Hollywood set designers make a career out of creating enchanted towers and mythic-looking castles for big-budget fantasy films. But if you visit one of the Great Lakes in the winter, you can often see those special effects in real life without spending a dime.

That’s exactly what photographers Thomas Zakowski and Tom Gill found when the lighthouses at the St. Joseph North Pier on the coast of Lake Michigan froze over in the early winter of 2013. And thankfully, they pulled out their cameras to document nature’s frigid masterpiece.

The pair of century-old lighthouses, which stand 10.5 and 17.4 metres tall, are connected by a catwalk that leads to some impressive ice sculptures when battered by winter waves. Known for their spectacular icicles, the lighthouses have become an unlikely winter destination for tourists. And based on the breathtaking images below, we can see why.

Source: Thomas Zakowski via 500px.com and Tom Gill via lapstrake.blogspot.ca