These ice crystals formed on a car. I washed away the grit, and they haven’t formed since.
Are the grits nits?
Is this a composite: No
D500 + 105mm macro 1/160 f10 ISO 320
Cropped. Shadows and Highlights in PS. Mild Topaz Denoise/Sharpen.
Good looking abstract. I never would have guessed this was a car. Grits are not nits here. Ate grits once, which was enough grits for me. Nice image.
Mike, The tendrils of ice, their shadows and the blue color work together very well. I formation requires nucleation sites, so it sounds like at your temperatures, the grit was being the nucleation site. Without nucleation sites, it would take much colder temperatures to get the ice crystals started. It is interesting that the big bits of grit are not strongly associated with the ice crystals. Is the blue the painted surface of the car?
Wow!! This is wonderful, with the side lighting giving such unexpected shadows. You must have been very close for the ice crystals to be that dimensional. I agree that the grit gives it a foundation.
Thanks @Harley_Goldman - and I thought they only ate grits in jail 
@Mark_Seaver Yes, it’s the near-vertical car rear door.
@Diane_Miller Thanks Diane,; yes, the lens was only a few inches away.
Really cool image, Mike. It kind of looks like a drone shot of a mountain range!
Ah, my dark past is coming out into the open. 
