Putney Teen Shortlisted For RSPCA Young Photographer Awards

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One of four youngsters from across London

Photographs taken by four youngsters from across London have made the shortlist of this year's RSPCA Young Photographer Awards.

The picture taken by 15-year-old Fabienne Piolini-Castle, from Putney, shows a young girl cuddling her dog, while 10-year-old Alina Kiewell snapped an oryx at the foot of a sand dune.

The foursome have been included in the annual competition which is to be judged by TV presenter and RSPCA vice president Chris Packham. In total, 31 pictures taken across England have made the shortlist.

Sam Rowley, from Richmond, in Surrey, took a striking silhouette of a chick bathed by sunrise for the image Chough Silhouette, Oscar Dewhurst, 17, from Chiswick, submitted a selection of images which have been shortlisted. They include a picture of a bird flying through tall grass, a weevil on top of a blade of grass and a portfolio selection of bitterns in various poses including hunting, hidden in rushes and chasing crows in the sky.

Judge Chris said:
"It is always a joy to be involved in this competition and seeing both the young talent and enthusiasm for the animal kingdom shine through. One of the things I love about it most is that young people tend to use the resources on their doorstep.

"A lot of adults feel they have to go to Africa and photograph a leopard or something, but kids do not have these options. Most of them have no choice but to stick to their back yard and as a result we see really simple but often very beautiful pictures of garden wildlife like flies, spiders and ants."

The shortlisted images have been divided into three age categories. There are also awards for pet personalities and the portfolio award. Launched last year, the category Making Life Better is for images which best illustrate how animals make people's lives better.

The winners of each group, plus an overall winner, will be revealed at an event on the afternoon of December 14 at the RSPCA's offices in Southwater, Horsham, in West Sussex.

The overall winner will be treated to a specialist three-day wildlife photography break courtesy of Nature's Images and will learn expert tips from award-winning wildlife photographer Danny Green. Other prizes include a range of Olympus equipment.