Almost all digital cameras, even cheap pocket models, have a multishot mode ... so ... Somebody says "go", Barackula the Destroyer fires the gun, and the photographer trips the camera. One of the several frames from the multi-shot is a winner, almost every time. Sports photographers have been playing this game for decades. Even in the days of film, they used motor-drives to rapid-fire the camera.
I know.
I used to do high school sports photography as a paid hobby.
Well, that’s the point. Lots and lots of pictures to get the one they wanted. A staged event, even if it’s not photoshop job. Without the smoke there would be no proof the trigger was actually pulled.