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donkom.bsky.social
@donkom.bsky.social
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donkom.bsky.social
Crystalline Connections: Freezing Soap Bubbles

www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

Here's a brief tutorial on how to get started with shooting freezing soap bubbles. Here's a full and comprehensive tutorial in my book: www.amazon.com/Macro-Photog...

#snow #ice #winter #winterstorm #frozen #water #soap
Crystalline Connections – Freezing Soap Bubbles
Cold is gripping much of North America. I checked the temperatures in my hometown of Sudbury, Ontario this morning, and it was -32C / -26F. With these horrible storms set to arrive later today and wit...
www.flickr.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:39 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 974:

www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

Check out the center on this one, too! So cool how this forms, as well as how the bubbles form on the branches.

#snowflake #weather #meteorology #ice #sky #science #physics #microscopy #water #frozen #crystal #macro #macrophotography #Lumix #GX9
Snowflake 974
A lot of America is about to be covered in countless trillions of these. I personally find them beautiful individually, but there’s a snowstorm of the century arriving and I hope everyone stays safe! ...
www.flickr.com
January 21, 2026 at 5:57 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Amazon has been restocked, but only 10 copies left!

www.amazon.com/Macro-Photog...

#science #physics #macro #book #learning #photography #macrophotography
Macro Photography: The Universe at Our Feet
Amazon.com: Macro Photography: The Universe at Our Feet: 9781032769844: Komarechka, Don: Books
www.amazon.com
January 21, 2026 at 10:19 AM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 973

www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

The center of this one features a "skeletal form"-type crystal splitting, it's really fun to just observe how the #physics works.

Read the full post over on Flickr, the character count here doesn't do it justice. :)

#science #ice #snow #weather #macro
Snowflake 973
A simple star snowflake, but with a very interesting center. Notice that the very center is solid? That’s an odd and wonderful feature that leads to layers! Imagine a hexagonal prism – it has a hexag...
www.flickr.com
January 18, 2026 at 1:19 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 972

flickr.com/photos/donko...

Check out the center on this one! And the sublimation!

Full write-up over on Flickr. :)

#snowflake #snow #ice #crystal #weather #meteorology #science #physics #winter #water #frozen #fractal #macro #macrophotography #natural #symmetry #sky #microscopy
Snowflake 972
I love the center of this snowflake, I just wish I found it sooner. This is a fantastic example of layered geometry in the center, but also a textbook example of sublimation. It doesn’t take long for ...
flickr.com
January 17, 2026 at 4:47 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Only six copies left in stock!

www.amazon.com/Macro-Photog...

#macro #learning #books #photography #science
Macro Photography: The Universe at Our Feet
Amazon.com: Macro Photography: The Universe at Our Feet: 9781032769844: Komarechka, Don: Books
www.amazon.com
January 10, 2026 at 11:15 AM
donkom.bsky.social
Prismatic Crystal - Snowflake 971

www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

A different view from the previous snowflake specimen that really focuses on the hidden colours - made much more visible when thrown out of focus.

#science #physics #snow #ice #snowflake #weather #macro #water #frozen #meteorology
Prismatic Crystal - Snowflake 971
This is something special. It may have been difficult to notice the prismatic colours in the fully focus-stacked version of this snowflake (seen here: flickr.com/photos/donkom/55032219125/ ), but here...
www.flickr.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:54 AM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 971

www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

The colours here are really special, not often to we see this much prismatic colour in the branches! Read the Flickr post for all the details. :)

#snow #snowflake #science #physics #weather #ice #meteorology #sky #crystal #water #fractal #symmetry
Snowflake 971
This snowflake is special to me for many reasons. First, it’s a classic dendrite with a large geometric center. Secondly, it features a special type of colour in the branches that is always hard to ca...
www.flickr.com
January 9, 2026 at 1:50 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 970

www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

One of the best examples of a thick snowflake causing inward crystal growth. There's a bit to unpack in the full description on Flickr, but this type of snowflake is one of my favourites.

#snow #weather #snowflake #ice #water #science #physics #fractal
Snowflake 970
This snowflake tells a very interesting story. Almost like the rings on a tree show its age, these rings radiating along this snowflake’s branches are a growth indicator. These are a function of thick...
www.flickr.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:34 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 969

www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

Tough to find the words to welcome in the new year. Wishing everyone well, and hoping for a calm start to 2026. Happy New Year!
Snowflake 969
Happy New Year! I feel like I need a vacation from the holidays. Not that it’s a bad thing, not at all – many wonderful visits with family, friends, and traditions kept alive, new ones made (duck is ...
www.flickr.com
January 1, 2026 at 10:36 AM
donkom.bsky.social
Ever seen a thirteen-branched snowflake before? Well, you have now (sort of): www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

The full description doesn't fit here, but these are effectively crystal clusters. Read on Flickr for more. :)

#snowflake #winter #weather #meteorology #science #physics #ice #water #frozen
Snowflake 968
Most snowflakes have six branches. Very rarely, one can form twelve. But how about thirteen? The mystery of snowflakes with more than six branches is about to be revealed, and it has a lot to do with ...
www.flickr.com
December 24, 2025 at 9:35 AM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 966

I’ve seen thin film interference everywhere from a cup of Turkish coffee to the meniscus formed around the lid of fountain pen ink. Ever see “Newton’s Rings?”; it’s everywhere if you’re paying attention. Even in snowflakes!

Full description:
www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

#snow #ice
Snowflake 966
Let’s talk about colour. Snowflakes are not flat, they have volume. That volume allows for air pockets to be trapped in the ice. Given the right thickness of the “bubble” and/or the right thickness of...
www.flickr.com
December 14, 2025 at 9:33 AM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 965

There's too much to say about this snowflake here and not enough space - but you can read all about it over on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

It attempts to unlock some mysteries as to how pockets of air form in these gems.

#snow #snowflake #weather #ice #winter #water #sky
Snowflake 965
This snowflake offers up a few clues to ongoing mysteries as to how snowflakes grow outward and how pockets of air get trapped within the structure. The traditional logic was that such pockets formed ...
www.flickr.com
December 10, 2025 at 3:59 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 964

This one has a ton of volumetric details. Not only did it start as a "split crystal" to allow for overlapping branches, it also features collisions with super-cooled water droplets that form their own crystals. Full write-up here: flickr.com/photos/donko...

#snow #snowflake #ice #sky
Snowflake 964
Happy December, everyone! The snowflakes return. This one is a crystal I never attempted to edit before because I knew it would be a colossal effort in editing, in part due to the volumetric surface a...
flickr.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Reposted
drakedyck.bsky.social
I just listened to a great episode of Photo Geek Weekly, with @donkom.bsky.social engaging @stevebrazill.com in a great photography discussion. You should check it out for yourself. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/p...
Photo Geek Weekly Episode 193 – Post ISO Era
Podcast Episode · Photo Geek Weekly · 2025-11-30 · 1h 31m
podcasts.apple.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:55 AM
donkom.bsky.social
Macro lenses. Do you think I have too many?

Full write-up here: www.flickr.com/photos/donko...

I speak more at length of all of these options in the second edition of my macro photography book, which you can grab here, shipping in 11 days: www.routledge.com/Macro-Photog...
Macro Lenses
I believe it’s safe to say I own an unhealthy number of macro lenses. I shot this updated photo from my new book, now available for pre-order! Link: www.amazon.com/Macro-Photography-Universe-Our-Feet/...
www.flickr.com
September 21, 2025 at 9:22 AM
donkom.bsky.social
Second Edition is here! With free global shipping. :D

This is a huge deal for me. The publisher, Routledge, is highly prestigious with a focus on academic books and journals. To be included in their catalogue is an honour. And for the next five days, it’s 20% off.

www.routledge.com/Macro-Photog...
Macro Photography: The Universe at Our Feet
This new edition of an industry staple aims to cover every challenge that a macro photographer might encounter, from beginner problems like focus and motion blur, to more complex issues with magnifica...
www.routledge.com
September 20, 2025 at 12:58 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 963
Finally, a chance to photograph a snowflake here in #Bulgaria! Problem is, it was melting as I photographed it. That leads to a unique set of challenges but also a rather unique look into the life of a snowflake.
January 17, 2025 at 1:19 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 962

Broad branches are always beautiful, as if this snowflake is a set of 7, including the center. Combined with a splash of colour from thin film interference, there’s charm here – but there’s also a mystery. The thin sections of the branches have a feature I can’t easily explain.
January 13, 2025 at 10:24 AM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 961

This is a delightfully odd and exotic snowflake; a variety rarely seen and doesn’t match any of the standard “types” of snow. I’ll call it a “scrolled plate that transitioned to needles”. That’s about as good as it gets!

#science #physics #weather #meteorology #nature #macro #ice
January 11, 2025 at 11:15 AM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 960

There are so many varieties of snowflakes, but they break down into two primary categories: plates and columns. Columns can be quite enigmatic, while possessing a simple outline; it’s the details inside the crystal that make them special.

Bubbles! And lots of them. :)
January 6, 2025 at 4:49 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 959

One of the elements of my snowflake photographs: the black mitten. All of these images are shot on a mitten as the background.

The mitten was made by my grandmother; it is with sadness to announce that she passed away on January 1st of this year, peacefully and surrounded by family.
January 3, 2025 at 1:27 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 958

I call these “button gem snowflakes”, though they are a variation the split crystal form. If a column grows plates out of both sides, and one of the plates grows faster than the other on all size sides, you get this effect.

#snow #snowflake #science #physics #weather #ice #water
December 26, 2024 at 5:22 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 957
Merry Christmas! This one is quite special and unique, not only is it one of the rarest varieties of “crystal twinning”, it’s also the reverse side of a snowflake I originally published in 2016.

I have no record of a similar ice crystal ever being documented by anyone in history.
December 25, 2024 at 4:13 PM
donkom.bsky.social
Snowflake 956

“Split” crystals begin from a central column-type crystal which grows hexagonal plates from both sides of the column. It’s always a race for these plates. If one corner of one plate grows out further than the same corner on the other end of the column, the race for that corner is won
December 24, 2024 at 1:55 PM