The Incredibly Beautiful Fern Frost
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A visit by Jack Frost makes a cold winter morning very special and has me reaching for my camera.
The patterns that form on glass can be breathtakingly beautiful, I have tried to capture that beauty in my photos and found it very challenging!
'Fern frost' is beautiful patterns of ice crystals that form on glass, they create intricate patterns that look like fern.
To my delight, Jack Frost must have paid particular attention to my greenhouse, every pane of glass had been decorated!
But photographing glass with the sun shining brightly isn’t easy! The photos haven’t totally captured the truly exquisite spectacle before me.
The day before I took these photos the temperatures dropped and we had some snow. During the evening the temperature increased and it began to rain, then through the night the temperatures dropped again. The perfect conditions for a fern frost.
The droplets of water on the cold glass turn to ice and more moisture freezes on top. Gradually more ice crystals form and the frost develops into shapes. These shapes are feather like and as they build up they eventually look like fern.
To create this effect the glass needs to be clean. As the droplets of water build up and are un-impeded by surface debris, they grow into patterns of graceful ethereal feathers and ferns.
Initially a seeding crystal, hexagon in shape starts the pattern, catching onto an imperfection in the glass, such as a scratch. The water droplets very quickly attach themselves, preventing more seeding crystals to form, allowing the pattern to form and continue growing.
Even with time, surely no machine or man, could reproduce such detail and precision. These patterns appear so complex and regular, the detail so fine, that it’s almost incomprehendable that it can emerge in such a short time.
As I was taking the photos I could hear the drip, drip of the thaw. Yet again, I felt humbled and privileged to witness this brief glimpse of nature's beauty and magnificence. An hour later it was gone.
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Movie Master your photographs are exquisite. I don’t know that I have seen anything as stunning. These are contest winners for sure.
Incredibly beautiful is right! Love it. Have a blessed day!
Good Morning Sunnie, the patterns were so beautiful the photos don't really do them justice, it was challenging photography!!
Have a wonderful day and many thanks for stopping by, best wishes Lesley
Morning Mike, thank you for your fabulous comments - you've made my day - hope you enjoy yours and see you soon, Lesley
Hi shimmering Dawn, many thanks for stopping by and your lovely comments, have a wonderful day and take care, best wishes Lesley
Of course, you will frame a series of these in black frames for your hallway....love love love.
up beautiful awesome
How beautiful! it reminds me of ferns growing under the sea, isn't nature wonderful? thanks for sharing! nell
What a great Photographer you are Lesley! I have very much enjoyed all the photos. Thank you so much for sharing all the wonderful stuff. I keep looking at your Hub score and wonder why it is not heating 100? I really don't know how it works but I keep my fingers crossed.
Best Wishes to you my dear Friend. Take care, Kamalesh
Building on anndavis25's idea, you might offer matted ready to frame prints on the webpage. If you thought it fit your business model.(and ready to frame so you don't have to mail 'glass'
I think you did a great job of photographing MM.
Hi Ann, I love your idea, many thanks for your comments, votes and idea, I'm off to do some printing, black frames will be perfect!
Best wishes Lesley
Hi Kamalesh, the hubber score is a bit of a mystery to me! I managed '99' once!
Thank you as always for your continued support and comments, they are always much appreciated, best wishes Lesley
Hi Nell, yes nature is wonderful and offers so many photograph opportunities! I'm so pleased you enjoyed these photos, many thanks for your comments, take care Lesley
Hi Mike, this is something I had never considered before - now you've got me thinking....
Thank you for being 'you'
Hi Paddy, it's always good to see you, I hope all is well with you, glad you enjoyed the photos!
Take care and best wishes Lesley
Lesley, Yes, fern frost is "incredibly beautiful." You're so fortunate that nature chose the vast palette of every single pane of your greenhouse. Nature must have known that you would capture this ephemeral, exquisite perfection in beautiful memorials.
Kind regards, Stessily
Dear Lesley,
Even the coldest surface is rife with passion and feeling. This photography is hauntingly exquisite and very expressive. Voted UP & Beautiful.
Hugs, mar.
Wow! You did a great job of capturing these fern frost images. Some of the photos actually look like you were taking pictures of cut glass bowls (particularly the one you took with the violet filter.)
It's amazing how intricate these designs are. Voted up across the board except for funny.
Lesley, Your photos are spectacular!! Oh how i wish i had your knowledge about photography. It must be so much fun to create beauty, who would think frost could be so beautiful? Thank you my friend..
How lovely the frost photos you have captured are. It does bring back memories of being a child with no heating in some of the rooms and waking to see patterns like that on the inside of the windows. You had to scrape it away to look out and see if it had snowed. But the patterns in the frost looked so beautiful that you did not want to spoil them. Lovely page.
Wow....wow...this was so beautiful, Lesly. I can't say anything until I finished explore all pictures here. You have done a great job. Rated up and awesome. God bless you!
Love and peace, Prasetio
MovieMaster! Your creativity never ceases to amaze me. Wow!!!!
How beautiful and of course every photographer's dream to find something like this. A starking beauty I would have called it and like snowflakes there will never be more exactly like it. I know I don't even have to say how much I appreciate your art, but I do and I always look forward to more you have done. (Your photography of course.)
I don´t think I´ve ever seen more beautiful photographs of frosted glass, than these.
You obviously have a gift of understanding the right angle, right light....... Absolutely wonderful.
These are beautiful photos, Lesley. You've captured some intricate and amazing patterns! Thank you once again for sharing your artistry.
Wow -- it looks almost like engraved silver. Magical! Congratulations on some truly amazing work.
I remember seeing these beautiful creations as a young girl growing up in the snowbelt up north. I used to trace over them with my finger and loved feeling the cold icy texture against my skin. You have captured the beauty of this natural phenomena and have left us breathless. Thanks for posting these photos and the trip down memory lane.
These are great photos Movie Master! Awww I wish I lived in a place where it snowed more.
Hi Stessily, I wish it could have been a permanent feature on my greenhouse! but capturing the beauty in photos was the next best thing!
Many thanks for visiting and your comments, best wishes Lesley
Hi Maria, capturing a beautiful nature moment in photography is my favourite passion!!
I'm so pleased you enjoyed the photos, many thanks for the votes, have a wonderful day and take care, Lesley
Hello Gail, that's just what the patterns reminded me of - cut glass!
Thank you so much for visiting, your comments and votes they are much appreciated, best wishes Lesley
Hello Ruby, I don't really have much photography knowledge - but I am learning all the time! taking the photos and sharing them with you has given me so much pleasure!
Many, many thanks for your comments, best wishes Lesley
Hi 2uesday, I can remember having no central heating and the inside of the windows being frozen! and like you the frost patterns use to fascinate me then!
Many thanks for your comments, enjoy your day, Lesley
Hi prasetio, wow! thank you for your wonderful comments! best wishes Lesley
Hi Dex my friend, I hope all is well with you, many thanks for your great comments, enjoy your day and take care Lesley
Hello Jackie, thank you so much for your very kind comments, your words mean a great deal to me!
Have a wonderful day, best wishes Lesley
Hi Dim, taking these photos were a little challenging!!
I'm so pleased you enjoyed them, many thanks for your comments, take care Lesley
Hi Alicia, I really enjoyed taking these photos, that's what I love about photography, the patterns quickly disappeared but the moment is preserved!
Thank you for visiting and your comments, have a wonderful day!
Hello Molly, yes the patterns look engraved into the glass - I was almost surprised when it disappeared!
Thank you for your very kind comments, they are much appreciated, best wishes Lesley
Hi teaches12345, thank you for visiting and your comments, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the photos and they bought back special memories.
Best wishes Lesley
Hi StellaSee, many thanks for stopping by and your comments, they are much appreciated, I'm glad you enjoyed the photos, best wishes Lesley
Oh MM, your photos tantalise my mind. I just love your fern frost moments, I appreciate the difficulty in capturing this amazing sight and your photos are amazing. These finely etched masterpieces could never be created by man and thats why I believe true art only ever exists in nature and all we can do is imitate it. Just beautiful, I am book marking this hub, cos I want to take this in again and again. Your photos are very, very exciting, you must have been trembling as you took them and not just from the cold :) My votes to you MM, your photography excites and inspires me. (I really like the green and violet filtered images, but love them all)
Hi Annie, I love your new profile pic - I think maybe it's time I changed mine...
You seem to understand me so well - yes I was very excited taking these photos, I can't even begin to describe the pleasure I get from photographing nature and sharing the photos here on hubpages and getting such wonderful encouraging and complimentary comments.
Thank you so much, best wishes Lesley
Wow, I never knew you could get so many distinctly different effects with filters! This is incredible; I love looking at frost patterns (from the safety of a warm house!)
Hello Donna, I have never tried photo filters before - I liked the green one best!
Thank you for stopping by and your comments, have a lovely day, best wishes Lesley
Good Morning, MM. You always inspire me to do more with my lowly photography. These photos are absolutely beautiful. They should be saved and framed for all time so others could appreciate them.
Good Morning Mary, that's just great to know I inspire you! thank you for your lovely comments, have a wonderful day and take care best wishes Lesley
How strange I could have sworn that I had commented on this one,but never midn better late than never.
This hub is tuly beautiful Lesley and shows what an amazing photographer you are as well as a writer.
This one has to be awarded my up up and away.
Take care and enjoy your day.
Eddy.
Oooh-La-La, MM. Yes, it's one of nature's beautiful tricks, if the conditions are just right. You've captured these beautifully. I can attest to the difficulty of capturing 'fern frost', and getting the light to shine through at just the right angle to give it contrast and a three-dimensional quality. Nicely done.
These are amazing and breathtaking. I have seen some frost designs but never anything this detailed and complete. These need to be in a book somewhere!
Hello Eddy, many thanks for your lovely comments and votes, it's always great to see you! take care Lesley
Hi timorous, yes the fern frost is quite magical, I wish it had stayed around a little longer so I could have persevered at getting better photos - thank you for stopping by and your great comments, they are much appreciated, best wishes Lesley
Hello Hyphenbird, the patterns were so breathtakingly beautiful, I wish they could be a permanent feature to the greenhouse!
Many thanks for visiting and your lovely comments, take care Lesley
Movie Master, what beautiful pieces of art the fern frost created. Your pictures are awesome. Thank you so much for sharing. Up and awesome.
Hi KoffeeKlatch Gals, thank you for visiting, your comments and votes they are much appreciated, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the photos!
Best wishes Lesley
Wow, these photos are simply amazing and a work of art!
Thanks for sharing them. Take Care :)
Angel
Hello Angel, I wish the patterns were a permanent feature - they were so beautiful to look at!
I'm so pleased you enjoyed the photos, thank you and take care, Lesley
Lesley, the photos you took are breathtakingly beautiful. I am so glad you caught the ice ferns at just the right time and that you shared them with us. Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. You are fantastic with your photography!
voted up, awesome, beautiful
Hello Phyllis, thank you for your wonderful kind comments and votes, they are very much appreciated.
I really enjoyed taking these photos, although capturing the beauty of the patterns was certainly a challenge!
Have a good week, take care, best wishes Lesley
Beautiful sight! I think you did a great job photographing these. They are beautiful! Great hub, great job! Voted up and beautiful!
Hello sgbrown, thank you for stopping by and your wonderful comments and votes:-)
Enjoy your day and take care, Lesley
Gorgeous! What a treat for you to wake up to. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Deborah, yes it was a real delight to wake up to - I was so excited - I just couldn't grab my camera quick enough:-)
Many thanks for your comments, best wishes Lesley
Lesley, wow! Your stunning pictures are a piece of beautiful art. Just so beautiful!!
Hello SanneL, thank you so much for your wonderful comments!
Have a beautiful day and best wishes Lesley
Sunnie Day Level 8 Commenter 3 months ago
Good Morning Lesley,
What a beautiful pictures to capture. One more reason to be in awe of mother nature and her perfect gifts. I loved this! You capture the most wonderful, simple pleasures. Thank you so much for sharing!
Sunnie