A candle votive, tealight candle within, votive covered with leaf veins.
No special technique, just trial-and-error shooting until I got one I liked.
Using a tripod and remote allows me to use any f-stop I want...and to compose better.
It also provides for the best clarity...except for where DOF effect is desired in the image.
I like using light to bring out texture and color in an image, often by trans-illuminating the scene.