Using a steady hand, an old mitten, and freshly falling snow, you can produce an image capable of sparking that childhood wonder in even the most jaded onlookers. Some people don’t believe my images are real, and that’s when I know I’ve created something worth talking about. Of course, some people simply think I’m crazy watching me take pictures of an old mitten in a snow storm.
Check out the complete gallery of nearly 200 snowflake images here
The entire crystal cannot be completely in focus in any one frame, so multiple images are used to put the final photograph together. 30-50 images on average are used in the creation of the snowflake photograph, though hundreds of images are taken to ensure that no slice of focus is missed. Each snowflake is shot entirely handheld, without the use of a tripod. The images are created outdoors in cold temperatures so the snowflakes do not melt, and only the freshest snow will do; Snowflakes that have been resting for even an hour will begin to lose their delicate crystalline features. Timing is everything!
Check out the 304pg hardcover snowflake book too – detailing all the science and techniques used in making these images.
Source: skycrystals.ca
Starburst Snowflake
Image by: donkom
This snowflake changed its growth pattern, resulting in two distinctly different branch styles in the same snowflake.
Crazy Colours
Image by: donkom
This snowflake is showcasing some awesome (and natural) colours. The colours are a result of thin film interference, the same phenomenon that puts colour in soap bubbles.
Double Decker
Image by: donkom
Snowflakes are almost always three-dimensional, and this image showcases that depth. the center of the crystal is growing on top of the rest!
Gigantic Symmetry
Image by: donkom
The bigger a snowflake is, typically the less symmetrical it becomes. Of course, there are exceptions to that rule: this is one of them.
Oddities in the ice
Image by: donkom
This snowflake is not what you’d expect – but the same – physics can create some truly bizarre crystals. Column-type crystals like this usually grow in warmer temperatures just below the freezing point.
Tiny Crystals
Image by: donkom
This snowflake is 0.9mm in diameter. Creating images at this scale pushes against the laws of physics – it’s the limit of what regular light can resolve. Even still, the details continue to a far more microscopic level.
Snowflake Quartet
Image by: donkom
These four crystals were attached, and show signs of colliding in mid-air at one point and continuing to grow together from there. Many of these crystals are very three-dimensional.
Dense Ice
Image by: donkom
Certain conditions in the clouds can create very dense crystal structures. These resulting snowflakes are beautiful, strong and somewhat symmetrical. They’re a rare find however!