Why not try exploring your creative side through photography?

BVA’s Veterinary Photographer of the Year competition is now open, and is a fantastic opportunity to explore your creative side, try something new, and even find some balance and grounding in our hectic veterinary lifestyles.

I’ve been dabbling with photography over the last few years, using my phone to capture moments of beauty that I come across every day. Being more aware of what’s around me and seeing the beauty we are often too distracted to notice has really helped me to connect with the present moment and feel more gratitude.

I started combining photography with running as a way to record some of the beautiful countryside I explored - plus, it gave me an opportunity to have a few seconds’ break to catch my breath! I think we are uniquely lucky as vets to have such photogenic subjects too. Whether that’s at home playing with our pets if we’re lucky enough to have them, out on a dog walk with friends, or in the surgery if the owners are happy for us to take some snaps of our patients. I feel uniquely privileged to work in a zoo, so I challenge myself on lunch breaks to walk around and try to capture moments with these magnificent and charismatic animals.

I think many people worry about where to start with photography – my advice would be just have a go! It’s not until you begin taking photos and looking at them afterwards that you can start to appreciate which shots work, and which don’t quite make the cut. I think BVA’s competition is a great way to inspire you to explore your passion or try something new.

To get you started, here are my top five tips to help you get the perfect shot!

Think about lighting

The play of light on an image really makes the difference between an epic shot, and something that’s just ok. Play around with shooting at different times of day, such as ‘golden hour’ – the hour before sunset, which produces beautiful warm colours. Or try shooting a subject - for example, a cat you come across on a walk down the street, backlit on a sunny day where the sunshine illuminates a halo of fur behind your furry subject. 

Don’t zoom too far!

It’s important to be aware that on our phones, after a certain amount of ‘optical’ zoom, the cameras just zoom in digitally. When this happens, they lose some of the quality of the image. It’s ideal to keep in the optical zoom range, which on most phones is 2x. Remember, you can always crop the photo later.

Keep your eyes and your mind open

We are surrounded by opportunities for photography. Even as I write this on a train, on my commute, on a very frosty morning, the sun is rising to my left illuminating the sky in a myriad colours. Ok, so shooting through a train window at speed isn’t going to produce the best picture, but I’ll be mindful to look at the sky when I disembark to see whether there’s still an opportunity for a nice shot with the crescent moon. Even if you’re stuck inside or the weather’s awful, there can be opportunity for creating beautiful pictures. Try a close-up of some everyday objects, or look at the textures in your home to create more abstract imagery. Some of the most beautiful abstract art shots are of everyday objects. Have a play and see what works.

Tell a story

Photography, ultimately, is a way to communicate. Whether that’s to capture a moment in time, to share beauty, or to share an experience - it’s all about telling a story. You want to make the observer really feel something when they look at your image. The best photos are the ones that achieve this – they look at the shot, and within milliseconds they smile, laugh, or feel impacted in some way.

This year, our categories are ‘Vets at work’, ‘All creatures great and small’, and ‘Happy pets that make us smile’. Think about the emotion you are wanting to create in the observer when you take the shot. Do you want them to feel happy and laugh? Astonished by the majesty of the animal? Or have them really feel the reality of working as a vet? Have a go, share with your friends, and see how the photos make you all feel.

Remember, photography is an art form

This means that to a large extent, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. There will be images that some people put on their wall for years that others wouldn’t take a second look at. The main thing is to take the photos that you want to take, and find your own style. As long as you’re enjoying the process and the images you make, that’s the most important part. The practice of keeping our eyes open to the beauty and stories of the human experience around us, while also trying something creative, is in itself very rewarding and helps keep us grounded and mindful in a chaotic world.

Now, all that remains is for me to say good luck, have a go, and enjoy!

See more of Justine's photography on Instagram.

BVA’s Veterinary Photographer of the Year

Whether you're a keen photographer or enjoy a snap on your smart phone, all BVA members are invited to show off their photography skills and enter one or all of this year’s three competition categories:

• Vets at work
• All creatures great and small
• Happy pets that make us smile

Entries close 5pm, Sunday 12 March. Finalist will receive a complimentary ticket to BVA Live, where our winners will be announced and receive a £250 John Lewis voucher. 

This competition is kindly sponsored by iM3 Dental.