Same-same, but different

The growth of snowflakes is a non-equilibrium phenomenon. Falling from the winter clouds in vast numbers, snowflakes intitially begin as hexagonal, plate-shaped ice crystals, then take endlessly different paths to the ground or surface. Although the six-sided shape is always maintained, no two snowflakes are truly identical or have exactly the same arrangement of molecules. This image was taken when the snow started to pile up in my backyard during an unexpected snowfall. Crystal structures of six-fold, even twelve-fold symmetry of the snowflakes can be seen upon close inspection. Colour inversion is applied to this image to create a more interesting and imaginative aesthetic. (Smartphone Macro)