Perhaps best known as VangoPhotos, my full name is Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven.
When you look at my last name, you see why I felt the need to abbreviate it. :-)
I love wildlife and most of all: keeping wildlife wild. Born in Belgium (Europe), I moved to the United States in 2003. After spending the next 15 years stuck in an office working as a computer engineer, I switched careers and now spend my time living full-time on the road traveling to wildlife destinations and writing about all things wildlife related, mostly with an emphasis on conservation and sustainable wildlife tourism. After all: what good is a 'pretty' picture if you're not helping the animal and its environment?
Highlights of recent photography trips include the American West, Canada, Alaska, the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Future dream destinations include extended road trips to Mongolia and Russia's Kamchatka area, and, a road trip from the U.S. to Ushuaia, Argentina, documenting wildlife and conservation issues and successes along the way.
Having graduated as a Certified Professional Photographer (New York Institute of Photography), I took my first steps into professional photography as a wedding and portrait photographer in 2013 but soon discovered my true passion for wildlife photography. I switched from my I.T. career into full-time wildlife photography and writing in 2018.
My photography and articles have been published in online and offline publications, including BBC Wildlife, CNN, Destination:Wildlife, Arizona Highways, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's Bugle, The Times, CNN Travel, ABC, The Weather Channel, PetaPixel, Insider.com, Mashable, CNET, The Telegraph, Cowboy State Daily and JH News and Guide.
I am currently a writer and photographer at PetaPixel and Destination:Wildlife. I have written several books on photography and my travels.
My photography has won awards in various competitions, including:
- In 2023, I won several awards in one of the world's largest competitions, 35 AWARDS, for the 4th year in a row.
One of my images was selected to be included in the annual catalogue and I was awarded for the third time (following my previous awards in 2019 and 2022) as a Top Wildlife Photographer in the World.
Additionally, I was awarded as a Top 35 Photographer in the USA (across all categories). (click here for details)
- Predators Photography Contest 2023. (click here for details)
- Tamron and Outside (National Park Trips) Photography Competition 2022. (click here for details)
- Wyoming Outdoor Council 2022 annual photo contest. (click here for details)
- Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 Finalist. (click here for details)
- In 2022, I won several awards in one of the world's largest competitions, 35 AWARDS, for the 3rd year in a row.
One of my images was selected to be included in the annual catalogue and I was awarded for the second time (following my award in 2019) as a Top 35 Wildlife Photographer in the World.
Additionally, I was awarded as Top 35 Photographer in the USA (across all categories). (click here for details)
- Wyoming Outdoor Council 2021 annual photo contest. (click here for details)
- Nikonians, the Worldwide Home for Nikon Photographers, selected my image as Editor's Choice in the summer of 2021. (click here for details)
- In 2021, I won several awards in one of the world's largest competitions, 35 AWARDS, for the 2nd year in a row. One of my images was selected to be included in the catalogue and I was awarded as one of the 100 Great Photographers of 2020, Great Wildlife Photographer and Top 35 Photographer in the USA (across all categories). (click here for details)
- Wyoming Outdoor Council 2020 annual photo contest (click here for details)
- First Northern Bank of Wyoming 2020 annual photo contest (click here for details)
- One of the world's largest competitions, 35 AWARDS, awarded me as a Top 35 Wildlife Photographer in the World and Top 35 Photographer in the USA (across all categories) in 2020. One of my images was selected to be included in the catalogue. (click here for details)
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Nikonians, the Worldwide Home for Nikon Photographers, selected my "Fall Aspen" Elk image as a Top Annual Wildlife Image (click here to see the image)
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