How to use Smoke Bombs in a Photo Shoot

Smoke Bombs create a magical and atmospheric image, but using them is quite tricky to get right. There are many things to think about, the weather, wind, tin foil, health and safety, the model, and lighting. Here are a few tips that might help if you want to use them in your next photo shoot:

1. Smoke Bombs are poisonous, and shouldn't be breathed in, so always use them outside and make sure your model holds their breath.
2. They can be tricky to light, especially in the wind, so use a good lighter and plenty of cover.
3. Some smoke bombs only last a minute, so you have to act quickly to get a good shot, practice some poses with the model before hand so that you can guarantee a great image.
4. Choosing a good background is crucial, you don't have to go far away, I used some spooky looking trees in my local park.
5. Lighting is always worth thinking about, because it is winter at the minute, make sure you keep an eye on the time, although late afternoon lighting produces a gorgeous golden colour. If you are doing extravagant hair and make-up on your model, allow enough time so the sun doesn't go down. Which is a mistake I have done in the past, so you always learn from your mistakes!
6. Tin foil is great for protecting the ground, or the hands of your model. In this shoot my model Katy was being portrayed as Pandora, famously all the demons and tragic things in the world came out of a box given to her by Zeus. I used a metal box, and put tin foil around the smoke bomb for added protection, as it does get very hot. Using a container like this would be a great idea.
7. It is useful to have a friend to help you with 'set design'. My boyfriend was on hand to light the smoke bombs and then quickly run away, so that I was already in position to take photos, since there is only a minute of smoke, it is quite the military operation.
8. I got my smoke bombs from a local joke shop, however you can get the same brand that I used online here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/201360133690?adgroupid=13585920426&hlpht=true&hlpv=2&rlsatarget=pla-131843277186&adtype=pla&ff3=1&lpid=122&poi=&ul_noapp=true&limghlpsr=true&device=c&chn=ps&campaignid=207297426&crdt=0&ff12=67&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff14=122&viphx=1&ops=true&ff13=80

Maenads

Maenads were famously the followers of the Greek god Dionysus, the god of wine and madness. They would dance freely in the forests, drunk and mad, happily drinking wine, milk and honey as it came up from the ground. They were incredibly unpredictable, as they were known for looking after wolves and baby deer, but then they would rip apart an innocent sheep with their bare hands.

Here, my sister Maddie is featured as a maenad, eating grapes and drinking wine, and dancing. Maddie is an excellent model, and I have worked with her on many occasions on many projects, it is very useful to have such a fabulous sister.

It was the beginning of November when we did this shoot, so it was a lot warmer (and lighter) to use the indoor studio. In this shoot my cat Kimiko decided to join in, she always likes to be the centre of attention, and I think she loves causing havoc running around my make-shift studio, but never mind.

Medea

Medea was the wife of Jason (from Jason and the Argonauts) and the high priestess of Hecate the witch goddess. The story is documented by a playwright known as Euripides, and portrays a tale of betrayal, murder, poison and heart break. In the play, Jason and Medea have moved to Corinth, away from Medea's home with their two children. The scene opens with Medea crying in their house because Jason has decided that he wanted to marry the local princess. Medea devises a plan to poison the princess by making a dress so beautiful that the princess would not refuse it, but the fabric would burn the skin of the princess and she would die, killing the king too as he embraces her. Medea then kills her own two children, some say this is because she wants Jason to feel the ultimate betrayal, others think that this is because she wants to kill them herself so that the kings guard don't kill them first, or that they are banished, and banishment was worse than death in the time of Ancient Greece. At the end of the play, Medea is rescued by a chariot pulled by dragons from her relative, the sun god, who was briefly mentioned in the play, but it seems more like a classic case of Deus ex machine.

Below are some photos of my friend Mrs Emma Brownless portraying Medea, she was an excellent model, considering it was freezing in my local park, I think she portrayed pain and anger very well, also grace and beauty.

I made the fabric prop myself, using an ice dye technique to try and create a 'poisoned' effect. Using black, pink and purple dyes.

Persephone

Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. In Greek Mythology when Persephone was picking flowers, the ground opened up and Hades captured her and took her to the underworld. Demeter missed her daughter, and refused to let the plants grow until she found her daughter. She pleaded with Zeus to get her daughter back from Hades, but because Persephone had already tasted the fruit of the underworld (the pomegranate), she was forever bound to stay in the underground with Hades as his wife for a few months a year. When Persephone was away from her mother, Demeter would refuse to let anything grow, and winter arrived. When Persephone was with her mother, she let all the flowers blossom and the fruit grow. An interesting tale of the seasons.

My friend Ally is modelling as Persephone for my textiles project. Here are some images:

Terpsichore - The Muse of Dance

Terpsichore was one of the nine muses, and the mother of the Sirens. Here my friend Coral Calypso, also a burlesque dancer, is modelling as the goddess. I thought it would be appropriate for Coral to be the muse of dance, given her profession as a burlesque dancer. I have worked with her before doing a hula-girl themed photo shoot in South Shields.

My work bay

This is the place where I do most of my work. With starting my final major project I have been creating mood boards. There is an up-cycled lampshade with dried flowers, a book full of Greek mythology characters, a board that depicts abandoned buildings, a board with paintings by John William Waterhouse and a board of contemporary wire work. 

Pandora

One of my characters for this Greek Mythology project is Pandora, the first woman created by the Gods. Zeus gave her a gift of a box, but told her never to open it. This box contained all the terrible spirits in the world, and she let them out by sheer curiosity.

The model is one of my oldest and dear friends, Katy Vanderhorst. She is Pandora as to me, she was my first best friend, and therefore, the first woman. Together we have encountered many adventures, and will certainly be experiencing many more.

In this photo shoot we were experimenting with smoke bombs. Despite the bad weather and freezing cold I think we managed to get some good shots. The dress was borrowed from The Little Theatre in Gateshead, and I had my boyfriend help with special effects (lighting the smoke bombs).

Greek Mythology, Textiles and Photography...

I am currently studying Contemporary Textile Products at Cleveland College of Art and Design, and it is now time for my Final Major Project in third year! For this project I shall be attempting to create an instillation, which is based on Greek Mythology. In my minor project I conducted a series of photo shoots with some of my friends portrayed as characters from Greek Mythology.

The reason I have chosen Greek Mythology as a theme, is that ever since I was little I have always loved the stories, and I feel that Greek Mythology was a wonderful way the Greeks explained terrible and wonderful events. For example the story of Persephone, where Demeter the goddess of the harvest lost her daughter to Hades for three months of the year, and stopped the plants from growing, and this is how the seasons were created.

This week I have been creating mood boards, and I made a book sculpture depicting my characters; Agaue, Daphne, Medusa, Medea, Chiron, Persephone, Pandora, Dionysus, The Moirae, Cerberus, Terpsichore, Lethe and Oedipus.