Your Take Today: USA Today's top reader photo

Contributor Tana Congi enjoys seeing the beauty the world has to offer.

When temperatures heated up last week, Congi decided to take a hike.

Congi captured this icy shot using her Olympus E420 DSLR at the Saylorville Spillway near Des Moines.

"I always shoot my photos raw as opposed to using any filters at the time I take them because that leaves me with more editing options later," she said.

Congi made some minimal edits using Photoshop.

She said the hardest part of capturing this moment was trying to stand on the slippery rocks covered in thawing, icy mud.

"I loved how the ice seems to be standing so proud above the water, letting us know it wasn't ready to head downstream just yet."

Her photo advice: Take the time to look at the things around you, there's always going to be something new or something you haven't noticed before.

"I just let nature take me by the hand and let her lead me wherever she may," Congi said.

Find all of her Your Take photos on her contributor's profile.

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