Bored Panda got to ask a few questions to Vicki Jauron, who won silver in the “Wet” category. She told us that the winning picture was from the most memorable photoshoot she’s ever done: “We had to race across the river hoping that the wildebeest would cross. We could have missed everything but instead just made it in time to be perfectly placed when the herd started heading into the river. I remember every moment of that morning.”

“One of the things I love most about photography is that it’s given me the ability and drive to be out in the wild,” Vicki says. “Oftentimes I can hardly contain myself and can be heard exclaiming the beauty of the animal, making happy sounds and such. It’s thrilling to me and I’m in awe of the world's beauty. I might feel differently if I’m ever faced with a black mamba though.”

When asked about how she felt about winning, Vicki told us: “I never expect to win anything. Sometimes I feel like I have a potential winner, but there are always so many potential winners… I don’t know how the judges do it! But I was absolutely thrilled to win a place. Especially with the quality of the images in this competition.”

As for the future, the talented photographer says: “My aspiration is to have my work help promote a love of nature, particularly in the next generation. I recently published two children’s books dedicated to that purpose featuring shore birds in Long Island. I’m doing some soul searching now on what more I can do and what project to take on next. And of course, I’m always looking to improve my skills and creativity.”