Nick Kanakis's Image

Nick Kanakis (USA) sheds light on the beauty of a space reclaimed by nature.

Lighting was the greatest challenge when photographing this black-tailed rattlesnake. With the foreground in shade, Nick had to set up a flash without disturbing the sunbathing snake as it stretched out among the crumbling remains of a wall in an abandoned settlement on a ridge in Arizona's Huachuca Mountains.

Located within a biodiversity hotspot, the settlement was abandoned more than a century ago and has been reclaimed by nature. Thanks to their rich variety of climates and ecological diversity, the Huachuca Mountains are home to more than half of all bird species in North America and the most species of reptiles, mammals and ants anywhere on the continent.

The region is suffering from a three-decade-long drought and rising temperatures - symptoms of the climate emergency. The resulting reduction in groundwater and increase in the frequency of catastrophic wildfires is changing the flora of the region, which in turn will limit the range of species such as the black-tailed rattlesnake.