12 Macro Photographs By Alexey Kljatov Capturing The Delicate Intricacy Of Snowflakes

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Alexey Kljatov has an exceptionally keen talent for capturing the intricate beauty of snowflakes where others could only see a speckle of frozen water. While you may have heard that every snowflake is unique, how often do we examine it under high magnification? Thankfully, Alexey has taken on this unique hobby and shares the amazing photos he captures with his viewers who wouldn't have a chance to witness this magnificence up close otherwise.  Alexey tells us that he, “is lucky to live in a cold climate with long, snowy winters”, and as such, was constantly exposed to views of falling snow from his balcony, which he deems is a “great place to photograph.” He states that his passion for snowflakes began in 2008 when he accidentally stumbled across a photo collection by Kenneth Libbrecht that inspired him to begin his own journey of discovery into macro photography of snowflakes.

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Alexey claims that he has to wait for optimal conditions to get the perfect shots, as not every snowfall yields worthy results. “Many snowfalls bring only boring, irregular crystals, or completely covered by frozen bubbles of rime - these look thick and almost opaque white, like a pillow, and we can barely see their original shape”, Alexey mentioned to DeMilked and went on to add, “In contrast, some (rare) snowfalls cover everything around with absolutely unique crystals, amazing shapes and patterns, so even [a] photographer who [has] seen many thousands [of] snow crystals already, can only say ‘Wow!’, looking on [the] camera screen. I especially wait for these ‘super-snowfalls’, when [a] man with a camera can shoot lots of great photos in [a] few minutes.”

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Alexey mentioned that though he was extremely keen about photographing snowflakes initially, his first attempts were rife with mistakes. His first photo was, “really ugly, but slowly, by trial and error, I've improved both shooting technique and photo processing workflow.”

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Eventually, Alexey says he settled on a simple photographing technique that is a little outdated but not too expensive. He uses a point-and-shoot camera Canon Powershot A650is and an additional lens Helios 44M-5. He shoots in maximum optical zoom mode through external lenses, which serve as magnifiers. He says that the biggest challenge he faces is the snowflake melting and windy weather.

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Alexey went on to mention that he uses, “Ultra Intervalometer script with zero delay between shots - which captures using a series of burst photos with automatic re-focusing before each new photo”, to combat the wind issue. He further explained that “Snowflakes on dark background [were] captured on black woollen fabric in the diffused light of the cloudy sky (no additional lighting used), and photos on light gradient background [were] captured on a horizontally mounted sheet of glass, in LED lighting of a flashlight from below the glass plate.”

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Alexey claims it’s a time-consuming process that requires many hours of work for each snowflake, however, he finds that “Snowflake photography is a very interesting hobby for someone who loves macro and lives in a suitable climate.” He further recommends to anyone interested in this art form that, “Even with cheap technique, great photos can be taken - it's a matter of luck and patience. Give it a try!” More info: https://www.instagram.com/alexey_kljatov/ | https://alexey-kljatov.pixels.com/