Casting a Spell

This image began as a project to learn how to photograph smoke. Simply lighting a candle didn't produce enough, so I found a glass jar candle and lit it, closed the lid and then took the picture upon reopening the jar. It took several attempts, needing to keep the lid closed for five seconds or so in order to allow the smoke to build up. And then I would get different patterns to the smoke. I combined two of them here.

After figuring that out, the idea came across my mind to add a few props, so this image became an elaborate compositing project. The doll was the first thing to get added to the image. Then I decided to add the wood table instead of the covered pool table where the candle had been sitting. The pitcher and tea cup came from the living room china cabinet (one of those pieces of furniture that older folks commonly have that stores and showcases rather useless pieces of old crystal glassware). I then removed the label from the glass candle jar in post. The finishing touch came in the form of the rings, which I felt completed the story of a young woman casting a spell.

The image has been described by friends and family as more creepy than scary. All of the photography was done by me, using a Nikon D800, and composited in Photoshop layers (nothing AI generated). I use a handheld flashlight for my lighting.