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You could be forgiven for thinking these images are futuristic designs for a science fiction film, or creatures from the deep - but they are in fact plumes of smoke.

A German photographer captured the swirling, intricate movements of cigarette smoke as it travelled through the air in his studio in Dusseldorf.

Some of his images look like sea creatures, one resembles a foetus, while another looks like a trumpet.

Dusseldorf-based Thomas Herbrich attached a burning cigarette to a tripod in front of a black background. He set up a high-speed flash and fired shots at 1/10,000 frames a second. This made it possible to capture the shapes made by the smoke as it travelled into the air, such as this shot that resembles a sea creature

To achieve the effect, Mr Herbrich attached a burning cigarette to a tripod in front of a black background.

He then set up a high-speed flash, which was held by his brother Markus, and fired shots at 1/10,000 frames a second.

This made it possible to capture the shapes made by the smoke as it travelled into the air.

'I have always been fascinated by cigarette smoke', Mr Herbrich said.

'You watch it rising and making the most superb shapes. I was very surprised by how extremely quickly smoke moves. It's easier to photograph a racing car.

'The rising of smoke is actually so quick that conventional flash equipment is too slow, as is the photographer.

The left-hand image looks similar to a foetus, while the right-hand shot resembles a spine. During the process, Mr Herbrich had to keep ventilating the room due to the build-up of smoke.He also had to clear the air so only the individual smoke trails were visible, and not hidden in a cloud of smog

In total, Mr Herbrich took more than Mr Herbrich took 100,000 images, burning through 600 cigarettes, roughly 15 to 20 each session, over three months. This shot resembles a trumpet

'Only a few milliseconds pass between recognition of the subject and the taking of the shot, a length of time in which the smoke has already changed again.'

During the process, Mr Herbrich had to keep ventilating the room due to the build-up of smoke.

He also had to clear the air so only the individual smoke trails were visible, and not hidden inside a cloud of smog.

In total, Mr Herbrich took 100,000 images, burning through 600 cigarettes, roughly 15 to 20 each session, over three months.

He then selected the best 20 for his Smoke exhibition at an art fair in Cologne.

'I tried to cool down the smoke, which makes it slower, but it looked poor,' Mr Herbrich continued. 'Often there was one good looking smoke-line, but another was behind it. Or the scene was too busy.

Swirling cylinders of the smoke are pictured. Of the thousands of images, Mr Herbrich selected the best 20 for his Smoke exhibition at an art fair in Cologne

Many of the images took on almost human form, such as the left-hand image that looks like a face in profile or a brain scan. While the right-hand image looks like the flames of a candle or a lightbulb. 'What I like most is an elegant figure – the pure picture of a simple turbulence,' said Mr Herbrich

'My photography often pushes the limits of what is possible, but in spite of all computer techniques also many very simple tricks are applied.

'What I like most is an elegant figure – the pure picture of a simple turbulence. My motto is "Surprise yourself – and your audience", it is essential to surprise yourself first!' 

Mr Herbrich learned photography in an advertising studio, mainly taking product shots. 

After watching Stanley Kubrick's 2001 - A Space Odyssey, he said 'the beauty and magic of this film threw me right out of the web' and he decided to expand his portfolio. 

He has also produced special effects for movies by Metropolis director Roland Emmerich.

Mr Herbrich learned photography in an advertising studio, mainly taking product shots. After watching Stanley Kubrick's 2001 - A Space Odyssey, he said 'the beauty and magic of this film threw me right out of the web' and he decided to expand his portfolio. This smoke image resembles a helter skelter

Mr Herbrich has also produced special effects for movies by Metropolis director Roland Emmerich. This smoke image looks like a sperm, or a worm