Drone photography in the winter is a battle between getting the shot and flirting with frostbite. This photograph was taken early one morning at Presumpscot Falls Park in Falmouth during a prolonged cold snap. A fresh blanket of snow hugged every object like a magnet on metal.

I typically plan what I want to capture before getting to the location, but the end result is nearly always different from my initial plan. This capture was no different. I originally planned to shoot the bridge straight on with the river in the background in the early morning light. As I flew the drone higher, though, my plan changed. When I tilted the camera down at the ice-covered landscape, I knew that was the shot. I only had 15 minutes of battery life to scout out an angle and get a shot, all the while hoping the drone didn’t malfunction in the sub-zero temperatures.

The end result is one of my favorite captures from last winter. I love the stark contrast between lights and darks and the texture of the trees and details in the ice. The directions of the currents are frozen in place. Two cars—one red and one white—pass each other and are cemented in time to match their frozen Maine environment.