Capturing the Elegance of Flowers in Ice

During the gloomy winter days, I dive into a project that adds a burst of colour to the season. This winter marked my third exploration into the enchanting world of “Frozen Flowers.” Frozen flower photography is a unique and creative technique where flowers or other natural elements are preserved in ice and then photographed. This process captures the delicate beauty of the flowers suspended in time, with the ice adding a translucent, ethereal quality. Though it’s a challenging and experimental process, finding the ideal flowers and perfecting the freezing technique turns this venture into a unique and captivating form of photographic art. I hope you like this and perhaps might like to give it a go. Here are some key things to keep in mind when trying to photograph frozen flowers.

Have fun!

1. Arranging Flowers

• Preparation: select flowers that will look beautiful when frozen.
• First, remove extra leaves and damaged petals from stems
• Considerations might include colour, structure, and texture.
• When arranging flowers, think about their shape and size.

2. Freezing Process

• Freezing your flowers completely can take up to 24 hrs or more, depending on the size of your container. Freeze it the day before you want to photograph it. Sometimes I use the garage outside as my fridge in winter.
• The flowers are typically placed in a container or mold, and water is then poured over them to create the ice. The water can be clear or slightly cloudy, depending on the water used in the freezing process. I prefer to use distilled water to get a nice clear look.
• Anchoring your flowers: Once you’ve selected your container, fill it with a ¼ to 1/2 inch of water.
• Be careful not to add too much water at first, as the flowers may float.

• The aim is to add just enough water to keep the flowers in place and prevent them from shifting.

• Care must be taken to freeze the water slowly, as rapid freezing can cause air bubbles and cracks that may distort the visual effect.
• The flowers can be placed in the ice in different ways: completely submerged, partially visible, or suspended in various layers of frozen water.

3. Aesthetic Qualities

• The ice itself adds a variety of textures and effects, such as reflections, refracted light, and softening the colours of the flowers. The ice can make the image appear dreamlike or otherworldly.
• The colours of the flowers can be enhanced or muted, depending on how the ice interacts with light.
• The use of light plays a significant role in frozen flower photography, with backlighting or side lighting often used to highlight the transparency and intricacies of the ice.

4. Photography Techniques

• Macro Photography: Given the delicate nature of the flowers and the ice, I like to use a macro lens to capture intricate details.
• Lighting: Backlighting or side lighting is commonly used to create contrast and bring out the details of the flowers and the ice. The ice itself can act as a lens, bending and diffusing light in interesting ways. I use a home-made light box made from a cardboard box and white linen cloth. I also use side lighting. Another option is taking your flower in ice to the window and use natural light.
• Shallow Depth of Field: A shallow depth of field is often used to blur the background and focus the viewer’s attention on the flowers and ice, enhancing their delicate appearance.

• After you’ve captured some satisfying shots from above, move the container to a warmer area to help loosen the ice and keep shooting. Photograph the frozen flowers as the ice begins to melt.
• You can speed things up with a hairdryer if you like. As the ice melts and partially exposes the leaves, you’ll capture a variety of different images.

5. Symbolism

• Frozen flowers can symbolize preservation, fragility, or the passage of time. They can also evoke a sense of impermanence, as the flowers will eventually fade or deteriorate once removed from the ice.

• Occasionally, certain flowers may exhibit browning after the freezing process. If this is undesirable, consider converting the image to black and white or adding a colour tint to mitigate the impact of the discoloration.

• The contrast between the cold, hard ice and the softness of the flowers can also carry emotional or symbolic significance.

6. Practical Considerations

• Temperature Control: It’s essential to keep the flowers cold to maintain the frozen effect throughout the shoot. This can be tricky, as melting ice can distort the photograph.
• Photography Equipment: Because this type of photography often takes place in a controlled, still environment, stable tripods and camera settings are needed to ensure sharpness and consistency. I experiment with f/2.8 shallow depth of field and also f/11 for larger depth of field.

• I like to use a small flexible tripod with manual focusing on the camera.

7. Editing Your Images

I edit in Photoshop, but the slider settings in Lightroom are essentially the same.

• I generally bring images into Camera Raw and do some basic adjustments
• In PS I adjust the highlights and shadows and I might bring out the clarity and vibrance
• A little cropping if necessary, and I’m off to the races.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve grasped some basic techniques, feel free to experiment with various combinations of flowers, containers, backgrounds, and more. With just a few simple utensils from the kitchen, you can quickly start crafting beautiful works of art. Let your creativity flow and enjoy the process!

The Finishing Touch

For this “Frozen Flower” collection, I decided to use the Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Metallic paper. This silvery-shimmering FineArt inkjet paper was perfect to bring out the vibrancy of the frozen flowers. The natural white cotton paper contains no optical brighteners and has the characteristic Photo Rag ® surface structure and sumptuous feel. The Photo Rag ® Metallic is an acid and lignin-free paper and meets the most exacting requirements in terms of age resistance, which I love! Give it a try – you’ll love it.

Ps – I do “Frozen Flower” photo workshop sessions for many camera clubs, if you are interested, drop me a line at – info@photographyadventures.ca

Have fun!

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