Photographer Steven Edson cherishes the few days each year when local ponds freeze just enough to allow safe access for photographing the beautiful and unique ice crystal formations that appear during the cold New England winter months. Beneath the surface, he discovers a stunning variety of shapes and patterns—natural sculptures formed as methane and oxygen bubbles become trapped and frozen within the layered ice. Fresh snowfall quickly obscures visibility into these layers, while warmer temperatures make the ice unsafe to walk on. He’s fortunate to get just two or three days each season when conditions align perfectly to capture these fleeting images.

State of Matter: on earth, water exists in three primary "states of matter": liquid, solid and gas. Water and ice represent two different state of matter for the same substance. Ice is the solid state, where the molecules are tightly locked in a rigid crystalline lattice structure as seen in my photographs. Water in a liquid state, the molecules move freely but stay close. When heated, water turns into steam, an invisible gas while the molecules are spread far apart.

Fine art, limited edition, hand-signed archival pigment prints, or aluminum metal prints are available and shipped worldwide. Call for pricing, sizes, and availability.