Smoking Shots

From artistic abstracts to striking still lifes, here’s how to get those cool and atmospheric shots you’ve always wanted...

Shooting smoke is challenging: it’s unpredictable and constantly changing, so you never quite know what you’re going to get. But that’s half of the attraction, because when you get it right the shapes and forms you capture have an organic quality that is almost impossible to recreate.

You can take some control when shooting smoke, though, particularly when it comes to lighting. for the best results you need to illuminate the smoke from behind to bring out its texture and shape. But to make it visible you also need the background to stay completely dark, so you need a light source that you can direct at the smoke without light escaping and ruining the background.