I recently did a 90 minute shoot with two subjects and five smoke grenades (or smoke bombs). I have been sharing photos on Instagram here and there and was asked to write a blog post about my experience using them. So here you go!
First of all: I bought my smoke grenades from this website. Enola Gaye Wire Pull Smoke Grenades. I used Red, White, and Green smoke grenades during this shoot. They have military grade available but I did not buy those. I hear those last longer and likely create more smoke. Amazon also sells them but this site was cheaper. Each one lasted about 5 minutes (give or take)
Once you get the smoke grenade, I suggest making sure you have an assistant with you to help. I didn't want my subjects holding the smoke grenades so I needed an assistant. It's also possible for the smoke grenades to stain light colored clothing so that is another reason I didn't want my subjects holding it when being photographed. I suggest your assistant wear all black to prevent staining.