I observed how the subject held them, where the smoke blew, how it dispersed from the grenade. I watched as many YouTube videos as I could find of people using them. When I learned that they could be flammable, I wanted to ensure that I did everything I could to make sure this was not a possibility. If there is any wind or the smoke bomb is angled back towards the body, there is the potential it can stain light colored clothing. When the smoke is coming out there is a lot of powder that comes along with it. Instruct them that they can move around and move the smoke bombs as well to avoid having the smoke blow into their eyes/face. Once the smoke bomb is lit, if a lot of smoke goes into your subject’s face it can cause them to tear up and it doesn’t necessarily smell good. We recommend having an assistant with you to help pull the cable, especially if you firing off multiple smoke bombs. Once the cable is pulled, you’ll have to wait 5-10 seconds before you have usable smoke that will fill the frame. As we mentioned above, there will be some initial sparks flying so hold it away from the body for a couple of seconds and then use as needed. Plus, the smoke will stay in the air for a bit before dissipating.Īngle the smoke bomb away from the body and grip it towards the bottom 1/3 of the column. From what I read, that is not recommended.
![enola gay smoke bomb enola gay smoke bomb](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/6-8AAOSwwS5d-NmQ/s-l400.jpg)
The rep said that as long as you don’t place the grenade on dry brush, we should be fine.Īnother note: I recently talked to someone who used these during a pole performance and they said the purple smoke got in their noses and stayed there for several days… EEP! So be careful if you are using in an indoor space. I wanted to address the “fire hazard’ as this was my biggest concern. I asked him if he thought anyone would get afraid by how it felt holding it and he said no. I can confirm this, as my test subject told me this after he used it. She said that the hottest part of the grenade would be the top, where the smoke rose out from, but that they are definitely cool enough to hold comfortably. While she said that they don’t usually recommend people holding them (gasp!), people still use them this way, and it would be fine. Since I was going to shoot it with a dancer, a moving subject who is actually moving with it in hand rather than throwing it like a paintballer (most commonly used), I wanted to hear straight from the rep’s mouth that it was safe.
![enola gay smoke bomb enola gay smoke bomb](https://store.enolagaye.com/us/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Pink-Gender-Reveal-Smoke-Bomb-regular.jpg)
Since everyone uses them for different reasons and in diff spaces, your answer on what precautions to take will also be different. I highly recommend calling the distributor if you have specific questions, instead of trying to find your answers on the internet, where there can be a lot of variety. The customer service rep at Enola Gay immediately put me at ease. I researched this product heavily before reaching out to my subject to use it, because I wanted to feel comfortable shooting with it before doing bigger shoots with it later on. Here is another useful link with a closeup/slow motion of it being pulled, from the EG Facebook. A note, you MUST pull at a 90-degree angle (not upwards).
![enola gay smoke bomb enola gay smoke bomb](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,h_1583,w_2816,x_0,y_306/f_auto,q_auto,w_1100/v1554931972/shape/mentalfloss/24269-gettyimages-2658581.jpg)
If you watched the video linked above, I include footage of Lee pulling the trigger. The EG website says that 5lbs of force is required to pull the wired ring to trigger the smoke release. Each product that EG sells give you a “Cloud Size” so you know comparatively how powerful a grenade you’re getting. I used the ones with smoke coming out of just one end instead of both, which are cheaper at $11. Each grenade lasts on average 60-80 seconds. There is a small cap on each grenade which, annoyingly, comes off very easily, exposing the ring that triggers the smoke release.
![enola gay smoke bomb enola gay smoke bomb](http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/2GDPJGfGaPc/maxresdefault.jpg)
They are delivered to you with a very clear label outside the box, “WARNING: EXPLOSIVES”. Smoke grenades are considered explosives. I bought the most widely used smoke grenades “ Enola Gaye WP40”.