“Sky Crystals”: Unraveling The Mysteries Of Snowflakes By The Scientist Photographer Don Komarechka

Don Komarechka/Instagram

These images capture the intricate details of minuscule snowflakes, moments before they melt. The shots were taken by Don Komarechka, who has had a lifelong fascination with all things macro – especially snowflakes.

The professional photographer says people often don’t believe that his pictures are real because they’re so perfect.

The Canadian said, “These photos were all taken 2 feet from my back door over the past two winters”.

We’re looking at the intricate details of ice crystals that form in the atmosphere and fall to earth. Snowflakes can possess unending beauty and detail even in a single crystal measuring only a few millimeters in diameter. Here: Who has had a lifelong fascination with all things macro and especially snowflakes.

“These photos were all taken two feet from my back door over the past two winters,” he added.

More info: Don Komarechka, Instagram, 500px, Flickr

Snowflake-a-Day No. 65 – look closely at the center of this one – anyone else see six dragons breathing for on a shield-protected 8-bit hero? .. Anyone? #winter #snowflake #physics #weather #meteorology #science #geometry #macro #snow #focusstacking #crystal #mineral #sky #ice #macrophotography #naturephotography #frozen

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Mar 15, 2018 at 3:56pm PDT

Snowflake-a-Day No 64: these exotic gems are known as "crossed plates", but often have a vertical growth at 90 degrees to the rest of the crystal. Interaction between the prism/basal facet structure could explain this, yes? #science #physics #snowflake #snow #weather #meteorology #focusstacking #macro #macrophotography #crystal #mineral #fractal #crossedplate

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Mar 13, 2018 at 5:12pm PDT

Snowflake-a-Day No 63: The 2nd twelve-branched #snowflake in this year's series, which is an illusion: it's the luck of two snowflakes colliding with central alignment and a 30-degree rotation. When conditions are right to find one, you'll usually find a few lying about! #science #physics macro #snow #flake #symmetry #fractal #winter #frozen #twelve #weather #meteorology #focusstacking #nature #balance #crystal

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Mar 11, 2018 at 5:27pm PDT

Snowflake-a-Day No. 62: Same storm that brought other giant complex crystals earlier this year also delivered this one. The inner parts are perfect, but the outer edges are suffering from #sublimation. Sitting around for only 10-20 minutes! #snow #weather #macro #science #physics #fractal #ice #macrophotography #complex #symmetry #meteorology #geometry #mineral #water #frozen #winter #sky #crystal

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Mar 9, 2018 at 4:50pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 61: A "classic column" snowflake, something you don't often think of, these columnar snowflakes are incredibly common a few degrees below the freezing point. Can you spot the bubbles trapped inside the ice? Look for curved lines! #science #weather #snow #macro #physics #focusstacking #macrophotography #geometry #meteorology #column #columnar #crystal #nature #isolated

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Mar 7, 2018 at 6:34pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 60 – This illustrates the distinct and narrow angle you need to get reflect light bouncing off a snowflake. No direct reflection, no thin film interference! These crystals are ever-so-slightly not parallel. #science #physics #meteorology #weather #macro #snow #snowflake #crystal #thinfilminterference #focusstacking #color #cluster #reflection #reflectedlight #macrophotography #winter #frozen #hexagon #geometry

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Mar 5, 2018 at 5:04pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 59: You know snowflakes can be called "hydrometeors"? I LOVE that name, & this is a very beautiful hydrometeor. Water droplets, hail, sleet, etc. are all hydrometeors as well. You're welcome. #science #weather #physics #macro #snow #snowflake #ice #meteorology #macrophotography #symmetry #crystal #fractal #focusstacking #mineral #water #winter #frozen

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Mar 3, 2018 at 5:01pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 58 – Here's a rare one: Fused capped columns that entered into dendritic growth. Starting warm with lower humidity and cooling down with more humidity, an unusual set of conditions make this happen – with plenty of luck! #snowflake #weather #macro #meteorology #snow #flake #macrophotography #science #physics #fractal #crystal #sky #column #sculpture #nature #focusstacking #ice

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Mar 1, 2018 at 4:43pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 57: This one has a mystery I cannot concretely solve: there are three concurrent layers of ice all reaching back to underneath the top layer. Some fun #physics to unravel here, and the beauty of optical interference to boot! #science #weather #snowflake #macro #macrophotography #meteorology #symmetry #winter #frozen #ice #thinfilminterference #snow #focusstacking #water #mineral

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 27, 2018 at 4:21pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 56: One of the sturdiest branched snowflakes you'll ever see, partly due to thickness, & in part from the fused side-branches. My only working theory is that sublimation might help bridge the gap between very close & slightly thick branches. #science #weather #macro #macrophotography #focusstacking #physics #fractal #symmetry #winter #frozen #crystal #mineral #water #meteorology #geometry #nature #ice #snowflake

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 25, 2018 at 5:51pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 55 – Look into the center of this snowflake – really look. What superhero face do you see? It's on the tip of my tongue from a forgotten childhood memory! #snow #ice #snowflake #macro #superhero #comics #weather #meteorology #winter #frozen #focusstacking #symmetry #balance #crystal

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 23, 2018 at 5:15pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 54: This giant gem of a crystal includes a great scale reference. Look closely on the left edge to see a smaller dendrite snowflake stuck on top. As tiny as they are, there's plenty of variety in size. #science #weather #snow #meteorology #physics #ice #frozen #macro #macrophotography #symmetry #mineral #water #fractal #focusstacking #winter #crystal #gem #nature #canada

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 21, 2018 at 6:07pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 53 – Something you rarely see: an air gap between two snowflakes stuck together that create an optical interference effect commonly known as Newton's rings. Photogs may have seen similar if scanning a negative directly on flatbed scanner glass. #science #snow #macro #macrophotography #ice #fractal #physics #newtonsrings #hexagon #symmetry #opticalinterference #snowflake #winter #frozen

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 19, 2018 at 7:36am PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 52 – A twelve-sided snowflake?! Actually, these are two small hexagons that "glued" together in the air at almost a perfect 30 degree angle. A rare breed indeed! #snow #snowflake #macro #weather #meteorology #ice #nature #fractal #physics #science #winter

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 17, 2018 at 4:52pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 49: This gem is something special. The surface detail starts on the rear, and shifts to the front as the branches form. Important to know that the majority of surface detail of a snowflake is on one side only! #snow #science #physics #weather #meteorology #ice #macro #macrophotography #symmetry #crystal #frozen #winter #balance #sky #snowflake #fractal

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 11, 2018 at 4:40pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 48: These tiny hexagons are always a fave. Colour from thin film interference & clear signs that it's growing faster on the right than the left. #Aerodynamics! #weather #macro #snowflake #science #meteorology #physics #crystal #snow #sky #ice #fractal #mineral #focusstacking #macrophotography #color #flake #frozen #winter #hexagon

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 9, 2018 at 4:05pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 47 – the simple "capped column". Columns grow between -5C and -10C and 0.1g/m3 supersaturation, and plates form as temperatures drop a few degrees colder. When conditions shift from one to another, a column grows plates from either end! #science #weather #ice #meteorology #winter #frozen #snowflake #snow #flake #geometry #mineral #water #crystal #macro #macrophoto #macrophotography #MP-E #nature #sky

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 7, 2018 at 6:14pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 46 – A sectored plate with signs of sectored branches – separate side-branches reformed into a cohesive almost-indistinguishable whole. Not to mention the triangle in the center from inward crystal growth! Shadow shows how thick it is. #science #weather #snow #macro #macrophotography #physics #nature #winter #ice #crystal #fractal #meteorology #symmetry #frozen #focusstacking #balance

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 5, 2018 at 5:59pm PST

Snowflake-a-Day No. 45 – Enter the Arrowhead, one of the most exotic types of snowflakes where the edge of a bullet-type #snowflake takes off with 90-degree growth outward. These gems are always spawned by a bullet – a conical column that originally formed in a cluster. #science #physics #ice #winter #crystal #frozen #arrowhead #meteorology #weather #fractal #focusstacking #exotic #snow #flake #rightangle #macro #macrophotography #naturephotography #sky

A post shared by Don Komarechka (@donkomphoto) on Feb 3, 2018 at 6:54pm PST