Melissa N. Robertson, 2026 MUSE Photography Awards Category Winner of the Year, Captures Nature's Smallest Wonders

I am honored to have received multiple awards in this year's MUSE Photography Awards. Among the recognized works, two of my personal favorites are Birthday’s Surprise Frost and Cross and Snowflake.

Birthday’s Surprise Frost captures a beautiful frost formation that appeared on my car window. On the morning of my birthday in December 2023, I awoke to find the glass covered in remarkable icy patterns. This image became my favorite capture of the day. As the season’s first sign of frost and snow, it made the occasion especially memorable.

Cross and Snowflake features a cluster of snowflakes that fell exactly as they appear in the photograph. My journey into snowflake photography began when I started noticing patterns that reflected the story of Jesus Christ. Through nature’s beauty, this image conveys one of the central themes of the Christian faith: Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the promise of redemption, symbolized through snow’s purity and whiteness.

I love the stories behind my photographs. Every image has a story, and I value the opportunity to share those stories with others, hopefully bringing a moment of joy, wonder, or happiness through the beauty of nature.

The photographs that bring me the greatest smiles or capture the most breathtaking moments are often the ones I choose to submit to competitions.

I cannot remember exactly what first inspired me to pick up a camera as a child, other than wanting to document the fish I caught at the lake and every rainbow that appeared after a storm. What I do remember clearly, however, is what inspired me to photograph snowflakes.

One cold, snowy morning, my husband was working from home, and I was caring for two very young children. I needed a few quiet moments away from the constant sounds and demands of motherhood. The snowy outdoors offered the perfect escape. I grabbed my camera and stepped into the crisp winter morning.

As I began photographing the snowflakes I could see, their intricate designs immediately captured my attention. Before long, I was the one running through the house with excitement, eager to share my discoveries with my family. From that day forward, snowflake photography became a passion. To this day, whenever it snows, you can still find me outside with my camera.

I love snowflake photography because every snowflake is unique and full of mystery. I never know what will appear in the camera frame because these intricate details are far too small to be seen with the naked eye.

Beyond their beauty, I am drawn to snowflakes because of the story they represent. To me, they reflect God’s redeeming love through His Son, Jesus Christ. While some snowflakes are used to illustrate specific parts of the biblical narrative, each one serves as a reminder of grace, renewal, and the promise that we are washed white as snow through Christ’s love and sacrifice.

I use a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV paired with a Canon EF 100mm Macro Lens and four Kenko extension tubes. I also use a small photo light to illuminate the area around me while photographing snowflakes, whether I am sitting on the ground or working at my glass table outdoors in the snow.

What I love most about this setup is how closely it allows me to photograph snowflakes without the need for a microscope. I hand-hold the camera and lens, moving from one intriguing snowflake to the next. It is an ideal setup for capturing high-resolution close-up images while maintaining the flexibility to work quickly as conditions change.

I want people to feel joy when they look at my work.

The most challenging part of capturing my macro photographs is keeping the camera steady to avoid blur while ensuring every focal point of the snowflake or frost formation is captured. Because I use focus stacking, it is important to photograph each layer of focus accurately as I move in and out of the subject.

Snowflakes and mountains inspire me the most.

The beauty of God’s creation and the story of Jesus Christ have been my greatest influences. I spend hours in the freezing cold photographing tiny snowflakes because they reflect a story of mercy, love, and faith that I hope others will come to know through my work.

I continue capturing these images, despite having photographed thousands of snowflakes, because I keep discovering new reminders of that story in the smallest details of the natural world.

Photography awards provide a valuable opportunity to share your work with new audiences and have it seen in ways you might never have imagined. Competitions also offer meaningful feedback from unbiased perspectives beyond your usual circle.

Just as importantly, the title and story behind a photograph can be as impactful as the image itself. Always take the opportunity to include a description with your work—it is your chance to share your perspective and connect viewers to the story behind the photograph.

Have fun and experiment with every setting on your camera. Do not worry if your first images are not perfect—we live in a digital world, and you can always delete them and try again.

Step away from automatic mode, switch to manual, and explore the creative possibilities of crafting an image exactly as you envision it from the start. Doing so will also help reduce the amount of editing needed during post-processing.

The largest post-processing step in my workflow is focus stacking. Because I specialize in macro photography, multiple images are combined to create a single final photograph.

Beyond stacking, I try to create the image I envision in-camera, so post-processing is usually minimal. I may make minor adjustments to exposure or noise, but most of the time, the final image closely reflects what I captured in the field.

AI is not something I rely on in my creative process. I prefer to keep my work as natural as possible, focusing on capturing the beauty that already exists in the world around us.

If I ever moved away from snowflake photography, I would love to explore the underwater world through photography. The oceans are filled with incredible beauty, mystery, and life, offering endless opportunities for discovery and storytelling.