Patience Pays Off For Four Year Old Jack

After his photo wins in Young Nature Photographer of the Year Competition

Four year old Jack Miller, from Chiswick was named as the winner of the ‘Species’ category of the four to eleven age group of the Velvet Young Nature Photographer of the Year Competition, in Association with WWF.

The competition was judged by a panel including representatives from Velvet, WWF and celebrity judge Philippa Forrester.

"Jack took the photo of the Swans at Chiswick Park. He visited the Swans (whilst feeding ducks) every day for two weeks to get the shot he wanted as he wanted the Swans to approach him instead of swimming away." Jack's father told ChiswickW4.

"Jack is tickled pink to have won his age group for his category as he now will be getting his own digital camera as part of prize pack. He started taking photos about a year ago and really seems to enjoy it. Jack also is very much an outside boy and loves animals so he has taken quite a few photos of our pets as ‘practice’."

This is the very first photo competition that Jack, who is in Reception at Grove Park Primary School, has entered. Although he says that he would like to enter some more photo competitions his proud parents have said they will leave it up to him and not going to push him in any way.

Jack, who turned five this month, said “It is fantastic that I won, thumbs up. I love animals and I love taking photos of animals. I hope my new camera will help me take better pictures”.

Speaking about Jack's photo, celebrity judge Philippa Forrester said “When we make wildlife films for the BBC we rely on our wildlife cameramen to have the patience to sit out in the cold and revisit a location time and time again... I love this photo because patience is the hardest thing to master when you are Jack's age.... Great photographers have vision and Jack obviously had a vision in his head of the kind of shot he wanted when he was habituating the swans.”

Philippa has always had a keen interest in conservation and is a long time supporter of WWF. She commented, “Velvet’s photography competition is a fantastic way of encouraging children to get closer to nature. Getting children interested in nature and the environment is so important these days and this fun competition means they can not only win some great prizes, but also develop their photography skills and learn more about species, spaces and conservation at the same time.”

To see highlights of the entries received, visit the online gallery at www.velvetbabymd.com/wwf

January 29, 2008