Heart Valve Voice Second Annual Photography Competition

Heart Valve Voice and The Royal Photographic Society are excited to be launching the second annual instalment of ‘Patient Portraits: A New You’, a photography competition encouraging keen amateur photographers to capture heartfelt moments in time and convey the quality of life many patients experience after treatment for heart valve disease. The images captured will help raise awareness of heart valve disease, its prevalence and symptoms and educate audiences that with appropriate treatment, patients can return to a good quality of life.

“Following the success of last year’s photography competition, we are pleased to work with Heart Valve Voice to celebrate quality of life after valve disease treatment though the medium of photography once again,” said Dr Harry Hall, MA and Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.

The competition invites anyone over the age of 18 to register their interest by submitting five images that, when viewed together, tell a story along with a short written statement about how they would show a patient’s quality of life after treatment for heart valve disease through a photographic documentary. Eleven regional entries will be chosen by an independent selection panel made up of photography experts, clinicians and patients. The chosen photographers will then be paired up with a heart valve disease patient from their local area and be tasked with photographing and documenting heartfelt moments that show what life after heart valve disease means; through the eyes of the patient.

Wil Woan, Chief Executive, Heart Valve Voice said, “Sharing photographs that depict patients living their lives to the max and enjoying every moment they have post-treatment will hopefully inspire people to increase their understanding of heart valve disease, the symptoms to look for and the treatment options available.”

"The Heart Valve Voice photography competition was an amazing experience for me.” said last year’s overall winner Eric Etchart. “Getting to view Alan's [Tancred] active lifestyle and being able to capture his passion for dance was a privilege. It showed me that heart valve disease doesn't need to restrict how much fun you can have! Awareness of valve disease is an important step to getting back peoples' quality of life. I’m so happy that I was able to share these photographs and most importantly Alan’s story.”

The finalist photographic documentaries will be exhibited at the Houses of Parliament as part of the National Final where the overall winners will be announced.

“The images from last year’s competition really captured the message that we’re trying to get across at Heart Valve Voice - that a diagnosis of heart valve disease doesn’t have to mean a death sentence,” says Chris Young, Heart Valve Voice Chairman and Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London. “With the right treatment at the right time patients can return to their lives as good as, if not better, then before their diagnosis.”

For more information on the competition: https://www.heartvalvevoice.com/photo-competition