Cold brings magical changes to our world.   Pity those who think of winter as dreary and grey.

Against the foil of pristine white, the birch stands glowing like warm flesh, lake ice exudes 'kryptonite' energy, and the sky can riot blue where it is thronged with flailing sticks.

The medium of photography seems particularly apt at capturing the fleeting, fragile and frozen subjects which enchant the intrepid acolyte of this coldest season.

These vibrant images may cause even the shivering skeptic to warm to the frigid muse.