Ice, snow, frost. Waters wonderous winter forms.

…..And as Winter takes a Grip, of this quarter of year,
you’re torn as to whether to cry or to cheer.
As you play in the snow, in day and in night
as the retreating temperature, begins to bite…

-Brian F Kirkham

When the last of the salmon have gone and the autumn leaves have all fallen I love to explore and show water in another form. It doesn’t flow, I can’t swim in it, and it
barely supports any life, but it is sublime and delicate in so many ways.  The crystalline form of water, ice, holds many mysteries and beauty.

Late in the fall the first cold snaps occur and dress vegetation and other structures with a delicate frosting.

After several days of consistent minus degree temperatures the frost crystals take on some fantastic shapes.

As winter progresses lakes and river begin to freeze. Slow trickling water courses freeze solid and become stuck in time. Larger waterfalls coat surrounding vegetation and rocks with clear rime ice.

Thick ice forms over small lakes. Air bubbles encapsulated in the ice make for interesting images

On sunny days I like to head out with my camera and capture the intricate beauty of these landscapes, from the tiny to the vast. I generally use a couple of macro lenses for closeup of ice crystals, telephoto and wideangle for larger landscape views.

Not much life lives in ice besides some species of bacteria but the changes brought about to the landscape offers wildlife a chance explore and seek out new areas and be forced to adapt.