Week 50 Winner

The winner of Week 50 of our #52weeksofnature photo contest is Lucas Gilman (@lucasgilman). If your goal is to create a unique one-of-a-kind image, there's no better way to do it than to head north and incorporate Mother Nature's light show, the Northern Lights. Lucas has won a $100 gift code to hippytree.com and we are donating $100 to the Surfrider Foundation in his name. Learn more about Lucas below.

Where was the image shot?
Near Höfn, Iceland, in the southeastern part of the country.

What camera did you use and what were the settings?
Camera: Nikon D850
Lens: Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/60'
Aperture: f/4.5
ISO: 400

Was there any special preparation required to capture the photo?
We drove through the night because there was a small window for the wind and swell to line up. We were jet-lagged and tired. But then we had this moment happen as the blue hour set in and it was all worth it.

How long have you been shooting?
20 years.

What's your camera of choice?
Nikon Z7.

What’s your favorite subject matter to shoot?
I love shooting anything outside - especially telling a story of the scene in one image.

Do you shoot with a crew or shoot solo?
I shoot with a crew often, but I find it most rewarding to pack up the rig and cruise with a buddy and see what adventures we can find.

What excites you about photography?
Producing something new everyday and knowing that things will never be exactly as they were at that moment I opened the shutter.