I've been experimenting through a list of abstract photography ideas. This time I tried photographing smoke. That's harder to do than I thought it would be! Earlier this week I received great suggestions on the bubble experiment and ended up with things to research further (thanks Chris for polarisers and multi-image focus stacking); so any suggestions from everyone on better ways/techniques to photograph or post-process smoke would be appreciated!
The set up ...
An incense stick on a table 4 feet in front of a black background
A Speedlite (on automatic) perpendicular to the camera with a homemade snoot attached
A silver reflector opposite the flash
One difficulty was obviously focusing. Maybe there's a better way(?), but in this case I held a contrasting object in the smoke in order to lock my focus on before moving it away and snapping pictures with my remote. The other issue was that the smallest amount of movement added to the smoke's tendency already to drift to the left. One fun surprise was the amount of pareidolia I encountered in smoke. It seemed there was something hidden in every picture especially accentuated by mirror-imaging the original.
I used manual settings with center-weighted metering
Lens: 18-55mm kit lens
35mm
1/250th
f/11
ISO 100
I used Photoshop Camera Raw for post processing – basic panel adjustments and detail panel adjustments. On a lot of them, as you can see, I also selected the image, flipped horizontally, and pasted to create a mirror image effect then used a mask to fix the overlap.
This is really cool…love these photos! I’ve never really played around with abstract photography but this makes me want to try it out. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your comments, Marcus. Hope you are doing well and enjoying your spring!
I admit I had to learn a new word today. And I did go to college, although it was back in the stone age. Regardless, you are onto something very promising.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareidolia
Live long enough and you can always dig a memory out of the archives.
HE-HE! That's really cute. It sounds like my conversations with my philosophy professor husband - and I'm the one talking "duckey and horsie." Lol!
Thanks for looking and taking the time to comment. I appreciate it! Hope you're enjoying PA spring. It has gotten quite hot around here!
Those images are great I like the mirror image ones. I wonder what happens if it is not symmetrical or overlapping non symmetrical.. , I going to have to try that some time.
I was thinking the same thing afterwards, Rich. There's a lot of things that can be done in post. How are things going out there? Hope you're getting chances to do pictures!
Ever the innovator, Jennifer! Good on you. The mirror-imaged ones are pretty much like an alternative Rorschach test image. Careful - I'm a shrink! Just don't tell me about your particular pareidolia! Just kidding.
I love the subtle colour; smoke is often bluish through scattering. Did you alter it any further?
They are all quite beautiful, and beautifully lit. It is intriguing that the mirror-imaged ones induce more pareidolia. Or maybe you & I are just weird in the same way... In the third one, I see a face at the top, and to a lesser extent, a rather horse-like one in the first. But we as a species are highly attuned to faces; perhaps that's why they're often perceived in clouds and the moon. In particular, there would be evolutionary value in being quick to spot menacing faces and perceive threat quickly to be able to protect ourselves. The face in the third looks threatening to me.
Your method of focussing seems fine to me; I'm not sure if you used manual focus, as you could then position something where the smoke would rise, and then set-&-forget focus from then on. I'd use f/16; f/22 might even work as you don't need biting sharpness with smoke, and these smaller apertures would leave the smoke more evenly focussed from front to back - but I can't see a focus problem with any of these.
I had seen post conversation posts in the past about you being a shrink; so I wondered if you were going to bring up the Rorschach test image aspect! Lol!
As for the blueish color – like you said, it is blue-ish sooc, but I dropped the balance down a bit in post to enhance. Also increased the purple/magenta slightly in the HSL panel.
We must be weird in the same way because you pretty much described same things that I had seen. It was interesting, though, because one of my daughter's, who is most like me in all ways (including Myers-Brigg LOL), missed what I saw and saw what I missed.
You're right about using f/16-/22 because at f/8 the smoke just wasn't focused front to back enough for me. I love realizing these things especially when they stick while photographing other things!
Thanks for taking the time to look and to comment. I appreciate it. Hope you are well and getting a chance to photograph.
What a great idea and wonderfully executed.
Thank you, Dean. I appreciate you taking the time to look and comment! Hope you are doing well!
Hi Jennifer, I love the creativity behind these images. I think I would have tried focusing in the same manner as you did. Otherwise I guess you could add a light object on the same plane and simply clone out in processing, but that seems like a lot more work.
I especially like the first - unlike the shrink from down under I see the flowing form of a female figure (analysis Chris?).
I can't wait to see what you do next!
I diagnose likely heterosexuality, Alan - which carries no implications about me in turn, because... because... ummm... because I say so. :-|
Thanks Alan! I see a female figure in the SECOND one with her arm extended upwards, but I don't in the first one.Hope you are well. Just read your June post. Looking forward to maybe shooting something with emotion.
As a doctor used to X-rays, Jennifer, I'm afraid that in the second image I see a very messed-up femur, and worry that this patient will never walk again!!