$ cost of smoking concept

[caleb]

Needs something more or a different shot or something, but I don't know what. Also, if any one has tips for getting smoke to show against a blown out bg that would be excellent.

[Greg McCary]

I think you should try a black background myself. Also another element of some sort. But I like the idea.

[caleb]

Here's one more try with smoke attached and copyspace or whatever

I need to try it with a model or myself smoking/lighting/etc and see how those turn out

[writer45]

cool idea, but how was the image constructed? Was it photoshopped or did u actually make the cig out of money?

John

[caleb]

3 images, held with tweezers/rubber band a few feet from a white background. Two strobes were in a softbox type of configuration (just tracing paper clamped to vertical poles). one strobe to blow out the background...
1) unlit cigarette held from tobacco end
2) dollar bill rolled to the width of a cigarette and held with thread
3) ashing cigarette held by filter

in the second picture, the smoke was done a few mins after i originally posted by snooting a flash, prefocusing, putting up a black background, and holding the smoking cigarette over the snoot... then I made the image b&w, inverted, and used selective color to get the grays/blacks to look ok (but it's not quite right imo).

*I used two strobes in the softbox because I had them setup like that from whatever i was shooting before.

[jetrim]

Concept is sound and I like what you have so far (a great element for a photo, but not quite a photo in it's own right yet). It needs a supporting element, perhaps an ashtray, or a wallet propped open to act as an ashtray, a model (perhaps not your standard glamour model - maybe an older man/woman made up to look homeless)

[writer45]

Thanks for the info...verty creative,

John

[caleb]

I agree jetrim. This isn't the last of this photo. I've been trying to take at the very least one thought out picture/day and ideally 4-5 as time allows for the past month. I end up with a lot of half completed ideas that I don't come back to. I'm making a new folder with all these incomplete images so I can work on them more as I run out of new ideas. I like the wallet idea. I think this would also be good as a street portrait type of thing although getting all the elements together for that should be quite a bit more difficult

Hmm possibly the "standard" ashtray/cigarette/bottle of whiskey and make the whiskey label a bill as well. lots of ideas now

[jetrim]

Hmm possibly the "standard" ashtray/cigarette/bottle of whiskey and make the whiskey label a bill as well. lots of ideas now

There ya go "Sin Tax" ~ a still life

[OldClicker]

I think you need something way larger than $1. - TF

[caleb]

Not over lifetime - per cigarette

[Anbesol]

I'm going to have to turn you in for destroying legal tender!

I was going to say throw a main light on a white bg, and a softer fill on the cigarette, but it looks like you've done that well with your second pic. Well done, clever concept.

[gahspidy]

I like the idea, Caleb and you pulled it off well. i think to add a little more. . .pizazz I would try getting the glow of the lit end. A bit of red behind the ash if possible and also say some lipstick or teeth indentations on the butt. Something to give it that feeling that its actually being smoked. Its a great idea, go for it.

[opus]

I know you're going for the cost per cig, but I too had the thought of, "oh, it's only $1, that's not bad." It took some thought to realize that you were counting it as per cig, but I think that the initial impact was lost. The single cig, as is, right now represents the whole of smoking.

IMO, using a dollar would work well if there were a bunch of cigs in the frame. But one standing alone, IMO needs to carry a higher price.

(Think of the health costs associated with smoking, plus maybe higher costs for cleaning products, quicker depreciation of home and car due to buildup; divide those costs per cig, and I think a higher denomination is justified.)

[caleb]

More good ideas, thank you guys. Gahspidy, the lipstick is a great idea I would not have though of and would do a lot imo for this. I attempted to get the ember but I guess it's obvious how that went.

he single cig, as is, right now represents the whole of smoking.

opus, that's a really good point with lots of meaning/validity when I think of other conceptual photos to do.