Behind the lens: Chasing the frost
It was June 2021 and the borders between Queensland and Tasmania had just opened for the first time in what felt like forever. In any other year visiting during this period, I would be surrounded by snow. But, in a strange twist of fate, a low-pressure system had sent Tassie’s weather up to the NSW/QLD border region and with it the snow. What I was left with was endless days of cold, wind, and constant rain.
Tasmania can be a strange and wonderful place. I was surrounded by roaring wind and rain, but just an hour’s drive in any direction could mean sunshine, rainforests, or beaches. I wanted to focus on landscapes I hadn’t previously captured, but first I had unfinished business with a failed attempt from my last trip.
By now it was my second to last day in Tasmania, and I knew this was going to be my one and only chance. My goal was another shot at sunrise at the famous Richmond Bridge. Completed by convicts in 1825, it is Australia’s oldest sandstone bridge and is still in use today. The forecast was for light cloud, with a high chance of frost.
As we arrived it was dark, and all around me was white frost lit by my car’s headlights. I knew I had to be quick, but also careful. I probably only had at the most half an hour before the light would lift above the horizon and trigger the frost to snap freeze for a short period. This would make it appear even whiter, and I really didn’t want to leave footprints.
Frost and a sunrise can be a real challenge. This because as the first light hits it brings warmth. Evaporation causes low lying moisture, which can cause a snap frost in which everything goes extremely white.
Although pretty, it means the ground can be one to two, or at times three stops brighter than the sky in the pre sun-up exposure. In these situations, I have learned to turn my filter upside down. That helps level out the brightness of both the sky and foreground.
I began by framing my shot, setting my tripod at waist height as I wanted the image to lead the viewer through the frost to the bridge.The light soon broke the horizon, and the ground was the cleanest white.
The blades of grass were so frozen they snapped if you stood on them. By the time I captured this image, my hands were too cold to grasp the camera or tripod anymore, and I packed up with the biggest smile on my face. I chose an ND8 graduated filter with Polariser to really emphasise allowed the sky and ground and showcase the stunning morning colours. It was a close call, But Mr “S” Photography got his frost shot.
