As a photographer, I often feel like I need to travel to a beautiful location in order to take epic pictures – but a photograph by Beth Mancuso, the first ever Sony Alpha Female+ Creator of the Year, reminds me that beautiful images can happen literally in our own backyards.
Every week, the Alpha Female+ group awards a micro-grant to a photographer. But this year Sony also asked photographers to vote for their favorite image of the micro-grant winners from the past year, selecting Mancuso as the Creator of the Year for her image of a tiny treefrog nestled into the petals of a dahlia.
This is the first time the group has recognized a Creator of the Year, taken from all the entries between April 01 2024 through March 31 2025.
Mancuso (@intothewild.wego) is both a Minnesota-based photographer and a gardener, as well as a photography educator and the founder of Women’s Photography Circle. Her winning image originally won for a “The Little Things” micro-grant back in April.
Her winning image combines her passions for photography and gardening. Mancuso explained that she captured the image inside her own garden. She used an f/16 aperture to help the frog and flower remain sharp while so close to the tiny creature.
“Winning the Creator of the Year award is a huge honor,” she said. “It motivates me to keep creating and, just as importantly, to keep encouraging other women to pursue their creative passions too.
“As a longtime Sony user and fan, it’s incredibly meaningful to be recognized by a brand I respect so much. It confirms I’m on the right path and pushes me to keep doing the work.”
While the winning image was captured in her own backyard, Mancuso now travels as she leads photography workshops. She spent more than a decade as a successful portrait photographer before pivoting to photography education in 2019.
Her work has been featured by National Geographic, ABC News, Sony, Tokina, Outdoor Photographer, Tamron, Midwest Living, Minnesota Monthly and more.
"To me, the Sony Alpha Female community is about more than photography, it’s about shifting the narrative and creating space for women to thrive creatively,” she added.
“What sets it apart is how supportive the community is. I’m proud to be part of a group that values collaboration, representation, and connection."
The Sony Alpha Female+ micro-grants are awarded on weekly themes shared in the Facebook Group. The group also awarded category awards and honorable mentions to Susan Brudd, Anne Zamerim, Tiffany Yang, and Tracey Wood, which can be viewed on the Sony Alpha Universe website.
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