Where There’s Smoke
For atmosphere, nothing beats a smoke machine. My first machine was quite expensive, around $600, and that was in the 1980s. It worked well and was very effective, although the smoke had an acrid tinge to it that bothered some of the people in the studio whenever we sparked it up.
I’m very happy to say that, these days, the smoke is sweeter smelling, water based, and totally non-toxic. Also, the price of machines has come way, way down. Nowadays, one can find quite a selection online at places like Amazon and eBay anytime, and at stores that cater to the Halloween crowd during September and October. Party stores, like Party City, may carry even less expensive units that will do a great job for you. Obviously, you won’t need this every day, so an inexpensive, light-duty machine will probably be all you’ll need.
A Versatile Tool
Our smoke machine is regularly put to the test for a number of genres, all of them dramatic. For example, a light application with a brief spurt before the picture is taken creates a dimensional look. In the image below, the weapon, because it’s closest to the camera and thereby has the least amount of smoke in front of it, seems almost clear. The rest of the image becomes more clouded as the viewer’s eyes investigate the background.
Move this page back and forth and watch her eyes and gun barrel follow you.
For serious atmosphere (pun intended), just backlight your subject in a fog-filled room.
A little smoke adds a romantic feel to boudoir photography.
Just an interesting sidenote: Because the weapon and the harlequin’s eyes are aimed at the camera, they will follow a viewer left and right. This is more pronounced when walking back and forth in front of a print that is displayed on a wall, but it will also prove true if you simply tilt this page back and forth.
For an image like that of the dancers (above), set one light on the floor, clamped to a nail plate and aimed up toward the camera. Set a second light, modified with a grid, on a boom arm above the subjects. Fill the room with non-toxic smoke and watch the magic happen. The floor light will throw a shadow from the subjects that will register on the sensor, while the gridded light will illuminate their faces and the emotion passing between them.
A smoke machine, even a cheap one, can do wonderful things for a boudoir shoot. If you don’t have a way to clear the studio within a few minutes, use the machine at the end of the shoot. Even with an open window or two, it will take time to clear. Speaking of magic, this simple cheap trick will impact your bottom line in a pleasant way.
Who knew heated glycerine could be so romantic?