all competitions

#contest all competition - The Free Photo Competition 2011 (12-15 years) brief

This category is for anyone aged between 12 and 15 years old on 5th September 2011.

If you love taking photos then why not put your skills to good use and create some amazing shots of animals. Even if you’ve never taken a photo before you might be surprised to find you’re a natural – why not give it a go!

We’re looking for fantastic photos of the animals around you – striking, moving or quirky images that tell a story about a particular animal and show their behavioural characteristics. Most of all it’s about celebrating animals and demonstrating your understanding about what makes them interesting or exciting!

The Free Photo Competition 2011 (12-15 years) prizes

* The winner of the 12-15 category will receive an exclusive photoshoot at an RSPCA centre, a Young Photographer Award Trophy, an Olympus SZ 30 camera, a certificate and a special goody bag, plus a £50 voucher to spend at the finest toy shop in the world, Hamleys.

* The runner up in the 12-15 category will receive an Olympus VR 310 camera , a certificate and a special goody bag.

* Highly commended finalists will receive a certificate and a special goody bag.

* All finalists will be invited to the award ceremony on 16th December at the Tower of London, where wildlife presenter and film maker, Simon King OBE, will present the awards.

Getting started The Free Photo Competition 2011 (12-15 years)

It doesn’t matter whether it’s on your garden, local park or a trip to Africa – there are animals all around us! We’re looking for photos that have been well considered and capture a particular mood or atmosphere. When you’re thinking about what you’d like to photograph, consider the following ideas:

* Location – is there a place or area that inspires you? It could be your back garden, a local park or anywhere you go to see wildlife, farm animals or pets.

* Animal – do you love a particular farm or wild animal or have a favourite pet that you think is particularly photogenic? Maybe you like watching birds in flight or waiting patiently to spot a fox?

* Theme – is there an idea or theme you’d like to focus on? This could be anything like water, air, land or mammals, animal protection or movement.

* Mood – you can create a variety of moods or atmospheres, depending on how you take the photo. Maybe you like dark brooding compositions, or bright and airy surroundings with lots of movement!


There’s loads more advice from Chris Packham and RSPCA Chief Photographer, Andrew Forsyth in our photo tips section.


Check out our galleries section for inspiration and to see all the finalist photos from previous years.


Please remember that whilst we love receiving your great images we don't want you to put yourself in any danger getting that perfect shot, so when you are out and about snapping please don't ever put your safety at risk.

Entering the competition


So, if you're between 12 and 15 years old on 5 September 2011 then you can to enter this category. You can enter a maximum of five photos in this category, so choose them wisely.


Don't forget to include a description about your photo. This will be displayed if your picture is a finalist, so say where you took the photo, why you took it and give any details you think are amusing or tell the photo's story.


A quick rundown of some of the rules...

* Entry is free.

* Don’t photoshop or change your image, we like them just the way they are.

* Make sure you have taken the photo you entered; entering someone else’s photo is not allowed.

* If you are aged 16 or under you will be asked for a parents/guardians e-mail address when you register. An e-mail will then be sent to your parent or guardian with a link to activate your account and agree to the rules, without this you won’t be able to upload photos.

* Only create one account, if you create more than one you may be disqualified.

* Upload the biggest file you have of your photo, but no bigger than 10MB.

* Please give each photo a title and write a description, these are used at the judging stage and are helpful to the judges to understand your thoughts behind your photo.

* Remember that when a photo is uploaded it is entered into the competition and cannot be changed.

* Make sure you upload your pictures before 00.01am on Tuesday 6 September 2011 (GMT) otherwise it will be too late.

Free Photo Competition 2011 (12-15 years) website: http://ypa.rspca.org.uk/categories/12-15-years/