Smoke picture selected for cover of Aleatoric Art catalog

The Movement of Aleatoric Modern Artists (MAMA) has created a catalog to represent some of the work of its members. My work 'Boy and his new Balloon' was selected for the cover of the publication.

Inside the catalog each page has a work and some text, and next to Boy and his new Balloon, this is the text, written by Ray Cabarga:

A patient stalker of moments

The law of averages dictates that even amidst confusion and chaos, there is an equal change that perfection and harmony prevail- if only for a fleeting instant.

Imagine if your perception was so acute that you could divide every thought in your mind an infinite number of times and observe the process of thinking itself. You might discover, with every thought, one instant where you were a genius and another in which you were insane. And what if you could see every possibility in every moment and had the time to choose the right one.

Stoffel De Roover's smoke art photography transcends time and space to effectively capture the intangible and allow us to appreciate what otherwise would have been lost forever in an endless procession of moments in transition. He will stake out a billow of smoke and, with laser precision, ambush the ephemeral gauze at the precise moment when it unwittingly does his bidding.

You can see the online copy of the catalog here

Featured in Smashing Magazine's "50 Incredible Photography Techniques and Tutorials"

Smashing Magazine has published an overview of 50 incredible photography techniques and tutorials in which many great articles are linked.

Number 7 is "Smoke Art Photography" and along with some other interesting articles it mentions my name and links to the recent interview that was published on Digital Photography School. It also links to the Make blog which links to lumendipity.com, and the picture used you should recognize from my portfolio..

Widespread Panic t-shirt with 'Gemini' smoke picture

I finally got to taking a picture of the t-shirts Widespread Panic did for their tour, with my Gemini smoke picture on it. The text reads "Her dance needs no body"

If you're interesting in buying this t-shirt, you can go to their merchandise website.
Or if you want another t-shirt design with one of my smoke pictures, let me know.

Smoke Photography - How to : Interview published

Digital Photography School interviewed me about how to get started with smoke photography..

It starts: Here at DPS we are always on the look out for photographic techniques that are pushing the boundaries of the medium. This week I’m excited to highlight Stoffel De Roover as he gives us a window into the amazing world of “Smoke Art Photography”

Read the rest of the article here


Thanks to Chas Elliott, who did the interview.

Smoke art - Homage to Magritte

For those of you who don't know Rene Magritte, he was a famous Belgian surrealist painter (1898-1967) with his most known works showing illusions, things that are not what they seem. The bowler hat should look familiar, and also the picture of the pipe with the inscription 'Ceci n'est pas une pipe' (This is not a pipe), referring to the fact that is not a pipe, just a depiction of a pipe.

Working on a smoke picture of my last batch, I noticed something that reminded me of Magritte's typical bowler hat, and even a suit, seeing the potential of a picture that could look like the work 'Son of Man' or even more like the work in the background on Magritte's portrait by photographer Lothar Wolleh, so I decided to develop it and make it a homage to Magritte..

In the picture on the left, I give you a glimpse behind the scenes, how this picture came to being, from a single photo of smoke, with a crop, mirror effect and some editing into the idea of a man in a suit and a bowler hat.

I hope you like it, and maybe take the time to look into Magritte's work, and also photographer Lothar Wolleh.

Casgrain website launched

Casgrain has launched its website, the photography on the site is by me.

For more, have a look in my gallery or have a look at their website.

Happy New Year!!

Here's the latest work of the year!
Best wishes to all of you!

Smokin' Q no longer

For a bit less than a year, 12 of my works had been hanging in the Smokin' Q, a BBQ restaurant on 63rd Street in NYC. Unfortunately the restaurant is closing its doors, so you're only chance to see the works in that restaurant now is on the pictures below..

If you know of a new place to exhibit these works in New York, let me know.

Featured on Aleatoric Art website - MAMA: Movement of Aleatoric Modern Artists

Since the beginning of this week I am featured on www.aleatoricart.com with my smoke photography as one of the so far 12 artists. The site and the man behind it, artist J. Coleman Miller, will promote Aleatoric Art to the art community starting from early 2009, and the site is being geared up to offer some visibility on our work.

Some of the text:

Take a deep breath of pure creativity as you venture into the smoky corners of the uniquely creative mind of Stoffel De Roover. Do not pass up this great opportunity to see one of the most basic elements of natural aleatoric composition rendered like you have never seen before. This artist proves that nobody does fractals like mother nature!
There are a lot of artists blowing smoke out there, but De Roover's level of abstraction, using little manipulation and employing creative use of titles, elevates his work to the realm of fine art.

and on the Artist Page:

The talented man at left is, at this point in time, floating in a creative
haze... One look at this artist's beautiful abstract prints will definitely put
you under the influence of his unique imagination.

In 2007, Stoffel was taken by surprise by a simple wisp of smoke he had
just photographed... There in the fog was the outline of a woman, the
first breathtaking image (and the catalyst) of the resulting onslaught of his
superbly crafted series of aleatoric artwork.

Addicted to his newfound palette of ever changing and never ending
content, the artist lit up the incense and snapped away, as nature herself
composed with a free hand. A true aleatoric artist never knows what his
next piece will be, and with subject matter ranging from beautiful
goddesses to scary creatures, this series is an incredible collection of
chance art that must be seen!

De Roover was born in Leuven, Belgium, where he began his studies. He
moved around, first to the Netherlands, then to the United States and on
to France where he lived for about 7 years, earning his MSc, before moving
with his wife and two children to Montreal in 2006, where he now resides.

Since he unveiled his Smoke Photography in 2007, De Roover's work has
been featured in SNAP Magazine, UK, a NYC restaurant, on Southern Rock
band Widespread Panic's T-shirts, and on LifeInTheFastLane.com, where
we at AleatoricArt found him. Learn more about this smokin' hot artist at
his website and blog by clicking HERE.

check out the Aleatoric Art website yourself!

Widespread Panic - my smoke photography for band's T

'Gemini' touring soon...

The southern rock / jam band Widespread Panic (sold over 3 million CD's) has purchased a license to print my smoke picture 'Gemini' on their t-shirts, to be sold on tour and probably on their website as well... From what I heard the picture will only be printed in women's t-shirts, so no luck for the guys.
More information soon, and a picture of the t-shirt as soon as it's ready!


more information on Widespread Panic: band's website and wikipedia

Ganesha - the Elephant-Headed God

As hinduism is one of the first religions to make use of insence to worship their gods, it shouldn't come as a surprise that in one of my latest smoke pictures I saw Ganesha, the elephant headed god, in a lotus position..
Then again, maybe you see something else? Maybe a one-seater couch with a heart as the back or pillow?

Mayan dancers...

A couple of weeks ago I took some pictures at a corporate event. As dinner started, a group performed some ritual Mayan (?) dance involving fire.. The dance and the performers were great to look at, even with one eye closed and the other looking through the viewfinder.. here are some of the pictures...

Photo Retouching Services

I now also offer retouching services.. so if you're a photographer needing a hand with some pictures, a model who wants to look better on some pictures (with permission of photographer), or someone who needs a hand in making those 'nice pictures' into 'great pictures', I can help!
Have a look at some retouching examples here...


Photographer: Satu Photography / Model: Samantha Green (MM 96497)

Facebook Group

For those of you who have facebook, and like my photography... now is a good time to Join my Facebook Group

Smoke Photography Exhibition coming up...

A selection of 12 works of my smoke photography will be exhibited in a new, smokin' hot restaurant in Manhattan. The pictures, ranging from 10x15 inches to 20x30 inches in size, matted and framed, will be for sale on location.
The restaurant will open soon, more details to follow!