Diamonds in Ice

Sometimes you happen to be outside by accident when the lighting is just right, making an everyday scene look magnificent. This was one of those times when I shot several great macro images.

And the reason I had to be outdoors?

My dog asked to "go to the bathroom!" I never thought I'd say this on such an occasion, but: "Thank you, dog!"

Winter's Golden Hour

The golden hour is every photographer's best friend that offers the most aesthetically pleasing natural lighting for almost any kind of image-taking, including portraiture. Even during generally colorless winters (those occasionally brilliant skies notwithstanding), this is the time that makes the most seemingly bland subjects—like snow on a branch—appear majestic.

Winter's Way

Winter's everyday is when naturally black and white scenery suddenly gets a burst of color—whether in those clouds that rapidly dissipate revealing brilliant blue of the sky above, in the shadows on the snow beneath your feet, or even in a simple road sign marking your path ahead. 

And nowhere are these transmutations as obvious as in landscapes of that very everyday—not of the stunning valleys and lakes you'd observe from the equally stunning mountain peaks, but of your daily walk often accompanied by your trusty canine.

Why?

Because it is when you least expect to be in awe—being in your familiar, even boring, landscape—that these minute changes strike you the most. 

Especially through the camera lens or even that of a smartphone, as was the case here.