Week 48 Winner
The winner of Week 48 of our #52weeksofnature photo contest is Devon Matthews (@dev_shoots). There are those memorable interactions in nature when you point the camera lens at wildlife and the animal stops and stares right back at it. This is one of those special moments captured on an empty desert highway outside of Overton, Nevada. Devon has won a $100 gift code to hippytree.com and we are donating $100 to the Surfrider Foundation in his name. Learn more about Devon below.
Where was the image shot?
Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada.
What camera did you use and what were the settings?
Camera: Nikon D3400
Lens: Nikon 70-300mm
Shutter Speed: 1/500
Aperture: f/7.1
ISO: 200
Was there any special preparation required to capture the photo?
No, this was spur of the moment. I was actually shooting something else when my buddy said they saw something cross the road and just as I looked in that direction I saw this bighorn sheep. I started walking down the road and all of a sudden the sheep started slowly making its way across the road again. As soon as it got to the middle it stopped and looked at me. I raised my camera up and nailed the shot!
How long have you been shooting?
I have been shooting for about two years now.
What's your camera of choice?
As of right now my d3400. For an entry level camera it bangs!
What’s your favorite subject matter to shoot?
I love shooting at night, especially stars and the northern lights. I saw the northern lights in person for the first time last Fall and I’ve been obsessed ever since.
Do you shoot with a crew or shoot solo?
Both. However, I find that I can get into my shots more when I’m solo.
What excites you about photography?
When I go on a trip or see something beautiful I always have trouble explaining the memory in a way that truly does it justice. Being able to capture that memory and allow people to feel what I felt in the moment is what I find exciting about photography.
