#52weeksofnature Photo Contest Week 46 Winner
The winner of Week 46 of our #52weeksofnature photo contest is Riley McClaughry (@remcclaughry). Sometimes it takes an entire day of waiting and searching for that special shot, and then just as your about to call it quits that magical moment presents itself. Riley has won a $100 gift code to hippytree.com and we are donating an additional $100 to the Surfrider Foundation in his name. Learn more about Riley below.
Where was the image shot?
Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
What camera did you use and what were the settings?
Camera: Sony a7
Lens: 70-200mm
Shutter Speed: 1/800
Aperture: f/4.0
ISO: 200
Was there any special preparation required to capture the photo?
I spent the day hiking looking for bull elk, but it wasn’t until I was leaving the park that I saw these two fighting at sunset. I pulled over to the side of the road to get the shot.
How long have you been shooting?
I’ve been shooting with GoPros and other action cameras for a while but got my first mirrorless Sony camera in 2017.
What's your favorite subject matter to shoot?
I love photographing and filming black bears in Lake Tahoe. The feeling of being in the wild and seeing animals like that in their natural habitat is amazing to me.
Do you shoot with a crew or shoot solo?
It really depends on the shoot, when I go on big trips I mostly go with a crew of friends, but I also spend a lot of time hiking around Lake Tahoe with just my dog. There are pros and cons to both.
What excites you about photography?
I think the most exciting thing about photography is when you have a dream shot in mind that you’ve been wanting to get for so long, and then it finally all comes together and all the elements align. That’s what happened with my photo of the elk!
