This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
Earlier this year I needed an image of a working bee smoker*. But standard ambient light produced a rather flat image:
What to do? I hid a Canon 430EX speedlight out of view behind the smoker, and when it fired the smoke came alive:
Light does interesting things to smoke. I'm going to have to play with this more.
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
*The smoker is central to a beekeeper's toolkit, as bees remain calm and more easily worked in the presence of smoke.