For those of you who have cool winters it might not seem special but frost here on the Mediterranean is rare, and when it comes it melts away so fast. Through a camera lens the magic of frost crystals is clear to be seen and so beautiful. It’s great fun photographing the frost in the sun.
Two weeks ago we had a series of cold nights. One morning the alarm sounded its familiar short bleep. It’s was still dark and no light filtered through the curtains. Mind heavy with sleep at first I couldn’t remember what day it was or why I had set the alarm! Does that ever happen to you?!
I look out the window between the curtains. A huge, yellow moon looked at my window from just above the hill tops. It looked heavy and burdened as if only just managing to tread water in a black sky.
It’s Saturday, you’re hoping for frost. Oh yes!
I jump out of bed, wondering if I’ll be lucky and wrapped a long, knitted cardigan round me, a mottled, old favourite I commandeered as a dressing gown. Slippers on. Grasping the wool sides shut I open the front door and run up the short garden path in the dark to the gate. For the third time that week I opened the tall gate gingerly, hoping nobody was up and about early. Assured nobody can see me I run to the car in front and slide an index finger over the screen. Disappointed at first, the screen looks wet as if it has been raining, but then I touch it, no, brilliant! my finger glides over an uneven surface of ice. It’s perfect. I run back in and get dressed with layers of clothes and we head off, no time for breakfast, to capture those ice crystals in the first rays of sun.
We drive to the places where we can see the frost in the sunshine, happy for new views and peaceful chunks of countryside we have never seen, always remembering that the frost falls in the dips, where the cold air silently sinks in the night. When I first started these hunts for frost I thought to look on the the top of the hill where it might logically seem a degree colder. On the northern slopes here of course the frost hangs around for longer but the trick with the camera is to find the frost in the sun, which means I’ve learnt a lot about the lie of the land, about the paths of the sun and the moon, about the compass and it’s secrets. But that’s about all, find the ice in the sun and any camera will do. It’s dazzling. Priceless jewels lasting maybe only minutes or hours bring the camera alive.
I thought, I must look like a real nutter!! That’s why I wrote this. You have moments when you see yourself being silly. If I were a drone looking down I would be laughing. A drone’s eye view. Running out into the street in pyjamas when it’s still night, to stroke a windscreen?? What’s more, everyone comes here from the city at the weekend in the search for blue skies to enjoy any warmth from the winter sun but I get up early heading in the opposite direction!
Everyday for a week I checked the same. Frost hunting. I suppose it’s only like skating, skiing, where you love the freeze. In my case it’s the camera that lures me to the jewels of dawn. I think we all do silly things from time to time. These things make us, us. Who wants to change the silly bits is missing some of the fun…We all have our loves.
That day I actually arrived early, so early the brand new state-of-the-art, giant road gritter was still spinning salt around the roads. There was some daylight in the valley and yet I could still see the stars. As the camera knows very well, it’s the blue hour. The roads were empty, everyone asleep. I love that calm in the air before sunrise.
When I parked these rose-hip beauties were ready. Dressed up to the nines. Sparkling fine dowries, fit for dawn.
I got my things, camera, hat, gloves, keys and knelt so close that I could see their lashes. Just low enough to catch their wishes.
I wondered what they would make of me. Perhaps they think I pray. That’s fine, they can be my religion anyway, with their powers to placate.
I worked fast against the sun before they’d abdicate. They are so tiny and elegant and as permanent as the moon.
And so I thought, I shall make the most of all of them in case they don’t return so soon.
