“Congratulations, you’ve won.”

For photo contest entrants, this is an eagerly awaited email, recognizing their talent and hard work. From spectacular scenes in far flung locations to intimate, emotional moments, National Geographic photo contests receive powerful, storytelling photos from around the world—and a lucky few photographers walk away named the grand prize winner.

But, what happens after the big day? Does winning change photographers' work and lives? Does winning change the type of imagery photographers create? Before the 2018 National Geographic Photo Contest starts on October 15, we checked back with past photo contest winners to learn how winning a Nat Geo prize impacted their lives and photography.

Bojan captured a stirring image of an orangutan to win