Here's a time-tested and low tech (and inexpensive) way to produce very realistic steam; suspended a cotton ball by a piece of monofilament or black rod and drag it through the frame of view during a time exposure. Much easier to do if you are digital since you can do a separate steam exposure and drop it into your main image. But the first time I tried it I did it on film and it worked fine.
You may have taken it for granted that the background will be dark, but don't assume that the client has thought this far ahead. I was given a very tight layout showing a coffee cup against a white background, with steam coming out. As you would suspect, the steam was drawn dark against the light background. This of course cannot work, and the whole page had to be redesigned with a dark background and the heavier type necessary to knockout the background. Something you may want to discuss with the client before the shoot. Jonathan Clymer > From: Darrin Jenkins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 15:37:10 +0000 > To: Prodig <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [PRODIG] Steam from a coffee cup > > Hi folks > > I know this subject has come up before but I have lost my archive of it. > I've got a shoot next week involving a coffee cup filled with coffee placed > next to some beans and a sack (nothing new). The client has asked for steam > to be rising up above the coffee, I've tried doing the steam effect using PS > with some success in the past, and I know of a special effects chemical > called 'Vapour Effect' that can be added to the surface which will produce > something like steam (possibly more like smoke). > > I would like to pick a few brains out there as to any good methods of > producing steam effect in PS or using chemicals etc....etc.... > > > Regards > > Darrin jenkins > -- > > > =============================================================== > GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
