Frozen in time

Set against the red and orange glow of the sky, the trees carve eerie shapes on the frigid landscape as they buckle under the weight of ice and snow.

They make for unworldly figures as they stand against a magnificent, wintry backdrop in Perm Krai and Sverdlovsk Oblast.

The stunning shots were captured by Russian photographer Sergey Makurin in the Ural Mountains, which extend south from the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

Sergey trekked through sub-zero weather to access an area which is extremely isolated with very few human inhabitants for miles around.

Some of his images show clusters of bent trees, which make it seem like a single tree has been sliced in half. 

Sergey, 45, said: ‘When I was 12 years old I got to see the Ural Mountains for the first time and I was amazed.

‘I felt I had to share this incredible region with the rest of the world.

‘The trees do look eerie and knowing that you are in a very isolated area can sometimes be a little unnerving.’ 

He added: ‘During the winter months the area has so much natural beauty and it can be a comforting thought that you are so far away from anything.

‘It's not always easy to get the perfect shot, and sometimes it takes me hours or even days to get it right.

‘But the shooting process carries me away from everything and I feel at my best when I'm taking pictures of breath-taking natural beauty like the one found in Ural.’ 

(dailymail.co.uk)