327: Pillars of Frost

Settings: f/5.6, 1/180, ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44M M42, 21mm extension, 1/4 flash (bounced.)

326: Berries, Frost & Leaves

Settings: f/11, 1/180, ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44M M42, 21mm extension, 1/4 flash (bounced.)

289: Frosted Chard

The frost is here again.
While I don't really like the cold, I appreciate how it creates pretty crystals of ice on things in the morning.

Settings: f/3.2, 1/100, ISO 200, P-FA 50mm. Monochrome conversion, curves adjustment and slight cropping.

064: Frost on a Crocus

A similar crocus plant as before, a bit further down the garden. This morning saw some frost, so there was a relatively rare opportunity to get some shots of frosty spring blooms.
Here is one of the better shots, cropped to 5:4 to neaten the composition.
Settings: f/4, 1/50 sec. ISO 200, 50mm M42, 29mm extension.

031: Frost Crystals

f/5.6, 1/40 sec. ISO 100, 50mm M42, 51mm extension.
This ice had formed on a dowel which protrudes slightly above the surface of a garden table. It was icier before I went indoors to get my camera and set up the lens, and I caught this not long before it disappeared in the morning sunlight. I could see it melting as I composed the shot, so I had to work quickly.
I have made myself a small bean bag for the very purpose of resting a camera on for difficult hand-supported shots, but this time I didn't have it with me so my wooly hat had to suffice. It was only just chunky enough when folded a couple of times and the camera needed more than a little hand support so I turned on shake reduction. I presume it did some good at 1/40 sec. as the image is just about acceptably sharp. I could have done with a tripod and a bit less direct sunlight. Turning up to ISO 200 wouldn't have hurt, either.

030: Black Radish

It won't be long before winter is over, but a few of these dark roots still lurk in the garden, refusing to be categorised easily in the kitchen. They are appreciated when cooked, but actually making the decision to prepare them is not a light one. Not only do they have to be banished from he bosom of the Earth but I need to consider a suitable way to cook them beforehand. Their hearty, robust nature [in structure and taste] does not sit well with many delicate, subtle ingredients. Their strength and stubbornness makes them probably the most wintry vegetable I can imagine.
But I can see at least a couple of these being roasted in the near future - so that's a plan already.

Photo settings were f/8, 1/100 sec. ISO 100. M42 50mm, 9mm extensions.
I haven't had much time or opportunity to take any genuinely decent photos today, but the frozen snow from yesterday added some interest to potential outdoor scenes. I think the radishes possess a great variety of textures and shapes, if not a great deal of colour. Spiky fresh leaves sit on top while gangly dead stems flop below them. An algal bloom encrusts the root tops, highlighting both the root's skin texture and the time it has spent in the ground. A scattering of crusty snow finishes off this picture - not a great image, but one that I can relate to.

004: Frosty Leaves

Frost fascinates me endlessly. It's a winter sprinkling of icing on the cake of the Earth. Not always welcome to some, but to me an opportunity to notice how so many forms (natural and atrificial) we normally pass by are transformed into objects of curiosity and awe. Ther earlier you go out to see it the better, but the approaching sun is also welcome for the light it contributes on the otherwise shadowy winter scenes.
In exchange for being freezing cold, we get in return a beautiful layer of ice encrusting every exposed surface. A lawn, once springy and green, is now a blueish crunchy mass that remembers our footfalls. A leaf becomes a microscopic crystal garden. A spider's web turns rigid as though it were glass.
This laurel leaf takes on a texture utterly unlike its normal smooth, waxy surface.
Gradually the sun will wipe across, highlighting the ice and enhancing its brilliance, its heat slowly erasing the frozen display like an invisible etch-a-sketch.

I thought it would be a good idea to link to this video, as it seems appropriate to what I just mentioned about ice melting. Though this is faster and rather disco-like. I like the visuals and music very much. Have a watch with a good pair of headphones.

According to the weather forecasts, a generous helping of snow is expected tonight and tomorrow.
I must remember to dial in at least +1EV so my results don't turn out grey.

002: The Ice Man

Behold, an ice man! Found standing on a frozen pot tray in the garden, how it formed is a mystery to me.
I fancy it shares an silhouette with Batman, if only it was opaque. It rained after I took this photo, so I expect it's metled now.

Ice photos are a good example of how still photography doesn't just capture a frame in time, but how it can preserve a seemingly evanescant form, albeit mummified in ones and zeros, coloured dyes or silver.

Did you know that black radishes taste just like Brussels sprouts when cooked? They're both winter brassicas...
I was very surprised by this, which I didn't notice until today. Have the frosts strengthened their flavour? Maybe it's because they're older roots, or maybe it's just because I cooked them differently. It was a curry today, before I just put them in stir-fries.
They could be an alternative to the sprout for Christmas dinner, if you can tear yourself away from tradition.