Ice Dragons

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
1

Image(s)

Ice Dragon 1
Ice Dragon 12000×1334 550 KB

Ice Dragon 2.jpg
Ice Dragon 2.jpg2000×1334 524 KB

Image Description

I found this Ice Dragon in the ice on my backyard water feature after an overnight freeze. As I watched it melted and changed shape, with its shape often enhanced by the brief capture of bubbles floating by on the flowing water. #1 is the earliest view, where the dragon looks fiercer. The tiny bubble forming the eye in #2 was as interesting addition, even though the dragon has lost it’s lower jaw.

Feedback Requests

There are some subtle colors from a optical phenomenon called Birefringence, but they’re not the main theme here.

Pertinent Technical Details

R5. 180 mm macro, 1/125 s, iso 3200, f/10, tripod and polarizer. Needed the speed to slow the movement of the bubbles.

3 Likes
2

Nice find - I love the detail, color and the Birefringence you captured.

Taking photos of ice formations is like a box of chocolates. :slight_smile:

3

Great color in this image. Very interesting that the frozen bubbles would morph and change this way.

4

They do look like dragons, Mark. Wonderful colors and shapes in the ice.

5

Fascinating, and almost bug-like. (I need to quit thinking small and go for bigger analogies like the dragon you saw :grinning:) You really are a master of these Mark, keep them coming.

6

Chris, the bubbles were not frozen, they were floating on the water getting trapped between the water and the ice, so they moved as well as coming and going. I have some views without any bubbles, but they lack the interesting texture.