I used incense smoke to add a little drama to this image, choosing a black backdrop to show off the beauty of the Cosmos flower, with the illuminated smoke. I lit the smoke using two lights on either side, behind the scene, with blue gels to stand out against the flower and backdrop. The incense cone was placed directly below the flower, so that it would flow under the petals and create this effect. I captured at f/16 for maximum depth of field in both flower and smoke.

Highly Commended - The Beauty of Plants