Dark and Cold



Brassica rapa var. perviridis
The dew from earlier in the night has frozen solid!

This winter has been a very mild one, night temperatures barely reaching below freezing, until recently. Nighttime lows this week have been in the mid 20's Fahrenheit, and in addition the humidity has been fairly high. This, and the lack of an insulating cloud cover, has produced cold nights with a lot of frost. It is beyond me why the temperature seems to dip lowest right before sunrise, which is when these photos were taken. Taking pictures in these conditions is uncomfortable, but with the goal in mind I barely noticed when my hands went numb from the cold. The things we will do for a good picture...

Crocus sp.

This is the stump planter, with most of the crocuses dying back for the season. There are a few new leaves appearing, but I'm not sure if I'll see any new flowers out of it. This flower had a jewel like appearance. It was far past its prime, and vulnerable to the frost. I used a flashlight, low ISO, and the flash to give it this ethereal luminescence. Even in death, these flowers can hold great beauty in close inspection.

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Crocus tommasinianus 'Ruby Giant'

Scilla mischtschenkoana

Pseudomuscari azureum

Despite the cold, I love taking pictures before dawn. The Earth is still, and there are no distractions. These small plants stand out, and are subject to some vulnerability with the darkness creeping in from all sides. One thing I would recommend, is to dress warm and wear some gloves!