21 Apr 2021
Vets capture the joy of animals and realities of working during lockdown for annual photography award.
James Westgate
Job Title
Specialist equine vet Adele Williams won first place in the “A vet’s life in lockdown” category with her photograph entitled “A new working normal: multitasking to new levels”.
The winners of the BVA’s Veterinary Photographer of the Year have been announced.
A total of nine entries were chosen in three categories from 605 entries for the competition, which is sponsored by iM3 Dental.
Specialist equine vet Adele Williams won first place in the “A vet’s life in lockdown” category with her photograph illustrating some of the challenges for those working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Entitled “A new working normal: multitasking to new levels”, the image shows Cornwall-based vet Dr Williams nursing her baby while working on online referral reports, with another laptop balanced on a nearby desk.
Dr Williams said: “Initially during lockdown, our baby daughter and four-year-old son were at home, and as the breadwinner I had to carry on working.
“It was a challenging time juggling being a mummy while trying to work at the same time. This photo captures a moment when our baby girl, who was still breastfeeding, needed a feed and I had to get on with work.”
The winner of the “All creatures great and small” category was Staffordshire-based vet and relief milker Ellie Dudson with her atmospheric photograph of a cow standing proud on a sunny afternoon in a parlour, entitled “In the spotlight”.
She said: “I was delighted when I found out I had won. I took the photo in the middle of afternoon milking on a cold, frosty day in January. In the winter, the sun sets perfectly just at the entrance to the parlour and on a clear day it creates an amber glow against the steam created from the warmth of the cows. It was just perfect timing, I got my phone out and snapped the shot.”
The third and final category, named “Happy pets that make us smile”, was topped by vet student Harriet Williams with her image entitled “In expectant anticipation of a tennis ball”.
The judging panel selected the photograph – showing an energetic fox red Labrador retriever on the beach looking upwards in excitement – as the overall winner.
On her entry, Miss Williams, a fourth-year student at the University of Surrey, said: “I really love this photo. I was on holiday in Croyde in Devon in summer 2019. My cousins were all coasteering within this little cove, and I was charged with taking photos of them all in action due to an injury at the time. Naturally, animals are my preferred subject, so once this energetic fox red lab bounced down the cliff path for a swim, I was easily distracted.”
A vet’s life in lockdown
All creatures great and small
Happy pets that make us smile
Expert panel
The competition was judged by a panel made up of veterinary experts, as well as guest judge and professional wildlife photographer Aaron Gekoski.
He said: “The competition received a wide array of entries, including some strong shots highlighting life as a veterinarian during COVID-19. Judging was no easy task and involved plenty of healthy debate as we decided on the worthy winners. Thanks to all my fellow judges – it was a pleasure to be part of the process. But most of all, thank you to all those who continue helping animals in the face of adversity.”
The winning images, as well as those that were highly commended, will be displayed in the BVA members area at London Vet Show 2021, and are available to view on the BVA website.
