Abstract.We demonstrate optical trapping carbon nanoparticle agglomerations in the air employing photophoretic forces. Three types of laser beams were used for optical trapping: a focused Hermite-Gaussian laser beam (TEM 10 ), an optical bottle beam and a hollow optical beam generated by Bessel beams superposition. The experimental results for each of the laser beams types are shown. Description of trapping features in each case is shown. Perspectives of application for each type of laser beams for three-dimensional optical manipulation are discussed.