Week 19 Winner

The winner of Week 19 of our #52weeksofnature photo contest is Steph Belt. It’s not often you see cacti covered in snow. Steph was lucky enough to have her camera on hand while camping in the Superstition Wilderness to capture this rare weather phenomena. Steph has won a $100 gift code to hippytree.com and we are donating $100 to the Access Fund on her behalf. Learn more about Steph below.

Where was the image shot?
The image was captured while camping in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona on New Year's Day 2015. We drove in after dark on New Year's Eve. We almost canceled the trip due to the weather, but knew of a spot that would provide some coverage from the rain so we decided to go anyway (even when some of our friends told us we were crazy). We stayed up all night watching the rain turn to snow around our campfire. None of us could sleep with such a rare view. As soon as the sun started to rise I grabbed my camera and headed out into the snow. I spent the entire morning taking photos and then we all went in our tents and finally were able to sleep.

What camera did you use and what were the settings?
Camera: Nikon D7100
Lens: Nikon AF-S 50mm
Shutter Speed: 1/320
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 640

Was there any special preparation required to capture the photo?
Not really, no. I definitely wasn’t expecting a snowstorm or the view we had that morning.

How long have you been shooting?
I've been shooting since 2012.

What excites you about photography?
My favorite part is traveling to new places with the goal of getting a shot I've never taken before.

What’s your favorite subject matter to shoot?
Anything and everything nature, anything outdoors (waterfalls, trees, wildlife, canyons, meadows, etc.).

Do you shoot with a crew or shoot solo?
I prefer shooting with friends. I like the company and each person has a unique vision that helps to inspire.