Smoke or Fog Fluid

I am frequently asked in my seminars and also over the internet what the secret is for successful smoke effects in photography. Beside using colored gels to spice things up, the secret is really no secret at all. Yes you need to use smoke in creative ways that enhance the image rather than detract from it. Certainly, you don't wish to over do the smoke. Usually the best images are done by using less rather than more smoke or perhaps waiting till just the right moment to get the shot when the smoke is almost gone but has that wispy look that gives it real character. Having said all that, the one component that is the single most important factor when it comes to doing great smoke effects is the fog fluid itself. Many assume that fog fluid is fog fluid but as you can see in the image below there are actually a number of different formulations. For my money, ROSCO makes the best fluid out there. I have never had a bad experience with it and it has never done any damage to my fog machines.

For photography, the only choice for smoke that dissipates quickly, is the ROSCO STAGE AND STUDIO FOG FLUID. The mistake commonly made when photographers get into the exciting business of adding smoke to their images is that they use simple fog fluid which is designed to hang in the air for the maximum amount of time. It's mostly used for creating fog in theatrical situations, Halloween applications and also for creating a long lasting haze in night clubs so that the beams of light from the effects lighting are visible.

When used for studio photography, regular fog fluid accumulates in the air and will get so thick after only a few uses that the photography will have to be halted and the building evacuated by opening doors and windows. Many years ago I witnessed an entire classroom of students come running out of the room when the instructors fog machine got stuck in the on position. It truly looked like they were running out of a burning building there was so much smoke. The main difference was that they were all laughing at the situation.

So the bottom line is, to use the proper fluid to get the proper effect. ROSCO products can be a little difficult to find and I have never seen them at camera dealers. For years I have ordered my fluid from Scott Tallyn's on line photography store. Here is a link that will take you to his page in my SUPPLIERS area. From there, you can click to visit his site. Tallyn's Professional Photographic. Be sure to tell him where you heard about him. Scott is a good guy with a passion for customer satisfaction. - Scott

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