"Diopter:  a unit of measurement of the optical power of a lens or curved mirror."  Thank you, Wikipedia, and happy 15th birthday!  If you do not have 20/20 vision, chances are you have heard an optometrist say "Is this better or this?  Can you see better here or here? The last one or this one?"  You get the idea.  On many digital cameras, simplified diopters are included to enable the photographer to focus the lens.  What happens when you shoot photographs without your glasses after having adjusted the diopter to your eyes with glasses?  I found out the other day when I tore off down the stairs in the buff, with only my camera and not my glasses, to shoot the elk grazing outside our south windows.  Two yearlings, a severely pregnant cow elk, along with a couple of other cows.  Blur, blur, blur, blur blur.  Obviously, there will be no elk photographs in this blog!

However, nature has been creating a study in ice on branches of a wisteria vine and it has the look of a fantasy illustration or work of art nouveau - a vase in ice.

ice vase

I found myself cruising around the details of the ice and becoming totally transported by them.

ice fantasy details      

ice fantasy drip detail

It is a treat to be able to photograph nature's own simple and small ice sculptures, and peek into their secrets.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image@