used a Panasonic Lumix S1R, thanks to Lumix New Zealand):
Steve’s trombone has a coil of LED lights stuffed in the bell. We removed one of the valves at the back to feed the power cable through, and that spot is also where I blow the smoke.
In addition to the LEDs I’ve got a softbox setup to the front left, and another light at the rear right. These provide light for Steve’s face and illuminate the brick wall.
I experimented with using flash on these lights, but found I couldn’t balance it with the soft glow of the LEDs - even at their lowest setting they’d overpower it. The solution was to stick to the modeling lights and turn the flash off.
After that it’s simply a matter of getting in a position where you’re hidden from the camera. Taking a big puff, and hitting the camera remote (or getting someone else to do it for you!).
Here’s a video of this exact shot in action, with a little Wagner to get you in the mood:
I want to add a note here about networking:
This was one of a handful of photographs I took last year free of charge. I’ll do this when I have a new technique that I want to test out, especially when I’m not certain of the result.
As it happened Steve’s partner attended the shoot. Debra Chantry (that’s her laughing in the background) is a renowned business coach. She agreed to mentor me and I saw a huge growth in my business in just a few short months. Every shot I’ve done for free has led to paid work down the line. I now consider it a vital part of my business.
If you can’t hide you can always photoshop yourself out of the picture… just make sure there’s no smoke covering the part you want to remove the the translucence makes it difficult.
Unedited image straight from the Lumix S1R