January 16, 2011

A different approach to ice.

One gray winter’s day in 2007, my husband and I decided to visit the Ice House that Microsoft Canada had built for the launch of Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System, where people could have a look at the latest software.

A person who works in computer technology couldn’t possibly miss that. Despite the freezing weather, there was a long line to visit the pavilion. My husband and I accepted out fate of standing in it. Either it was so cold that the people didn’t stick around too long, or we were just lucky, but in some twenty minutes we made it inside the pavilion. Another pleasant and lucky circumstance came about when we ended up standing right next to two guided tours. There weren’t many people in my way, and I so took lots of photos. However, because the weather was particularly gloomy, the lack of any direct sunlight meant that not all the photos turned out well. Besides, it was a long time ago, and I was hardly even a beginner in the field of photography.















Next to the pavilion.



And now, here’s a bit of ice in a more natural environment. That day was most wonderfully sunny, and there was a great variety of icicles around.

This wonder of nature was located on somebody else’s private property. I stamped around at a reasonable distance for a while. My presence must have attracted some attention from the owners of this artful piece of ice. A woman came out of the house and wondered what I was up to. I immediately confessed everything, and she laughed and let me take as many photos as I wanted. I wanted to take very many indeed. Here’s a selection of what I found to be the most successful shots.









Each lightning condition lets us capture ice in a unique way.
I enjoy seeing things a little differently with  all the books about photography that I have been reading recently.

52 comments:

  1. love the ice, fantastic and varied pics, all wonderful!

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  2. Olga that ice house is the most amazing thing I have seen in a long time. Everyday household items sculpted of ice, like the coffee cups, are spookily beautiful. I like the story of the lady "allowing" you to take pictures of "her" icicles!

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  3. Olga,
    Thank you for your visit to my blog and for yor kind words !!
    Your blog is full of ART !
    Your tables are glow of light and colors !! Congratulations
    Best regards
    Magda from Greece

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  4. The Ice house is amazing but I still prefer the nature pictures. You were lucky that you were allowed to go in and take them. Diane

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  5. Wow, amazing photos!
    Very good blog!
    Thanks for your visit and comment!!!
    See you

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  6. Hi Olga,

    You have a really interesting blog - I love your images.
    Thank you for your recent visit to my blog and also for your very kind comments.
    I have linked my blog with yours and will continue to follow.
    I look forward to seeing more of your photographs throughout the coming year.

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  7. That ice house is unbelievable! Your photos are gorgeous, the icicles look beautiful :-)

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  8. Wow your photos are incredible!

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  9. It's beautiful ice pictures, and you've got a good laugh with a stranger - Nice!!
    M

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  10. Hiya Olga,
    You commented on the colour of my knitting picture. (Macro25), I can see that that particular red appeals to you :-)
    Love all the ice. So glad you documented the MS exhibits for us. Also amazed by the latest ice around your home. I was nowhere near that successful with my icicle pix.
    Hope the 'lightning' doesn't strike twice :-)

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  11. wow Olga, all these images are stunning, fantastic
    I've spent a nice moment on your blog !
    really wonderful !

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  12. wow...stunningly beautiful, a real piece of art. I find the icy cups interesting, I wonder how they drink using those? hehe...thank you so much for sharing these wonderful pictures. :)

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  13. Beautiful pieces of art made of ice but nature creates the pure beauty without any effords:) Nice pictures!

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  14. These are lovely Olga, i'd love to visit somewhere like this, and well done on the one's of the icicles! (:

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  15. Hi food for thought,
    I'm glad you enjoyed it. I also had such a great time photographic such a simple yet fascinating thing as ice.

    Hi DeanO,
    I have spontaneously started this series about ice, but now I'm getting really into it :)

    Hi ruma,
    Welcome to my blog! I'm glad to see you have visited me. I always enjoy your pictures. Thank you for following me.

    Hi Dolly,
    I'm glad you enjoyed it! However, sometimes I think it's time to transition to a warmer theme, because the times are so cold right now :)

    Hi magda,
    I'm a little jealous - it must be warmer in Greece. I always remember my trip to Greece with great pleasure, and I was so happy to see your latest photos. I'm glad you enjoyed my ice theme.

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  16. Hi Diane,
    I think I caught them by surprise :) They weren't expecting me, and that's why, I think, they let me stay there. I love all the unexpected variations of ice in the natural world.

    Hi Andras,
    Welcome to my blog! I'm glad you're enjoying it :) We should exchange visits often.

    Hi Trevor,
    Thank you for following me. I was thinking it might be time to change the theme to something warmer :)

    Hi Sara Louise,
    I'm glad you liked it! It's not often that these things happen, but they are interesting because they are unique.

    Hi Spangle,
    Thank you - I try to keep it interesting :)

    Hi Mariann,
    I think the owners of the ice were a bit flattered that somebody was interested in their treasure :)

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  17. Hi morememes,
    If I see something red, I just can't walk by :) Thank you for the compliments. I had a lot of fun taking these photos.

    Hi marty,
    The feeling is mutual; I always love to visit your blog.

    Hi Gabriel,
    Maybe they only drink cold cocktails :)

    Hi Wong,
    Thank you. As you see, there's a lot of room for a photographer to experiment with ice :)

    Hi Ola,
    I agree; I also think that nature has an endless supply of variation.

    Hi Stephen,
    I'm so glad you've enjoyed my photos :) In both cases, the price I had to pay was being very cold.

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  18. A different approach and cold H2O, and in turn art and architecture.
    Greetings.

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  19. Ice can be so beautiful - just like you show us in your work ... well done

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  20. Hi Enrique ,
    I appreciate your comment very much. You'll be amazed how easy it is to make me happy with a compliment about my photos :)

    Hi Tommy Andre Nekkoy,
    Thank you. I like to study the light coming through the ice.

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  21. Oh, my, this is a delightful post, an icy extravaganza for the senses!

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  22. Wow to that...

    reminded me of the Ice Hotel in Sweden.

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  23. Thank you! :) I really love how you use the light in the pictures above.. great! :)

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  24. Ice sculpture intrigues me in that it is tangible yet transient - moments frozen in time, either by nature or the constructs of an imagination.

    I am so glad that the 'owner' was kind to you.
    The photographs themselves are beautiful.

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  25. Hi Paul,
    Thank you. It's amazing that, even on the days when the weather is not so comfortable, nature is able to give us these beautiful gifts.

    Hi Ann,
    It's true; I haven't thought of that, but now I remember hearing about that hotel.

    Hi Liz,
    Thank you for visiting. Light is always quite problematic, especially trying to capture the right type of lighting.

    Hi aguja,
    Indeed, they are moments frozen in time - they stay for such a short while, which only makes them more beautiful.

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  26. We humans have some pretty dark moments, but isn't amazing what we can do with a little water?

    Great picts, Olga!

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  27. Sorry it has taken me so long to pop over, dropped tea on my Netbook and broke it so have borrowed one! Beautiful photos, just lovely. I adore the idea of a fire extinguisher in an ice house, really?! I am trying to organise a hen night for someone in an ice bar in London, should be brilliant fun!

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  28. Nature is simply beautiful. I love the light in the pictures, and I also enjoyed the pictures of the faux ice. :)
    Once, when I was taking photos of my bike on the street, someone asked me why I was doing that. The question made me smile. ha.
    Have a lovely day.


    LOVE!

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  29. It makes me cold just looking at your pictures of the ice house. The pillows on the bed fascinate me they look soft but I know they are hard and cold. Your after shots are just lovely.

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  30. Your photos are amazing, Olga! I love them!!
    Warm hugs from Mexico!

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  31. How strange to put a fire extinguisher in an ice house! Was it part of the 'decor' or simply put there as a safety precaution?

    Your icicle photos are amazing. I bet they will inspire you when you are creating new paintings. Martine

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  32. the song is hyped in germany, but all people laugh about it, me too! it´s sooo bad! i hear this song just for fun! :D
    (sorry for my bad bad englisch!)

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  33. Hi Lydia,
    Yes, it's true. It is fascinating to see that we all benefit from other people's imaginations.

    Hi Happy Frog and I,
    It is so dreadful when such things happen with our precious devices. I am very sorry about your Netbook.
    I love the idea of a fire extinguisher in an ice house. Someone with a twisted sense of humor did it.
    A hen night in an ice bar? Wow! Is it possible to see just one photo on your blog? I hope that this is not a rude request.
    I almost forgot. Was it English Breakfast tea, by any chance :)?

    Hi tywo,
    I find that photographers tend to notice more things around them than people who don't do photography, which is why they notice things that others won't even think of. When photographers take notice of these things, some people become surprised. This often happens to me too.

    Hi Angella,
    Thank you! I think we really need to find ways to have fun in the winter.

    Hi Leovi,
    Thank you for being my follower, and thank you for the kind words :)

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  34. Hi Wong,
    Thank you for clarifying. The photo looks very abstract and unusual.

    Hi lilylovekin,
    Thank you. You have a really vivid imagination, that you could imagine yourself in that house so easily. I just saw it as an object of art. It's interesting to see such a different perspective on the same subject.

    Hi Lena,
    Thank you for visiting and for being my follower. This post must look different from Mexico :)

    Hi Martine,
    I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. I have no idea why they put the fire extinguisher - maybe it's just a joke.
    It's pretty unpredictable, what can inspire an artist. It could be just about anything.

    Hi Lea,
    I liked the song a lot; it's so energetic - however, it's too bad that I don't know any German.
    You make yourself very clear, so, there is no reason to worry about your English.

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  35. Hi Fernando Santos (Chana),
    Muito obrigado pelas suas amáveis palavras.

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  36. The frozen branches are spectacular!! Never seen anything like that! Seriously beautiful shots!!

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  37. Amazing pictures, you should definitely keep up with the photography. I loved the icicles, a wonderful example of what our world can show us.

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  38. Hi Galit,
    Thank you for visiting. Sometimes in January I get lost in all the surprises that ice gives us. By the way, I'm planning to post more interesting ice finds in my blog :)

    Hi Apple Strudel ,
    Thank you for your lovely words. I definitely will continue experimenting with photography. I have no option. My husband bought me a new camera for our anniversary :)

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  39. 've done some great photos thanks to you we also see these marvels compliments greetings frà..

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  40. Hi orso,
    Thank you for your lovely compliment and for visiting!

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  41. This was awesome, I am glad you and your husband ventured out that cold frigid day and took those photos, and the garden ones were splendid.

    joanny

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  42. Hienoa 'Jää-Taidetta'... Kauniita Kuvia - näkee harvoin.
    Meillä sitä olisi tuota jäätä ja kylmää aivan muillekin jakaa...!
    *Jää-Taidetta* ei kuitenkaan ole kovin paljon...!
    Jään veistämistä on kuitenkin jonkin verran. Kuvia en ole saanut tapahtumista...

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  43. Hi joanny,
    Thanks so much dear friend. I'm an admirer of your blog so I always appreciate your comments.

    Hi Eko,
    Tykkään katsoa jäällä. Kuten hänen valokuviaan. Mielestäni se kiehtoo minua.
    Paljon kiitoksia ystävällisistä sanoista.

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  44. Ciao Olga and best wishes for 2011, I am back at last catching up on so much that I missed while I was away from the blogsphere! Thankyou for comments you left on News From Italy while I was absent.
    These pictures are truly amazing both the ice house, which I have never seen before and the fantastic nature shots.

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  45. Hi Lindy,
    Welcome back! You know that I missed you.
    I have a really strong desire to keep it interesting :)
    I am so happy that you are back!!!!

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  46. Olga, the ice sculptures are beautiful but I love the ice on the branches! So beautiful!

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  47. Hi Lynda,
    It is true. The ice house is fascinating but the nature intrigues us with endless possibilities of uncontrollable beauty.

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