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.