A SWAN preening its feathers in Leamington’s Jephson Gardens has won a top prize in the prestigious RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2021.
The striking photo, entitled ‘A Headless Swan?’, was taken by 17 year-old Leamington resident Jacob Rheams, who was named runner-up in the competition’s 16-18 category after being singled out from more than 6,500 entries.
Every year, the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards invites youngsters aged 18 years and under to capture the animal kingdom on a camera or a mobile device.
Jacob said: “I have travelled to many amazing destinations around the world to see unique and exotic species, but this image really just shows how some of the best photos and animal experiences can come from those species found on your doorstep.
“To capture the photo, I sat by the side of the river Leam watching a pair of mute swans feeding and preening. I managed to capture this particular photo right at the moment the swan’s head disappeared behind its wing, giving a unique and arty image.”
This year’s awards were blind-judged online by a panel of experts in wildlife photography, including photographer and TV presenter and RSPCA vice president Chris Packham.
Also on the panel were 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.
Visit young.rspca.org.uk/ypa/home to see all the winning photos.
