Some photographers wait for weeks in order to catch that one great action shot, others have simply seen an opportunity, grabbed a camera and produced a unique picture of the natural world. The annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum (runs until 11 April 2010) shows new perspectives on familiar creatures and quirky corners of nature. Tragic shots of ruined landscapes provide a sharp contrast with, say, a cute close-up of a cuddly barn owl. The high profile competition is the most prestigious and successful event of its kind in the world. It is open to amateur and professional photographers and each year a panel of wildlife and photography experts scrutinise around 30,000 entries from a global pool for their composition and originality. The photos are, by turns, touching, inspiring, educational and tragic, but all of them provide an insight into a magical natural world. This is a stunning exhibition.
You can browse all the 2009 winning and commended images by clicking on the word wildlife
The 2010 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition opens on 11 January 2010.