A photograph of a red squirrel captured mid-scurry has been named the overall winner of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2011.
Taken by 16-year-old Will Nicholls in Keilder Forest, Northumberland, the image also won in the 16-18 category and was described by judge Danny Green as “a very intimate portrait of an elusive creature”.
“The way the light is shining on the squirrel in this picture makes you feel as if it is you, the viewer, who has happened across it. It is very personal, giving you the impression that you are actually there,” Green added.
“This is all the more powerful because the red squirrel is not doing too great at the moment – there has been a massive decline and it is now a very rare species.”
Read the full article published online by the Huffington Post here.
