The camera can see things that the eye can't. This photograph was made with a 1/4 sec. shutter speed. As a result the paths of water drops become streaks and the splashes multiply as if the water was boiling. A telephoto lens was used, compressing the apparent distance between the mounds of built-up ice, emphasizing their height. You wouldn't have seen this picture by eye, and it takes some time to develop the imagination to guess what the camera would see. One benefit of a digital camera is that you can see what the image looks like immediately after the exposure. (This picture was made with a traditional 35mm film camera)
This picture was made a number of years ago and unfortunately this fountain no longer exists. It was on Terminal Avenue in Vancouver about 3 blocks east of Main Street.