This little oak shoot was springing up through the grass and I was surprised to see it because the oak tree I have in my garden has already shed all of its leaves.
I love the frosty coating and close up it looks like tiny grains of salt or icing sugar.
An otherwise plain fern has a magical appearance courtesy of sub zero temperatures, a little shade, and some added sparkle from a hand held torch.
I haven't been able to get out with my camera for a little while because I haven't been feeling too well, or when I have had the chance to get out the weather hasn't really been good enough, or more importantly the light just hasn't been right.
Earlier this week as I was out driving for work I could see the Cumbrian fells were covered with snow and so I decided that when the weekend arrived I would head up to the lakes. Yesterday morning there was a beautiful sunrise and a decent frost so I thought that was a good sign and I was excited at the prospect of getting out. This morning however there was a thick fog so the idea of a long drive through the fog didn't seem too appealing and I decided to go somewhere closer to home; the lakes will have to wait.
It was still dark when I left the house and I started with some nice shots of the local roads lit by street lighting shrouded in mist, then I went on to West Kirby and photographed the marine lake before heading for higher ground at Thurstaston. When I got there there was another photographer setting up his tripod in readiness for the sunrise, he had a great spot and I am sure that he will have got some nice images.
I think I was also well rewarded for my efforts with a variety of pictures from across the common and as always I am excited to be able to share them with you.
Today's picture is actually one of the last ones I took as I walked back to my car. I noticed a patch of bracken which was lit up by the rising sun and so stepped off the path to have a closer look and then I saw the burst of light through the trees, I have to say that this is one of my favourite pictures and I will be printing this one and framing it to go on my wall.
Today's views were taken around 8am as the sun was rising behind Park Nab. I walked up from the farm in the valley and in the shade it was really cold and in the shade of the hill I never fully warmed up. However as I got to the top the effort was rewarded with these spectacular views into Kildale framed to the left by the North York Moors and in the far distance the Pennines.
The second shot is of Park Nab and you can see the frosty path leading up to it and the glow of the morning sun behind.
Just this one picture for today as it is my favourite shot from my frosty morning walk last weekend. This tiny little plant (no bigger than a penny) would have been easily overlooked but for the sugary coating and up close I think it makes a great picture.
As with yesterday's images today's shots were taken on Saturday in Preston and before the sun melted the frost I captured the minute crystals on the top of a couple of fence posts. Enlarged here you can see the intricate structure of each unique little shard which in reality were barely more than one or two millimeters tall. You can also see that while from a distance the frost looks like a white carpet it is in fact totally clear.
Over night much of the country had a decent fall of snow but yesterday, before the snow, everywhere was covered in a heavy frost. I had an interesting couple of hours taking pictures in and around Preston's Miller Park and Avenham Park. It was really cold but the frost disappeared very quickly even in the weak winter sun so I was lucky to get these shots.
Barbed wire might seem an odd subject for a picture but with the frost it becomes a really interesting image, at least I think so.
The second image of the new bud caught my eye with its dusting frost which close up looks almost like salt or sugar.
I have more frosty pictures to share but will save them for later in the week.
Having spent most of the week on the beach I have moved inland now, to Delamere Forest to be exact. These pictures were taken on New Years Eve 2008 and were among the first taken with my canon 450D. As you can see it was a particularly cold and frosty morning with a thick coating of frost on just about everything. There was mist hanging in the air creating a slightly eerie backdrop to everything and robbing things of colour. The robin in the second photo was just about the only colourful thing to be seen.
I love getting out in all weathers and in every season and these pictures show that there is so much beauty in all conditions. Tomorrow I will have a few more pictures from this session which I hope you will enjoy too.
