I knew there was a practical use for Vapes somewhere in photography. I’d experimented with smoke machines before, but they’re very difficult to control and quickly fill a studio with mist.

Using an e-cigarette lets you be far more precise.

The setup is very simple, and you wont need expensive gear (although a camera that’s good in low light is preferable, for this I used a Panasonic Lumix S1R, thanks to Lumix New Zealand):

Steve’s trombone has a coil of LED lights stuffed in the bell. We removed one of the valves at the back to feed the power cable through, and that spot is also where I blow the smoke.

In addition to the LEDs I’ve got a softbox setup to the front left, and another light at the rear right. These provide light for Steve’s face and illuminate the brick wall.

I experimented with using flash on these lights, but found I couldn’t balance it with the soft glow of the LEDs - even at their lowest setting they’d overpower it. The solution was to stick to the modeling lights and turn the flash off.

After that it’s simply a matter of getting in a position where you’re hidden from the camera. Taking a big puff, and hitting the camera remote (or getting someone else to do it for you!).

Here’s a video of this exact shot in action, with a little Wagner to get you in the mood: