Nature Category Winner: Aaron Feinberg

Aaron Feinberg often uses Photoshop to enhance or refine the landscapes he photographs, but for this awe-inspiring shot, Mother Nature did all the work for him. Based on the island of Kauai, Feinberg had witnessed this type of wave on the Na Pali coast only a few times. "When the surf is big enough, the wave splashes against the back of a rock, collides with an incoming wave and shoots up," he explains. Early one evening last year, Feinberg decided to stake out his shot, and after two hours on a rock with his Canon, he caught the translucent blue-green water at its most explosive moment. He named the shot, appropriately enough, Kaboom!

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• Training: Self-taught
• Other area of expertise: He holds a degree in atmospheric sciences, and his understanding of weather and tidal patterns comes in handy for planning landscape shots.
• Inspired by: Photo-sharing websites like deviantart.com, because you see what others are doing and get instant feedback on your own work
• Best advice: Shoot, shoot, shoot. It's like the old monkeys-typing- Shakespeare saying - eventually you'll get something good.
• Website: afeinphoto.com