How to Capture Smoke and Steam in Food Photography

• As smoke and steam are white they instantly disappear against a white background. When deciding what backdrop is best for shooting steam and smoke, choose a food photography backdrop that allows wisps to show up. Dark backdrops are best, but soft or bright colours also work, anything that creates contrast with the white swirl.

• Light from the side or slightly behind so the light hits the smoke and separates it from the photography background. You can use artificial light or window light.

• Use a shutter speed that freezes the action to some extent – around 1/160 or 1/200 with studio flash. Some smoke will still blur, but distinct trails and wisps will be frozen. A slow shutter speed leaves you with a foggy blur.

• Photographer Cath Lowe recommends using incense sticks. She says, "They give off plenty of smoke and burn for a long time. While they may drop ash over your scene, they’re unlikely to burn your house - keep a mug of water nearby to drop them into. One issue is too much smoke making the scene look unreal, so take a number of shots and move the incense sticks around to vary the effect."

• Check for room draughts. A window, or even you moving towards the scene, can blow the steam sideways and completely change how it looks.

• It almost goes without saying that we recommend using a tripod. A remote shutter will help if you want to blow out a candle out on set or control smoke.

• Another trick is to keep your drink or soup on a low boil, or microwave it with clingfilm on top, ready to place at the last minute, but be careful, steam can burn. If you’re shooting directly onto a surface, a wipe-clean photography backdrop is useful here too.

• As with any action shot, have a few safety shots of your final setup in the bag before going for the action, in case you need to comp later if it all goes T-up!
  

We hope you enjoy experimenting with smoke and steam in your food and product photography and don't forget to tag us in your creations! @blackvelvetstyling

Beautiful steamy soup using the Amsterdam dark green photography backdrop as a kitchen style photography background.

Spiced pear and pumpkin bundt cake shot by using our Quay wood photography backdrop as the table surface and the Whitby black wood backdrop behind.

Old fashioned cocktail shot with the Peanut warm brown photography backdrop behind.

All images shot by Cath Lowe Photography