Wildlife photo experts join judges in finding 2019’s best veterinary shutterbug

Zoologist and wildlife photographer, Victoria Hillman and Guardian Picture Editor, Eric Hilaire are set to join an expert panel of judges for this year’s British Veterinary Association (BVA) Veterinary Photographer of the Year Award.

The two acclaimed photography professionals will form part of a team of judges tasked with choosing the best veterinary photographer for 2019. These include the Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) president, Katie Roberts, Vet Record Assistant Editor, Gill Harris and BVA president, Simon Doherty.

With just two weeks to go until entries close, BVA’s fourth annual photo competition has already received a range of eye-catching images from across the veterinary community. The winning entries will be chosen from two categories which include, ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, covering images from across the animal kingdom, including wildlife, livestock or pets. The ‘One Veterinary Community – #WeAreBVA’ category is looking for the best photograph showcasing veterinary working life through a lens and celebrating the diversity of BVA’s membership.

With a background in zoology and career as a wildlife researcher, Victoria’s passion for photography goes hand in hand with her understanding of and passion for the natural world. She developed her scientific and photographic skills in tandem and is already a judge for the British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) and Bird Photographer of the Year. There will be a chance to get a taste of her work via the BVA Instagram page which will be showcasing her photos for a full week, starting on Monday 18 August.

On judging the award, Victoria said:

“Judging the BVA Photography awards will be an exciting new challenge and I am really looking forward to seeing the entries. As a wildlife researcher and professional photographer, I feel it is important to truthfully portray my subjects in their natural habitats and I always aim to raise awareness with my work, supporting the conservation of wildlife. When judging, I look for images that tell a story and show a real connection with the subject or maybe show a different perspective.”

As Environment, Science and Global Development picture editor at The Guardian, Eric Hilaire is highly experienced in choosing the best in wildlife and environmental science photography and has a broad and eclectic career background, much of which was spent in China. He has previously been a judge for the Wellcome photography awards and is tasked with choosing the well-known ‘Week in Wildlife’ series which appears each week in The Guardian.

On the award, he said:

“I am delighted by the invitation and am happy to share my knowledge in the field of photography. Wildlife photography is important to me as it has the power to document and reveal wild animals in their habitat that are also currently facing a crisis. I am looking for photographs that surprise me by their quality and framing, but that also have a good understanding of animal behaviour.”

The deadline for entries to this year’s competition is midnight on 1 September 2019.  Submissions should promote responsible animal interaction as well as positive animal health and welfare. For more information and to submit photos, please visit the competition page.