Photographing Snowflakes on Ice
We have some flower pots on the deck that I have been mostly unsuccessful at keeping anything alive in. One in particular has a tendency to fill up with rain water, and a couple of years ago some bluebirds started treating it as a bird bath. Since then it has become a hangout spot for all kinds of other birds as well, such as cedar waxwings, cardinals, mockingbirds, and robins. I’ve seen all of those and more out there over the past few weeks.
In the summertime I worry about the standing water being a breeding ground for mosquitos. In the winter, though… Last year I discovered by chance that the “bird bath” does something does something kind of magical when it snows. Under the right circumstances—if the water freezes and then it snows—snowflakes stick to the surface of the ice and stay there frozen in place. Then you have perfect, beautiful flakes to observe and photograph. It won’t work if you get a really clumpy snow that comes down really fast (covering itself as quickly as it falls), but for the days when you get snow flurries, it is so neat.
We had our first flurries of the season this morning, and as I was getting my breakfast I could see through the kitchen window that the water had frozen and that there were maybe some snowflakes on the ice. I practically dropped my cereal bowl as I ran out there with my phone to take some pictures. Once again I was in awe. I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling that way when I see snowflakes. I certainly hope I won’t.
It was just barely below freezing this morning, and it’s a few degrees above right now, so I couldn’t try to preserve any. (You can read about how I do that HERE.) I took as many pictures as I could though. There weren’t nearly as many snowflakes as the last time, but I got a few pretty pictures to add to my collection.
So far I have not used any fancy camera equipment to take snowflakes photos. I use my phone on 2x (2.5x on my new phone) zoom. Once I have some good photos that are in focus, I crop them down to see more detail. If I’m outside while it’s snowing I will take pictures of the flakes on my black coat or whatever I’m wearing, but I also enjoy having the opportunity to take pictures when I have both hands free. That’s what this gives me.
I have a plan for the next time snow is in the forecast. I’m going to put a bowl of water on the table on our deck in the hopes that the water will freeze and it’ll collect snowflakes. I’ll make sure it’s a plastic bowl that won’t crack when the water freezes, and then we’ll see what happens!
If you have an actual bird bath and live in a snowy climate, check it out next time it snows. If you decide to set out a bowl to see what you can capture, please let me know. I’d love to see what you get.
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
