Can you explain to common mortals how you made this shot?

I'll send you a private message, as I don't want to tell everybody before the competition ends.

Oh ! Send one pm to me also !

Me too please.

Yes yes, same here, please, cause this is an awesome capture, love it.

lol author it may be easier just to post it here! But while your at it, would you please let me in on the wonderful secret as well?

O.K. due to popular demand, I will share.
Smoke photographed against a black background. Normal raw processing, Then in Photoshop; check with curves and sharpness
Finally invert the image. It's that simple, but very effective.

Cool... we can do that? Awesome!

from the guideline---->'The only editing should be cropping'......hmmm

As a general rule, you are allowed to all adjustments which act on the whole picture and on exactly one picture (a.k.a. non selective editing). This includes:

- 6.2.: Curves
- 6.5.: Color adjustments/shifting
- 6.10.: Sharpness
- 6.13.: Camera raw editing

seems legal.

Yes i know that...what i mean is from the contest goal...hmm

I feel that if you start having different rules for each contest, it would be plain silly. And even if that is the case it said;
"The only editing should be cropping", SHOULD not MUST

'The only editing should be cropping'. The word 'ONLY' seems to limit the editing.

Ncie color capture! GL!

beautiful clean capture

The spirals are incredible well done

beautiful

nice 1! GL!

Gorgeous shot..

Mist rather than smoke.

there is a smoldering campfire in the lower left. it would be easier to see but when i upload photos the colors get washed out.

fair enough,nice photo.

Very pretty..Makes me want to go camping