RSPCA launch ‘bigger and better’ young photographer competition

The RSPCA is encouraging young photographers to enter its prestigious photo competition – which is set to be bigger and better than ever for the charity’s 200th birthday this year.

The RSPCA Young Photographer Awards has now opened for entries and will close on 15 August 2024.

Celebrity host

Every year, thousands of children and young people with a passion for photography, animals and nature enter the competition which is hosted by wildlife presenter and RSPCA president Chris Packham.

Now budding photographers aged 18 years and under are being asked to submit their photos capturing the animal kingdom on a camera or mobile device as the competition officially opens for entries.

The competition comes as the RSPCA launches its new ‘For Every Kind’ campaign – and the charity hopes the competition will help demonstrate how everyone can create a better world for every kind of animal.

To mark the charity’s 200th birthday, the RSPCA has added two new categories – ‘Better World’ which aims to showcase animals living their best lives and portray what a better world for animals looks like, and ‘City Life’ – which highlights how animals are all around us even where we least expect them and to show how we can live harmoniously together.

RSPCA Chief Executive Chris Sherwood said: “This year is a milestone moment in the RSPCA’s history as we mark 200 years of changing hearts, minds and laws to help improve animal welfare.

“This is why we wanted to make this year’s RSPCA Young Photographer Awards even bigger and better than ever. Photography is such a powerful tool in communicating how all animals have unique personalities and their own feelings and emotions.”

Inspiration

“The Young Photographer Awards is a key part of our role in inspiring everyone to create a better world for every kind of animal. Animals are now facing some of the biggest threats in our history, from climate change to intensive farming, from the cost of living to the effects of the pandemic.

“We want to see a future where all animals are treated with kindness and respect which is why our two new categories help people rethink their relationship with animals, from the fox that visits our gardens, to a cow in a field, to the cat on our lap or the dog by our sides, we want to show how every animal is important.”

Better World

The new ‘Better World’ category will feature photos of animals exhibiting their natural behaviours and showing what a better world for animals could look like.

The aim is to inspire everyone to create a better world for every kind of animal and to show that animals have rich, emotional lives and unique personalities. Examples of these photos could be;

• A cow running through a field

• Fox cubs playing

• A pet rabbit binkying with some bunny friends

• A hedgehog peeking out of a hole in the fence made to let them safely cross the garden

• Birds at a bird feeder

• Bugs in a bug house

City Life

The second new category ‘City Life’ will feature photos of animals who have ventured into towns and cities and live amongst us.

Not all animals live in the countryside, there are plenty of animals all around us, many of which share urban spaces with people.

The aim of these photos is to show something human-made with the animal subject – such as pavements, buildings, railings, traffic lights and more.

It can be artistic, funny, or awe-inspiring and aims to get people thinking about the relationship between animals and spaces designed for humans. Examples of these photos could be;

• A fox standing against a graffiti-covered wall

• A pigeon nesting on top of a corner shop

• A squirrel scavenging in a bin

• A bird landing on the one tree in the area

• Chickens at a city farm

This year’s awards will be judged by a panel of experts in wildlife photography, including wildlife photographer, TV presenter and RSPCA president Chris Packham; wildlife photographer Rachel Bigsby; former competition winner-turned-professional photographer Catriona Parfitt; professional wildlife photographer and photographic guide Ellie Rothnie; and RSPCA photographers Andrew Forsyth and Emma Jacobs.

This year will also welcome new judge Fabian Rivers, an RSPCA ambassador, and an exotics and wildlife vet who appears on CBBC’s The Pets Factor.

Winners in each category will be awarded trophies and a selection of prizes at a ceremony at the Tower of London in December.

To submit your entry, or for more information on the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards, latest news, galleries and photo tips visit: https://young.rspca.org.uk