Smoke Skull

Gallery: POP PhotosPosted February 11, 201343 views5 comments

This was one of my earliest attempts to do smoke photos. I was using bundled dry grass as a smoke source. It is less distinct than I prefer but the skull image that resulted has fascinated me for a few years. I've done some processing and hopefully not destroyed the natural smoke look of this.

I would really appreciate bold, honest critique to benefit from the wonderful talent for critique that NPN provides.

I have lost all data on this shot and really don't think it matters anyhow. With smoke there are no "re-does".

Large view provided and I hope you will view this large.

Charlie

Comments

5 comments

Comment posted by Lorna Taylor on February 11, 2013 at 4:35 PM

Very cool !

Registered on November 12, 2010, 254 Posts, 3083 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on February 16, 2013 at 7:46 PM

Charlie, IMO this would fare better if the shutter speed had been faster.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie Baugh on February 16, 2013 at 9:41 PM

Definitely, Phil. This was taken when I first started fooling with smoke and before I began using flash. I don't think I have ever gotten much detail without flash. I recently bought a very high power halogen light [not strobe] in hopes that I could do something with smoke. So far I have had no success.

Registered on April 18, 2011, 329 Posts, 1985 Comments

Comment posted by Kent Staubus on February 18, 2013 at 9:16 AM

I would try ligthning it up a little. You can experiment with blowing a little air at it with a straw. These kinds of photos were popular in the 1930s.

Kent in SD

Registered on November 11, 2003, 121 Posts, 2098 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie Baugh on February 18, 2013 at 11:34 AM

Don't know if you will get back but, Kent, I do some blowing and hand waving to create turbulence. If I have a door or window open the smoke is just to active and sporadic as to direction. I have a very dark backdrop but it is not big enough to allow me to move the FOV to a great extent. As to "lightening" it up, this is from years ago and boosting the light on this image would bring the background noise up too much.

Thanks all for viewing.

Get smokin!

Registered on April 18, 2011, 329 Posts, 1985 Comments