It’s the holidays so get snapping! This social media category in the RSPCA’s Young Photographer Awards challenges 13-18s to upload animal photos to their Instagram feeds
Young people on Instagram are being challenged to post their favourite animal snaps this summer for the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2021.
The RSPCA’s Instagram photo category is now open to 13 to18 year olds, closing a fortnight later on Monday 2 August (2021).
Photos can be of any animal at all and entrants are being asked to use #RSPCAYoungPhotographers and #YPALoveAnimals on each post to qualify for the competition. Entries will then be shortlisted before a public vote from Monday 9 to Friday 13 August 2021 to decide the RSPCA Insta winner.
The winner of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards on Instagram 2021 will receive a £100 Amazon voucher and a trophy.
Last year’s winner was Elizabeth Lee, from New Malden, Surrey. Elizabeth, who was 13 at the time, entered the RSPCA Instagram category of the photo competition with a picture of her dog, Lucky, surrounded by a field of beautiful purple heather, which was snapped at the Devil’s Punchbowl in Surrey.
Christine Lunn, RSPCA Young Photographer Awards organiser, said: “The summer holidays are a perfect time to get snapping. So whether it’s a photo of a pet, a farm animal or wildlife, we can’t wait to see the best pictures on people’s Instagram feeds. We’re always so impressed with the beautiful photos that get submitted, and we’re asking the public to vote for their favourites to pick the winner.”
The Instagram category is part of the prestigious annual RSPCA Young Photographer Awards which offers young people up to the age of 18 the chance to win amazing prizes – in return for getting snap happy with pets, wildlife and other animals. The closing date for the main part of the Awards is 16 August 2021.
Whether the photo is taken on a mobile device or camera, there’s a category in the main Young Photographer Awards for every age, skill and type of equipment. Three different age-groups (under 12s, 12-15 and 16-18) also mean that all youngsters are in with a chance. Last year, the overall winner in the competition was Jake Kneale, aged 17 at the time, from Pewsey, Wiltshire for ‘Mind Your Head’. His powerful image of a deer ducking under branches while going through a gate was singled out from a record 11,000 entries in 2020.
Chris Packham, long-standing judge for the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards, said: “Whether eight or eighteen years old, this is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get snapping and experience the environment around them.
“We want to see creative photos of people’s pets, farm animals or wildlife – and you won’t need expensive equipment to do that. Last year, we saw some stunning photos taken on mobile devices and we expect many more this time round. It’s imagination we’re after; we want to see pictures that demonstrate the photographer’s creativity and their engagement in the subject.
“This is 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.”
Judges include wildlife photographer and TV presenter Chris Packham, wildlife photographer and former competition winner Catriona Parfitt, professional wildlife photographer and photographic guide Ellie Rothnie, wildlife photographer, filmmaker and previous winner Dani Connor and the
RSPCA’s multimedia manager Andrew Forsyth and senior photographer Emma Jacobs.
Sponsors of the competition are Nature’s Images (wildlife photography holidays), Camtraptions (camera traps for wildlife photography) and Wildlifephoto.com (resources for nature photographers).
The closing date for the Instagram category is Monday 2nd August. Entries for the main part of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards close on 16 August 2021 at 12pm. Entrants can submit their images online at: https://rspca.org.uk/ypa
