Chris Packham expecting ‘poignant and powerful’ photos from youngsters as competition opens for entries.
Youngsters are being asked to take photos showing the many ways in which humans can impact animals for a new category of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2018. These include litter, plastics, deforestation, pesticides and pollution.
For the first time, a category exploring ‘The Human Impact on Animals’ will be included in the RSPCA’s photography competition for under 19s.
Wildlife expert Chris Packham and his fellow competition judges will be looking for powerful, imaginative and original photos that focus on the challenges faced by animals.
Naturalist, presenter and judge Chris Packham said: “The recent phenomenal rise in awareness of the terrible effects of plastic and other pollution on animal life is reflected in the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards’ new competition category showing the human impact on animals.
“I’ve seen for myself the heartbreaking impact that plastics in particular are having on our seas and wildlife. It’s an endemic problem which young people are passionate about and also have the power to solve.
“I’m expecting this new category to produce some very poignant, powerful images.”
Every two hours, the RSPCA answers a call about an animal that has been harmed by rubbish, new figures have shown (5,081 in 2017).
Previous competition runner-up Owen Hearn managed to capture the human impact on animals brilliantly in 2014, with his prize-winning image of gannets nesting among bits of rope from nets and fishing debris washed up from the sea.
Another new category in this year’s Awards - ‘Picture Perfect Pets’ - offers young photographers the opportunity to take the best photo possible of their pet. Whether the animal is captured in motion, in portrait, in black and white, in an artistic shot, or doing something that captures their character, the RSPCA wants to see young people’s pet photos.
Chris Packham said: “I have been judging the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards for many years and I am always amazed by the high standard of entries.
“This year I am very excited to see two new categories, a move that should open up the competition to an even wider range of abilities and interests.
“I’m really delighted that there’s a new category for young people’s photographs of their pets, something which is particularly close to my heart.
“Pet photographs could be taken anywhere, whether it’s your home, a garden, a park or woodland or even at a farm.
“This is a such a brilliant competition as it really makes us stop, look at and think about the animals around us. Some of the photos we have seen in past years have captured really magical moments and I’m looking forward to seeing this year’s entries.
“It is great to see so many young people picking up their cameras and having a go. We hope many more will take part this year too.”
The animal charity’s annual photography competition for under 19s opened for entries on Monday 4 June.
Last year, the top prize was taken by 17-year-old Gideon Knight from Ilford, whose winning photo of a little egret feeding in a London park was singled out from thousands of entries. Titled ‘A stab in the dark’, the picture beat off fierce competition from more than 3,500 photographs to win the top prize in 2017.
As well as Chris Packham, the judging panel of photographic experts includes award-winning photographers Andrew Forsyth, Jules Cox, Elliott Neep, Ellie Rothnie and Mark Sissons, along with Philip Warner, MD of printing business Warners Midlands plc, and former RSPCA Young Photographer Awards overall winner Catriona Parfitt.
The overall prize is a weekend photography break from Nature’s Images - ‘Deer and Birds of Prey - UK - 2019’ (worth £890), and up to £600 of camera vouchers from Wex Photographic for the category winners. Winners will also receive a trophy and certificate.
The closing date is 4pm on Friday 17 August. Entrants can submit their images online at: www.rspca.org.uk/ypa/18
For 2018 there are seven categories, of which entrants can enter three with a maximum of 35 photos:
• Under 12 Years
• 12–15 Years
• 16–18 Years
• Portfolio
• Picture Perfect Pets
• The Human Impact on Animals
• Mobile Phone and Devices
The overall competition winner will be chosen by the judges from the winners of each category.
In addition, a selection of photos entered in the Mobile Phone category will be put to the public vote in March 2019 (promoted on the RSPCA website and social media). The photo with the most votes wins the People’s Choice Award.
Winners will be presented with their prizes at an awards ceremony hosted by Chris Packham held at the Tower of London in December 2018.