A self-taught photographer, Rona honed her craft through long hikes, breathtaking wildlife encounters, reading and experimentation — learning as much from the animals she photographs as from any technical manual. At the heart of Rona's work is a conviction that animals are not merely subjects but individuals — each with its own personality, relationships, and inner life. Her images are less about capturing exotic spectacles than about bearing witness to those lives with patience, humor and respect. The best encounters, she has found, are mutual ones: moments of genuine reciprocal curiosity between photographer and subject, where the animal is just as interested in her as she is in it. Initially focused on Wisconsin wildlife and conservation, photo tours in South Africa & Costa Rica ignited her passion for wildlife around the globe, and recent travels to Australia & the Arctic have added new chapters to an ever-growing visual story. She is a photographer for Schumacher Farm Park in Waunakee, Wisconsin and the lead photographer and script writer for a series of conservation education films about local birds for Pope Farm Conservancy in Middleton, Wisconsin. In 2020 she won second place in the National Wildlife Federation's annual photography contest out of over 27,000 submissions for the image "The Final Appeal," published in NWF magazine's December 2020 issue. In 2021 her piece "Ukiyo-e" was selected for the Wisconsin Regional Art Program's state exhibit, where it won the Chinese Fine Arts Association award. Permanent displays of her work can be found at the Waunakee Public Library and Schumacher Farm Park's Center for Rural History. Her first solo exhibit debuted at Gallery 800 UBD in Madison in 2022.