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Backyard Abstracts: Photos From My Ice Farming Operation

January 21, 2024 Sarah Marino

Over the last few years, we have occasionally put a tub of water in our backyard during colder weather to see if it might create some opportunities for photographing ice patterns. We never put much effort into this approach to photography because it seemed like we could usually find something more interesting in a natural setting. Enter Adam Gibbs and the preview pages for his new book, Land & Light. In one of the sample spreads, Adam shares a beautiful photo of frost patterns and describes the “ice farming” operation behind its creation.

This story made me decide to put a bit more effort into our own ice farming operation, especially since we were in the middle of a stretch of very cold weather. As I started experimenting with some new ideas, I hoped we might be able to create the conditions for frilly frost to form, like Adam showed in the photo in his book preview. Likely because of the humidity differences between damp Vancouver Island and dry southwestern Colorado, that frost never materialized as I had envisioned. With more experimentation, I eventually found an approach that created some tiny wild patterns.

This approach to photography isn’t typical for me since I much prefer finding all my subjects as they occur in nature without any involvement from me. With the photos in this post, I created some of the conditions for this ice to form but there is still significant randomness and unpredictability that makes this as fun and fulfilling as a purer form of nature photography. During our ice farming operations, we were surprised by the inconsistency of our results. On one morning, we went outside to check on our ice and even though the temperature was 22 degrees Fahrenheit, we did not have the expected patterns to photograph and the water we had set out was barely frozen. From one morning to the next, with the same setup and similar temperatures, the patterns would look entirely different.

Aside from setting out water to freeze overnight, all of the photos in this post follow my typical approach to nature photography. I photographed all of these subjects outside under natural light in the morning. I also used the same approach to composition that I do with any of my other photos of smaller scenes. I looked for pleasing sections of repetition, with an eye toward finding some sort of rhythm or dynamic flow through the scene. While most nature photographers will recognize some of these subjects as ice formations, there are a few photos in this set that get closer to a pure abstraction. As with other abstract subjects in nature, these are some of the qualities that I looked for as I was composing and processing the more abstract scenes in this set:

  • Obscured subject with an uncertain scale, presented with few context clues

  • Composition relies entirely on shapes, lines, repetition, and patterns instead of presenting the subject in a more literal, recognizable way

  • The scene relies on intangible qualities including mystery, prompting curiosity, or raising questions for the viewer

In terms of technique, I experimented with single exposures and focus stacking. In some cases, a single exposure looked most interesting because a single layer of the structures within the ice created the most visually appealing composition. In these circumstances, focus stacking introduced too many layers of patterns which confused the visual message. In other cases, focus stacking was essential for depth of field, or focus stacking brought visual complexity to the scene by making many layers visible in a way that I could not have achieved with a single exposure. As with photographing any small scene in nature, experimentation in the field (or the backyard) is helpful for offering a range of options once you sit down to process the files. This is especially true with focus stacked files since the strength of the composition often is not clear until I have merged the files.

My Canon R5 mirrorless camera also made the workflow for these photos much easier. I don’t know that I would have had the patience for focus stacking with a DSLR with this type of photography, especially given the very cold temperatures and lack of precision that comes with wearing gloves. With the R5, being able to zoom in and focus on tiny details in the viewfinder is helpful. Using focus peaking to find the closest part of the scene also removes a lot of trial and error. With tiny structures like these, figuring out which part of the scene is closest to your lens is not always straightforward--introduce focus peaking into the process and it becomes an easy operation that takes only a few additional seconds. The automatic focus bracketing process adds precision and rapidity to the photo-taking workflow, making the whole experience feel more fun and less technically arduous. The Canon RF 100mm macro lens also offers 1.4x magnification, allowing me to fill the frame with a smaller section of my subject than I could with a typical 1.0x macro lens. Every time I use this camera, I feel lucky to be photographing as a time when we have access to such great tools.

With the weather warming up, our ice farming operations are going on hiatus. Our successful experiments have given us the motivation to test some new ideas in the future. I appreciate Adam Gibbs for sharing information about his experience with ice farming since it motivated me to try harder than simply setting out my little tub of water. If you live in a colder climate and enjoy photographing abstract subjects, I encourage you to try your own ice farming. While this approach certainly is not a substitute for getting out into nature, it can provide an exciting way to spend a few cold mornings each winter.


Sarah Marino is a full-time photographer, nature enthusiast, and writer based in southwestern Colorado. In addition to photographing grand landscapes, Sarah is best known for her photographs of smaller subjects including intimate landscapes, abstract renditions of natural subjects, and creative portraits of plants and trees. Sarah is the author or co-author of a diverse range of educational resources for nature photographers on subjects including composition and visual design, photographing nature’s small scenes, black and white photography, Death Valley National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. Sarah, a co-founder of the Nature First Alliance for Responsible Nature Photography, also seeks to promote the responsible stewardship of natural and wild places through her photography and teaching.

In Field Practices, Nature Photography, Small Scenes, Winter Photography Tags Ice Abstracts
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