Every winter, I run a photo workshop in Grand Teton National Park, which is my favorite time of year in the park as the tourists are gone and the animals are down out of the high country. On this particular morning, we started off our shoot with a sunrise at Oxbow Bend along the Snake River. Once sunrise was finished, we slowly made our way towards Jackson Lake to look for interesting compositions.

We stayed close to the river as we headed towards the lake, looking for opportunistic photographs. One section of the road is where the trees often develop a layer of frost, thanks to the moisture coming off the river.

We stopped at one pull-out to check on the condition of the trees. As we stepped out of the cars, it was a crisp 10-degree temperature and very dry air. Ice crystals formed in the air and fluttered down around us, resembling glitter falling from the sky. As we were stopped, the sun appeared from behind the clouds overhead and illuminated the landscape. When the sun hit the frosted trees, they just erupted in light! The sunlight reflected off the ice on the tree branches, accentuating their shape and complexity, making for a spectacular graphic. Since the sun was limited in its reach, the background behind the trees remained in shadow, creating a dark background to highlight the trees.

Everything came together for an ideal image of frost-coated trees, and this is one of the nicest photos I have captured in the area.