Ice as you've never seen it before - PHOTO

As an ice storm swept the Midwest and East Coast this week, cooped-up photographers took the opportunity to take a closer look at Mother Nature's gift.From branches coated in ice to snowflakes suspended in air, their up-close views revealed beauty you can't see from afar.Some iReporters used macro photography, sometimes called extreme close-up photography, the practice of capturing larger-than-life versions of objects. It's like seeing the intricate details of a bee, or a flower, in a photo that's greater than life-size.Photographers like Candice Trimble of Front Royal, Virginia, used a special macro lens to focus in on one part of the image. Everything else in the photo falls out of focus, creating a blur, which photographers call bokeh.Another way to achieve the macro look is to use extension tubes. Landscape photographer Kristen Meister used these tubes, along with a macro lens, to magnify the image even more.Whether you're stuck at home due to the wintry weather or you're looking for an escape to an icy wonderland, we'd like to see your up-close images of ice and snow near you. Share your photos and please tell us how you've been affected by the weather.(CNN)ANN.Az