Smoke Gradients

[KTHXBAI]

Just doing some more experimenting with smoke photography. Thanks for viewing.

I've done it! I have finally made a Windows 7 desktop background!
Click to enlarge




can't wait to go on vacation so i'm not in my basement taking pictures

[peterindb]

Very nice!

I've been wanting to do something like this but lacked time.
A couple of questions: how did you create the smoke?
Did you photoshop in the colors or are they SOOC?

Peter

[KTHXBAI]

Thank you, I actually used incense for the smoke. I looked at a couple different tutorials but this one explains it pretty well.

http://www.pixiq.com/article/artsmok...graphing-smoke

The colors are just gradient overlays in CS5.

Ohh I find it very usefull to get further away and zoom in. I set an object up on the table about where I want to put the incense stick and use manual focus. But the most important thing is make sure the light of the flash does not hit the black background.

[Rasbury]

Love #2 Micheal.Very cool and colorful image.

[ktuli]

These are looking great, Mike... how's your wife taking to you making the house smell like incense?

I like the first one, but wish the smoke hadn't broken the bottom edge of the frame. Additionally, each time I look at it, I seem to want to turn it on a different angle, but I'm not sure which!

As for the second one, I really like the pattern, and think it would look really cool to select just one "spoke" of the wheel and make it a different color gradient - like a yellow to red gradient. Just to give it that single point of *pop*.

Keep 'em coming!

- Bill

[KTHXBAI]

Ron: Thanks! it's a fun experiment and great practice for lighting.
Bill: the basement is pretty musty so she actually liked it. It reminds us of collage life. Yeah the first one got away from the frame. I'm kinda shooting in the dark and just see what happens... I think ink droplet photography is next

[ktuli]

Dude - be careful there. Save these indoor projects for January when you don't want to step foot outdoors... Go outside and shoot while you can do so without losing fingers and toes!

[ninanative]

Your shots are truly enjoyable to the eye. There is a fantastic flow to these photos, along with magnificent colours. I like the composition as well.