I pushed myself out of the house early the other day, hoping to find interesting subjects to photograph. I didn’t know where I was headed, but there was pretty hoar frost on the ground and it wouldn’t last.
I drove east, thinking about a river that softly winds through farms and open land. But just a few minutes from home I noticed heavy frost in the fields of a vegetable farm. No one seemed to be around, so I pulled into the loading area.
It looked like a hurriedly abandoned stage set, with wooden palettes, bundles of plastic tarps, irrigation equipment, and the smaller “props” of paper cups and gloves strewn haphazardly about, and feathered with frost.
Weed-choked rows of cabbage and chard opened frost-fuzzed leaves to the sun. Why wasn’t the field fully harvested?
Tangles of tarps caught the sunlight. The bloom of frost softened the folds, creating modern versions of Old Master paintings (to my eye anyway!).
An empty gas can wore a crown of frost feathers.
It had been a very satisfying morning shoot. I was cold and hungry – time to leave, but first, one last shot of the wheel line irrigation equipment.
You may wonder why there’s all this irrigation equipment if you know Seattle’s reputation for abundant rain. Actually summers here are dry as a bone so farms and gardens are often irrigated in the growing season.
I’m beginning to think this beautiful hoar frost is fairly common here. I almost never saw frost like this around New York, yet winters in New York are plenty cold – much harsher, in fact. Oh well, there’s still a lot to learn about my new home! And to that end, I found this short weather video explaining how hoar frost forms.
bluebrightly 
Beautiful images…and it sounds like your excursion is a bit like some of my wanderings…just head-out into the city and surround and look for something…anything. Very nice, Lynn.
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Oh exactly! And we’re so lucky we can do that. Thanks!
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Love the details in these shots.
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Thanks – I appreciate your thoughts…
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A truly great set of outstanding images!
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Thank you Dina –
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Awesome photos of some subjects that I would never think of photographing, but they work the way that you shot them!
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That’s good – I appreciate hearing that! I’s something I’ve been drawn to for many years – the unusual point of view, or finding beauty in the ordinary, etc.
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What beautiful images!
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Thank you, glad you like it!
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Exiting and beatiful!
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You made the best out of nothing! Excellent.
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Good to hear from you – this kind of thing is up your alley (as we say in the U.S.), I know!
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I like, beautiful. And the weather you had, was very similar here…
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Beautiful images, Lynn. Hoar frost is the most fascinating!
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It is – one of these days I’ll have a macro lens and get it up close.
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Oh Brrrrrr! Lovely images but damn! so cold.
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…you still cold? 😉
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Amazing how you turned such a mundane scene into art! Lovely.
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Thank you Gunta – I’m very glad to hear that you see it.
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Wow – stunning gallery!!
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These are stunning shots, your depth of focus is astonishing. They feel sad though. As you say, I wonder why the cabbages weren’t harvested, my mind is busy filling in all sorts of scenarios to explain the chaotic abandonment.
Its amazing how many shapes you have spotted and I like the way the frost has accentuated them.
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It was a lucky moment because the frost made everything a little more interesting. Thanks for your thoughts – always appreciated!
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Lyn, I thought I had a favorite but then I gave up. The lighting and detail, gorgeous splashes of color are all simply beautiful. Trashtastic!
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Hmm, trashtastic, well…OK! I guess we both spent time recently dwelling on semi-abandoned places, didn’t we?
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Beauty in unexpected places! I love them all but the last one is quite extraordinary.
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Thank you Lynn – have a great Thanksgiving!
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Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Lynn!
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I skim a lot and usually just pass over many…just because there are soooo many. But this one caught my eye and I had to stop and look…closely. Just spectacular.
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Another thot…an utterly amazing puzzle picture.
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Gorgeous! Thanks also for the video—never knew that.
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What beautiful photos! Just goes to show you that with the right person behind the lens, even the utterly mundane – a paper cup – can look beautiful when photographed. And thanks for stopping by my blog, too. Jeanne
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Hey, what a nice thing to say – thank you!
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What stunning frosty images! Brrrrr!
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Neglected? Outstanding!!!!! Thank you so much for these frosty Old Master shots!
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I’m so glad you liked them. I know it’s a mix of typical shots, like the frosty flowers, and odd ones, like the tarps, so it may not be to everyone’s taste. So thanks for chiming in!
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The light feels very different in these. Otherworldly. I’m envious—it’s just my kind of place to visit in the early morning. Very fine photographs.
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We may not ave a whole LOT of light in the dark months, but it can get interesting. Thanks for commenting – I’m always interested to hear your thoughts.
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Thanks for sharing, really liked this series.
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I’m glad – having just visited your blog, it makes sense you might like these. I appreciate your stopping by & commenting!
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Lynn, these are WOW! I find the images of the manmade plastics and tarps particularly gorgeous. Yes, like old master paintings in their moods and details. Outstanding!
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Karen I appreciate that so much. I know you’re seeing what I was trying to convey.
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especially liked the shot with the farm equipment… and the big wheel.
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I really enjoy those pictures, beauty is hidden and you are like a treasure catcher, childhood isn”t far when you dare to go into abandoned spots like that. I was by you for each picture. Thank you ;O)
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Oh wow- what a find! Sounds like you wandered into quite the mystery there… I’m sure the most interesting story is the one you can create out of your discoveries…
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