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Smoke Photography: Tips and Techniques

By DU Beat January 3, 2019

Smoke photography is not as difficult as it seems, in fact there is no correct or incorrect way of photographing smoke.

In other words, there is no right or wrong way to photograph a smoke trail. So its experimenting that will give you that perfect picture, that perfect angle and that perfect lighting that you aspire for. So here are a few tips and techniques that might help you to create such pictures.

Camera setting:

Shutter Speed: Fast shutter speed is recommended to capture such images as the smoke is constantly moving, so to avoid any blur movement, the settings should be done accordingly.

Aperture: A small aperture is recommended to get a sharp and detailed smoke trail for your picture.

ISO: Where there is very low light, smoke will show up grainy or noisy and a high ISO will only add to this, so try not to raise the ISO very high (ISO between 500-1200 is recommended depending on the camera) in indoor shooting whereas while shooting outside, ISO can be adjusted according to the light condition prevailing.

Light: Use the flash at full strength because with fast shutter and low ISO, the image quality may deteriorate but while shooting outdoor, no external light shall be needed and the settings can be done manually.

How to photograph the smoke the right way:

1. Get Physically Comfortable

As we start with the fun part, the shooting. Make yourself comfortable and focus on the object you just lit up. First 20-30 clicks and a few burned out source may dig your confidence down but keeping on learning from every previous shot will eventually lead you where you aspire to be.

Image Credits: Akarsh Mathur for DU Beat

2. Get the Smoke Moving Around.

For really nice curved smoke you need smoke that moves around. A little piece of cardboard can help you whoosh little bits of air towards the source like a colour bomb and get the smoke moving around. Using source like incense stick , there is no need to get the smoke moving around as the source flows well with the atmosphere air and gives you the smoky look that you need.

Image Credits: Vaibhav Tekchandani for DU Beat

3.Let the Smoke Take Over the Background

Letting the smoke take over the background, will enhance the impact of your picture. This method is very impact full while covering onstage events as the object and its actions are fluently expressed. Using external light under this situation is recommendable as it terminates noise and prevents picture blur.

Image Credits: Aditya Khanna for DU Beat

4. Patience

Working on this technique majorly calls for lots of patience as the smoke from the source needs attention and takes time to fall in the right position compatible with the subject. Observation is also an important factor as it leads to the decision of capturing the frame when the amount and intensity of the smoke is right as needed considering that the smoke buildup creates a haze in the Pictures.

Image Credits: Aakarsh Gupta for DU Beat

To put it in a nutshell, smoke photography apart from being an activity based on skill is also an experimental effort based on hit a trial to get that perfect shot at the perfect timing. Patiently wait for the smoke to do its magic and engulf the space while your fingers are ready for the shot that you desire. The possibilities are many to play around with this unconventional photographic art form.

Feature Image Credits: Vaibhav Tekchandani for DU Beat.

Mahi Panchal

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Campus Central

Capturing the Essence of Motherhood Through Lens

By Bhavya Banerjee May 13, 2018

The second Sunday of May each year has been celebrated as Mother’s Day since an early 20th century. Founded by Ann Jeeves Jarvis, the day commemorates the mother of the family, the maternal bond a woman shares with her children, and the influence of mothers in the society. Being a mother is one of the most empowering experiences. Bringing a human being to life and then contributing significantly to their upkeep and development is a feat not everyone can boast of achieving, yet mothers do it so effortlessly.

On the occasion of Mother’s Day this year, here are pictures depicting motherhood that ought to be recognised and celebrated!

Research has displayed the effects of affectionate human touch on the neonatal health and development of a baby. A loving embrace, especially when offered by the mother comprises of positive health effects. Image Credits: Saubhagya Saxena — Research has displayed the effects of affectionate human touch on the neonatal health and development of a baby. A loving embrace, especially when offered by the mother comprises of positive health effects.
Image Credits: Saubhagya Saxena

A mother’s love for her child is perhaps one of the most complex concepts, which has still not been fathomed. The role of a maternal figure in a child’s life is more than pivotal. Image Credits: Surabhi Khare

The body of a woman goes through many changes to accommodate the nurturing of a foetus in the womb. Changes in the mothers voice, hormonal changes etc are common during pregnancy. Image Credits: Surabhi Khare — The body of a woman goes through many changes to accommodate the nurturing of a fetus in the womb. Changes in the mother’s voice, hormonal changes etc are common during pregnancy.
Image Credits: Surabhi Khare

Occasions like Mother’s Day help acknowledge the sacrifices by a mother for the benefit of her child. A day to give thanks and show our devotion and love for any maternal figure has become a necessity. Image Credits: Surabhi Khare — Occasions like Mother’s Day help acknowledge the sacrifices by a mother for the benefit of her child. A day to give thanks and show our devotion and love for any maternal figure has become a necessity.
Image Credits: Surabhi Khare

Feature Image Credit: Saubhagya Saxena

Bhavya Banerjee

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Gallery

Getting Started with Long Exposure Photography

By DU Beat October 7, 2017

A camera with a manual and bulb mode is the first equipment required for long exposure photography. However, to be able to use a slow shutter speed (which is what long exposure photography is all about), you need a camera that allows you to manually adjust the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, an entry level camera will do just fine. Bulb mode is another option that is beneficial for your camera to have. With this mode selected (it’s located in different places on different cameras), you can expose an image for as long as you want. Basically, as long as you hold the shutter button triggered, the camera continues to take the image. [Image Credits: Snapdeal]

A tripod is essential for any type of landscape photography but when dealing with slow shutter speeds, it’s hard to work without one. Simply leaning the camera on a fence or laying it on a rock really limits your flexibility and, of course, the stability of your camera. You don’t need to spend thousands of rupees on the best tripods available but avoid getting the cheapest aluminum ones from the local electronic shop. Make sure that the tripod you choose is sturdy enough to be used in a river with rushing water, or when the weather is windy. [Image Credits: B&H]

Neutral density filters are darkened filters that are placed in front of the lens, requiring a slower shutter speed for the same amount of light to reach the sensor. There are two systems available: screw-in and drop-in or square filters. The filters come in different strengths (3-stop, 6-stop, 10-stop, etc.) which describe how much you need to lengthen the exposure time to maintain a well-exposed image. These filters require you to lengthen the exposure time for the same amount of light to reach the camera’s sensor in order to get a well-exposed image. The filters are darkened and their strength dictates how much you need to slow down the shutter speed. Compared to doing this without filters, using an natural density filter allows you to use a much longer exposure time while still maintaining optimal quality (the sharpest aperture of your lens). [Image Credits: Amazon]

A remote shutter isn’t a necessity to achieve a long exposure photo but it is going to make the process much easier. When doing long exposure photography, you often have to work with quickly changing elements (such as rushing waves). In these scenarios, you want to be able to capture the image at the exact moment the moving element is where you want it to be and can’t afford to wait an additional two seconds for the self-timer to go off. [Image Credits: Amazon]

To get started, place your camera on a tripod and focus the lens to infinity. You'll want to use a cable release to eliminate camera shake of any kind, as it will ruin your photo. Set the camera to B "Bulb" shooting mode and set your aperture between f/2.8 - f/4 for optimal results. Depress the remote to open the shutter. The main thing to keep in mind while deciding on the correct exposure is how to capture both the shadows as well as the highlights. If you are successful in obtaining the right shadows, you will be able to produce an excellent night scene that will win you compliments. When taking long exposures, the key is to keep the shutter open only long enough for the desired effect. If you keep the shutter open too long, you’ll lose the details in whatever light source is illuminating your subject, and you might even lose the ability to identify what the subject is. When trying to create a light trail, the shutter should be open for at least one second, and therefore requires a tripod. Use shutter priority mode and start with one second shutter speed and see what the result is. If the trail is too short, add two seconds, and then keep adding 2 seconds until you get the lighting effect that you want. If there is too much blur, then your shutter was open too long, and you need to dial it back down maybe a full second.

What is long exposure photography? Long-exposure, time-exposure, or slow-shutter photography involves using a long-duration shutter speed to sharply capture the stationary elements of images while blurring, smearing, or obscuring the moving elements. Long-exposure photography captures one element that conventional photography does not: an extended period of time. The paths of bright moving objects become clearly visible. Clouds form broad bands, head and tail lights of cars draw bright streaks, stars leave trails in the sky, and water waves appear smoothened. Only bright objects will leave visible trails, whereas dark objects usually disappear. Boats in long exposures will disappear during daytime, but will draw bright trails from their lights at night.

This post was aided by information from here, here, and here.

Photos by:
Vansh Sabharwal
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Hemant Goyal
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