Frost

About the Photograph

While it would be hard to pick a clear favourite among the seasons, I do very much enjoy the visual delights of landscape photography in the winter months.  The cooler temperatures can give Mother Nature some wonderful ingredients to work with at times and when the right blend of conditions comes together I like to head towards the Mackenzie Country.  Here, in the centre of the South Island, parts of the inland basin can lay blanketed for days under a layer of freezing cold fog.  The damp, freezing conditions are perfect for forming beautiful displays of icy crystals that cling to surfaces everywhere, transforming the countryside into a magical winter wonderland.

Following a couple of days of freezing fog and frosts and seeing a forecast for these conditions to continue that coincided with a couple of days off, I packed my gear and headed south arriving in Twizel in the early afternoon. To my disappointment (but to the locals’ relief I’m sure!) the afternoon sun had managed to warm up the area and disperse the fog, leaving a lovely soft haze lingering in the soft winter light of the afternoon sun.  I explored the area for a while before heading towards Lake Ohau to photograph the stars for the night. The next morning I headed back towards Twizel in the pre-dawn darkness and was soon enveloped in a layer of thick fog.

Alongside Lake Ruataniwha, I made breakfast while patiently waiting for sunrise and enough light to break through the fog so I could begin to photograph the scenes around me.  There was frost everywhere and the scenes were simply breath-taking.  Yet not a breath of wind could be felt and the thickness of the fog meant sounds felt distant and barely audible.  I could focus on the visual treats in front of me – a world of trees and grasses made of icy white crystals.  My favourite of the morning though was this scene – a simple reflection of a small island in Lake Ruataniwha.  The trees on the island are revealed just enough from the fog to see that their branches are coated in a layer of white frost before blending into the foggy background of the lake.  The lake itself is a beautiful pastel shade of turquoise-blue that smoothly fades into the fog above.

Every time I look at this image, it reminds me of how calm and peaceful it felt be there that morning (and yes, just a little bit chilly too!)  In my experience, scenes like this are rarely experienced, making them all the more unique and magical.

Image Details

Camera: Canon EOS 6D

Lens: Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L at 24mm

Exposure: f/11, 1.3s, ISO 100

Photographic prints of this image will only be available in this limited edition.  I do reserve the right to use the image for other purposes for example: calendars, books, greeting cards, postcards and other items of a similar nature.

Print Size

Image size: 14″ x 11″ / 355mm x 279mm

Your print will also include an additional white space border of approx. 1″ to allow for easy handling during the framing process.