I've already created two vector snowflake images, trying to make them very similar to original photos. This time i tried different approach: my goal is creating simplified image in just two colors, which represent only most significant details of real snow crystal, traced to smooth curves.

As source images i've picked again large and complex crystal Gardener's dream and small Forget-me-not.

Vector files: EPS and SVG formats, pre-rendered PNG: 8000 x 8000

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com, Society6.com.
Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com.

This version shows only highlights of snow crystal's glossy surface on black background:

Vector files: EPS and SVG formats, pre-rendered PNG: 8000 x 8000

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com.
Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com.

Imho, these vectors looks quite nice on beautiful girls from RedBubble:

Processing workflow for these pictures is simple: i enlarged each snowflake about 4x times and applied Photoshop filter Image -> Adjustments -> Threshold - it allow to choose level of brightness, which divide picture to black and white pixels: any pixel that darker-than-selected level become black, and any that brighter-than-selected level become white. Resulting picture may look quite nice, but contain very jagged and unpleasant lines and edges, if we look closely. This is not problem, however, because vector tracer will convert every pixelated line to nice smooth curve. Also, i applied second filter: Artistic -> Cutout, which does exactly what i need: it simplifies picture and get rid of all small and insignificant image details. After adjusting filter sliders, picture are ready to vectorize.

This time i used nice, fast and free online service Autotracer.org. I applied these settings: number of colors = 2 and in advanced settings, smoothing="smoother". Resulting curves looks good in high resolutions.

Similar vector version for this small and simple crystal:

Vector files: EPS and SVG formats, pre-rendered PNG: 8000 x 8000

Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com.

Vector files: EPS and SVG formats, pre-rendered PNG: 8000 x 8000

Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com.

If you want to see more snowflakes, you can browse through all snowflake pictures.
Here you'll find snowflake photo wallpapers in numerous resolutions and screen proportions, up to Ultra HD 4K.
And here is article about snowflake macro photography.

I've already processed this unusual snowflake three years ago, but recently pull it out of archive and decided to fully re-process. I'm happy to see that my processing workflow improved over time: new version have slightly better details, colors and contrast. Also, i keep lots of empty space around crystal in all directions, and created special variant with isolated snowflake on transparent background: all this is needed for quality prints on various products. I glad that such tiny snow crystal (slightly bigger than 1 millimeter on longer axis) now available in full range of print variations.

Snowflake photo: Capped column, new variant (1200 x 900)

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com.
Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com, 500px.com.

8 RAW photos was taken as quick series, aligned and averaged to improve signal / noise ratio of this picture.

Here you can see differences between old and new processing:

Old vs new capped column pictures

And here you'll find another, even more strange variant of capped column - with thin column, and caps of different shape and size:

If you want to see more snowflakes, you can browse through all snowflake pictures.
Here you'll find snowflake photo wallpapers in numerous resolutions and screen proportions, up to Ultra HD 4K.
And here is article about snowflake macro photography.

Snowflake photo: Stars in my pocket like grains of sand (2560 x 1920)

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com.
Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com, 500px.com.

I borrow this title from sci-fi book, written by amazing author Samuel R. Delany.

This is tiny cluster of two stellar dendrite snowflakes: large and medium size. It was flat, and perfectly fits in focus without focus stacking technique. I like star shapes and elegant structure of this pair, and their sharp edges, without any traces of melting.

7 identical RAW photos was taken as fast series, aligned and averaged to improve SNR (signal/noise ratio) of this picture. I've used only diffused light of cloudy sky, dark grey wool fabric as background; and macro setup, containing Canon Powershot A650is and lens Helios 44, reversely mounted in front of camera as additional magnifier.

Here is slightly different version: without my usual blue color toning. As you can see, completely grey wool fabric shows color variances at high magnification:

Snowflake photo: Stars in my pocket like grains of sand, grey variant (2560 x 1920)

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com.
Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com, 500px.com.

And this is version with blur background. I've done it easily, because already had precise isolation mask, created at early processing stage:

Snowflake photo: Stars in my pocket like grains of sand, blur variant (2000 x 2000)

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com.
Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com, 500px.com.

Here is another stellar dendrite snowflake, also taken at dark textured backdrop, and processed in same technique:

If you want to see more snowflakes, you can browse through all snowflake pictures.
Here you'll find snowflake photo wallpapers in numerous resolutions and screen proportions, up to Ultra HD 4K.
And here is article about snowflake macro photography.

Fernlike dendrites are common, large and traditional-looking snowflakes. In fact, snow crystals of this type are so big, that many of them can be seen in all details with naked eye, without any magnification tools (especially at contrast background like black wool mitten). I see and photograph huge specimens of this type at regular basis - up to 10 millimeters in size and even bigger! These snowflakes have very small center, and long, complex and massive arms: with many side branches, and lots of icy "petals" and "leaves" on them. These crystals are fragile, and often broke in air, when collide with neighbor snowflakes. In my photo archive, i keep lots of these wonderful crystals, but processing them is hard task: my workflow requires drawing precise mask, which isolates snowflake from background (to be able processing crystal and background separately), and drawing good mask for their complex shape is not easy work.

Here is already processed snowflakes. When i'll process new crystals of this type, i will immediately add here links to them, too. Just click on photos you like, and they will open as full resolution versions:

Here you'll find similar collections of small and simple hexagonal plate and triangular snowflakes:

If you want to see all of my snowflake photos, you may browse through all snowflake pictures.
Here you'll find snowflake photo wallpapers in numerous resolutions and screen proportions, up to Ultra HD 4K.
And here is article about snowflake macro photography.

Snowflake photo: Sunflower (1600 x 1200)

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com, Society6.com.
Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com, 500px.com.

This is very interesting snowflake: with big and flat central hexagon (almost without any features), relief outer rim and arms with many ridges - quite unusual combination. This is medium size snow crystal, just 3 millimeters from tip to tip; but that large and empty center was easily noticeable even with naked eye, and it instantly attract my attention. This snowflake remind me sunflower: with short, broad icy "petals" and inner "lines of seeds".

8 identical RAW photos, taken as quick series, was averaged to boost signal-to-noise ratio of this picture. Snowflake was captured on glass background with LED back light, with additional lens Helios 44M-5, in Moscow, Russia.

And this is version in alternate colors:

Snowflake photo: Sunflower golden (1600 x 1200)

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com.
Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com, 500px.com.

And here is computer generated pencil drawing of this snowflake, done in wonderful free program FotoSketcher:

Snowflake pencil drawing: Sunflower (1280 x 960)

Also, this crystal available as Ultra HD wallpaper:

I already processed two more snowflakes from same amazing snowfall of January 3, 2016: Winter fortress and Serenity:

And here is another snowflake from previous winter: Dusty mirror - it slightly remind me new one: this crystal also have big and flat central hexagon, where only visible feature is pattern of tiny dots, relief outer rim and short arms with nice details:

If you want to see more snowflakes, you can browse through all snowflake pictures.
Here you'll find snowflake photo wallpapers in numerous resolutions and screen proportions, up to Ultra HD 4K.
And here is article about snowflake macro photography.

For these two pictures, i've used blending mode difference again, for subtracting original background (smooth blue / gray gradient) and revealing snowflake with all details on pure black. This time, i've divided picture by two halfs, and replaced one with part of original photo; and picked two small hexagonal plate crystals as sources:

Snowflake picture: Harlequin (1024 x 768)

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com.

Snowflake picture: Harlequin II (1200 x 900)

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com.

Previously, i've applied same technique on two medium size snowflakes and two large and complex fernlike dendrites.

If you want to see more snowflakes, you can browse through all snowflake pictures.
Here you'll find snowflake photo wallpapers in numerous resolutions and screen proportions, up to Ultra HD 4K.
And here is article about snowflake macro photography.

This is my next effort to completely change look and feel of snowflake photos, captured on glass surface. I already applied this technique to two large fernlike dendrites, and now it's time for two smaller snow crystals with relatively simple structure: High voltage and Ice relief:

Snowflake picture: High voltage III (1600 x 1200)

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com.
Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com, 500px.com.

Snowflake picture: Ice relief III (1600 x 1200)

Prints available at Artist website (mirrors at Pixels and FineArtAmerica), RedBubble.com.
Licenses for commercial use - at Shutterstock.com, 500px.com.

This processing is really simple, though it also requires some time. I use difference blending mode to separate snowflake details from background (it looks like subtracting clean background from snowflake). Here is original photos:

I like difference blending very much: often it can be used to create very interesting effects and colors. You can see another example of it's abilities: Mirror's edge, picture of snowflake in vivid colors, caused by blending two variants of same crystal, processed in different colors:

If you want to see more snowflakes, you can browse through all snowflake pictures.
Here you'll find snowflake photo wallpapers in numerous resolutions and screen proportions, up to Ultra HD 4K.
And here is article about snowflake macro photography.