I have received SO many messages asking “how did you do that cool smoke thing in your photos?” that I decided to write a blog post about it! I had seen several bloggers and friends post surreal looking photos so I compared several different companies and reviews before trying it myself.

I bought my smoke bomb from Shipped Yesterday. The specific product I used can be found here here for only $9.99. I chose to buy green for my school colors (go mean green) and for how much it would make my eyes pop in photos. They carry eight different colors, so choose as your heart desires.

Just a warning, this is definitely a smoke bomb. The first few photos where I am nervously laughing, I was actually thinking “Oh gosh. Is this thing about to blow up on me?!” and just hoping for the best. The first five seconds it emits sparks so it’s important to point it AWAY from your body (and not at your photographer). Mine was a wire pull but for other companies you may need to bring a lighter with you.

I would only use these smoke bombs in an open area you have a lot of space. We made sure not to do it on the concrete because we did not want to leave any stains. I stood in an empty grass field so we would not be near anyone.

The color did not stain my clothes or skin but my hair definitely smelled like smoke afterwards. The product will emit a thick colored smoke so I wish that I would not have stood still. We got a great shot of the smoke covering me, but a few seconds later I was coughing like crazy (shown below).

The smoke output lasts roughly 90 seconds, so you need to have your gear ready before you pull the wire. That may not sound like much time but you’re really going to get your best shots in the first 30 seconds and the rest will be extra.

It’s imperative to have a professional photographer take the shots if you don’t want the fog to appear messy or cover your entire face. Because my photographer, Nick used high quality equipment you are able to see the detail of my face past the smoke.

Overall, I am pleased with how my photos turned out! The green is not only my university’s color (go mean green) but helped my eyes pop in contrast.

*This is not a paid post or advertisement.