RSPCA’s Prestigious Young Photographer Awards Return

News and Info from Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, May 9th, 2023

Aspiring young photographers are being urged to enter the RSPCA’s prestigious national photography competition, now commemorating its 33rd year.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is once again calling for young photographers to showcase their talents. The prestigious RSPCA Young Photographer Awards, now in its 33rd year, are open to budding photographers aged 18 and under.

The competition is open to budding photographers aged 18 and under.

It runs until the 15th of August 2023, welcomed more than 4,000 entries last year, and the judges are eagerly awaiting this year’s submissions.

With ten unique categories – ranging from ‘Pet Personalities’ to ‘Small World’ – there are options for every young photographer, regardless of their interests or access to professional equipment.

TV presenter and wildlife advocate, Chris Packham, a long-term RSPCA supporter and one of the competition’s judges, expressed his enthusiasm.

“I am really excited about the launch of this year’s RSPCA Young Photographer Awards and I hope many young people will get outside and photograph their favourite animals or bugs for this fantastic competition,” he said.

The competition thrives on the diversity of the entries. “We could see pictures of anything, from someone’s family dog to a fox cub out in the wild or a bumble bee in mid-flight,” Packham added, further emphasising the open-ended nature of the competition.

After a successful introduction last year, the ‘Pet Portraits’ category will once again feature in the competition, as well as the inclusive ‘Mobile Phone and Devices’ category. This latter category ensures that everyone has a chance to participate, regardless of whether they own a professional camera.

Andrew Forsyth, a fellow judge and RSPCA photographer, lauded the creativity encouraged by the competition. “We saw some great entries to the ‘Mobile Phone and Devices’ category last year – it really opens up the competition to such an exciting array of photography. We can’t wait to see what we get this year,” he said.

The star-studded judging panel includes wildlife photographers and presenters Chris Packham and Rachel Bigsby, professional wildlife photographers Ellie Rothnie and Andrew Forsyth, and former competition winner-turned-professional photographer Catriona Parfitt.

The Overall Winner will be awarded a weekend photography break with award-winning wildlife photographer Danny Green’s team at Natures Images, a prize valued at £675.

All category winners will also receive trophies. The results will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Tower of London in December 2023, hosted by Chris Packham.

The categories are;