Yes, it is smoke and I do not know how it is done.
This is how Mehmet Ozgur describes himself at his site:
"I am an engineer who is fascinated by nature both technically and aesthetically. Observation of elements and forces that make nature is a lifelong passion. Understanding even a small piece of the complex interactions is a bless. I feel humbled every time that rare light appears or, that rare inspiration flames my imagination. I feel grateful that I was given means to see, feel and appreciate the beauty."
And about photography:
First, "source photograph" is an image made by projecting light onto a sensitized surface. Second, photograph is a new image created by analog or digital manipulations on one or more source photograph(s). A photograph is not an ART, if it does not have an artistic vision. I applaud the artist who can distill his/her vision into an image by any means, with or without traditional methods. It is more than the path taken, tools used, but the resulting image, that I really appreciate. Unlike many who say it is the process that they like, personally, beyond the process, I really do enjoy the result. The process itself has no source of happiness, if there is no results. I do not limit the artistic vision to a release of the shutter, just because this has been the norm. Art of photography is more, much more than what a dumb sensor can capture, else, we would have seen almost everything there to see. Enjoy life, Mehmet Ozgur posted on 5/1/08