Photographer captures the white winter wonderland of icicle laden bridges and frozen lighthouses




The bitter cold of the coast is captured in stunning photographs that show the harsh affect of winter as it freezes every drop of winter.



Ice laden bridges and lighthouses are among the cold weather pictures by Illinois based photographer Tom Gill.



Among the amazing shots is a stunning picture is the 35-tall St. Joseph lighthouse in Michigan.



'The 35 foot tall outer light often receives a thick layer of ice during winter storms. This year was no exception,' Mr Gill writes on his blog about the massive frozen layer covering the lighthouse.



Though the frigid lake that surrounds the lighthouse is frozen, is is quite slippery and the photographer braved the chilling walk to capture the stunning scene.

He managed to make his way right next to the massive ice sculpture and even stood below the icicle laden structure for photograph it from below.



'Probably not a safe place to stay, but worth a bit of risk for such an unusual view,' he said in retrospect.



Ice everywhere: The photographer writes: 'Barely recognizable under a thick coating of ice, the St. Joseph, Michigan outer light, withstands another brutal winter on Lake Michigan. Temperatures dropped near zero, and winds whipped up, causing massive icing on anything near the lake'

Face: Dubbed 'Ice Beard' by the photographer, the twisted strands of ice appear like the face of a Greek god overseeing the bitter winter cold

Sharp: A shot from below shows the icicles appear dagger-like

Blowing in the wind: The photographer shot the formation of ice that froze below the catwalk that leads to the lighthouse, joking that the ice hanging down appears like 'a line of laundry blowing in the wind' Cold: Though must of the ice has melted, the frozen remains still linger. 'Waves frequently washed over the pier on this day, making it dangerous to walk out to the lighthouse, and deadly to walk past the inner light to the outer light. The waves could easily wash a person over the side and into the 33 degree water,' the photographer said of the shoot Barren land: The lighthouse stands over Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, about 60 miles east-northeast of Chicago Winter: Though much of the ice has frozen from the structure, a chill remains as the photographer captures the wintery remain through this ice formation Spring awakening: The sun shines on the lighthouse. As the lake defrosts, the ice slowly begins to melt from the structure So tall: A young boy peers up at the frozen mass covering the 35-foot tall lighthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan





