Ryan flies high with RSPCA young photographer awards win
A dramatic photograph capturing a hovering barn owl has been unveiled as the overall winner of this year’s RSPCA Young Photographer Awards (YPA09) – after the successful snapper pipped his twin brother to the top prize.
There was a hint of sibling rivalry at the Tower of London when 18-year-old Ryan Edwards scooped the YPA09 overall winner’s prize, as well as the 12-18 category, with his photograph Golden Flight (below). His twin brother Paul had to settle for runner-up slots in the 12-18 section and the Olympus portfolio prize in the competition, which is sponsored by Olympus and Warners Midlands.
Ryan, from Woodbridge, in Suffolk, received his prizes from BBC One Countryfile presenter Matt Baker, who was also on the judging panel for this year’s awards.
“The standard of entries in this year’s competition was incredible. It has been the hardest competition I’ve ever had to judge because there were so many superb photographs to choose from,” said former Blue Peter host Matt.
He added: “For me it is all about catching the character of the animal and these pictures do exactly that. Some of these photographs would easily hold their own against those taken by professionals.”
Ryan’s prizes include £1,000 worth of Olympus vouchers, an Olympus E-620 D-SLR camera with two zoom lenses and the opportunity to go on an exclusive photo shoot at a unique RSPCA location when he’ll be able to put his new equipment to the test.
“I was lying on the grass to get a photo of a hare when I saw a flutter over my shoulder. It was ‘Amber’, a female barn owl I have been photographing for more than two years, leaving the nest box behind me.
“I had spent the previous two weeks of evenings standing in the corner of the meadow to get a backlit photo like this – and I finally got it,” said Ryan.
Another winner was Lucy Best, whose photograph of her bearded dragon Steg (above) found favour with the public. They voted it winner of the first ever YPA People’s Choice Award, in association with The Sunday Express. The 13-year-old, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was picked ahead of the judges choice Sam Rowley, 15, of Richmond, Surrey, who was crowned winner of the pet personality category. Sam’s photo of his grandmother’s dog Twiggy saw him scoop yet another accolade after he won the 12-14 years category in this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
Someone else celebrating success in this year’s YPA was 11-year-old Tim Bramall, from Staffordshire, who won the under 12 category with his impressive photograph of terns on the hunt for some tasty morsels.
The winner of this year’s Olympus portfolio prize was Lela Penistone, 15, of Escrick, near York. She was praised by the judging panel for her stunning collection of five photographs on a camouflage theme, with subjects including a spider, frog, hoverfly, grasshopper and a caterpillar (left).
There was another first in this year’s competition – the 19th year the RSPCA has held its Young Photographer Awards – when Haydn Shelton, of Ashfordby, Leicestershire, became the youngest ever entrant to make the final. The talented youngster was just five-years-old when he submitted his shot of a golden ringed dragonfly. His success comes just a year after his brother Evan, then aged six, won the under 12 category.
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Notes to editors
For more information and copies of the photographs please contact the RSPCA press office on 0300 123 0244 or email press@rspca.org.uk
Details of winners
Overall winner
Ryan Edwards (18), Woodbridge, Suffolk – Golden flight
Under 12 winner
Tim Bramall (11), Stowe-by-Chartley, Stafford – Scouring sandwich terns
Under 12 runners-up
Dani Watson (12), Roxby, Cleveland – My neighbours
Oscar Ajdukiewicz (8), West Norwood, London – Floating butterfly
Will Jenkins (7), Islington, London – Peek-a-boo
Max Tindall (11), Chewton Mendip, Avon – Bank vole exploring its home
Under 12 highly commended
Joshua Leverett (11), Ilfracombe, Devon – Insect on white flower
Haydn Shelton (6), Ashfordby, Leicestershire – Golden ringed dragonfly
Ria Mukherjee (11), Stafford – Flying greylag geese
Sophie Wilcox (10), Clevedon, Somerset – Viper in wait
12-18 winner
Ryan Edwards (18), Woodbridge, Suffolk – Golden flight
12-18 runners-up
Ted Winder (14), Nutfield, Surrey – Midnight fox
Timothy Hancox (18), Timperley, Cheshire – Homing in
Jodie Henderson (14), Swindon – Smile for the camera
Paul Edwards (18), Woodbridge, Suffolk – Hungry stoat
12-18 highly commended
Stevie May (14), Swansea – Just looking
Joshua Cunliffe (18), Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire – Under the elephant
Curtis Fowler (16), Barry, South Glamorgan – Angered
Pet Personalities winner
Sam Rowley (15), Richmond, Surrey – The old football
Pet Personalities highly commended
Jon McGovern (16), Breadsall, Derby – Mischief
Annabelle Thomas (13), Watford – Don’t go into the light
Lucy Best (13), Coulsdon, Surrey – Walking with dinosaurs
Lauren Roberts (14), Swindon – Topsy the tortoise
Lydia Bradford (14), Stamford, Lincolnshire – It’s a hard life being as cute as this
Charlie Robinson (15), Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
Joanne Faulkner (13), High Wycombe – Peek-a-boo
People’s Choice Award winner
Lucy Best (13), Coulsdon, Surrey – Walking with dinosaurs
Olympus Portfolio Prize winner
Lela Penistone (15), Escrick, York
Olympus Portfolio Prize runner-up
Paul Edwards, (18), Woodbridge, Suffolk
Olympus Portfolio Prize highly commended
Eloise Adler (17), Sheffield
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