Wave

This is a heavy crop of a smoke photo I took last year. It looks

like it has been manipulated in PS, but it has not (see original

below). It is not really big enough for a good-sized print, but it

works for the web.

This is the image this was cropped from.

Why not just simply rotate the entire original, and keep all that other beatiful smoke within the frame? I love the original, and I think your "wave" idea might still work if you rotate the full original and perhaps make some minor cropping adjustments.

This double spiral is beautiful but cropped unconvincingly. You could crop a more proportionate (wider) rectangle or perhaps square out of your photo with this very motive, leaving more space around the double spiral, and positioning it either in the center or asymetrically. I could even imagine a slight crop on the actual right side (to shorten the line becoming horizontal). That would make a bigger accent on the double spiral what you chose the main subject of your photo. Such unproportionate crops always seem to be a last attempt to save a spoiled photo - at least for me. A not so tight crop would be convincing. Best regards.

I like it the way it is. Amazing tonality, soft shadows and gracious curves. Who would ever think that smoke could be so beautiful.

As per your suggestions here is an alternative crop.