A collection of photographs from winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition comes from two venerable institutions of the United Kingdom: the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide. For 49 years, this prestigious exhibition has drawn submissions from around the world. Being shortlisted is something to which nature photographers around the world aspire and every year new talent competes with established names for a chance to become Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

The Masters of Nature Photography features ten breathtaking portfolios from ten of the world’s top nature photographers: 120 stunning photographs in all. Selected specifically for this book, the images reflect the photographers’ unique talents and perspectives and showcase an incredible variety of subjects and styles, from striking animal portraits and arresting landscapes to underwater photography.

The Wildlife Photographers of the Year featured in this stunning book are:

• Jim Brandenburg
• David Doubilet
• Pal Hermansen
• Frans Lanting
• Thomas E. Mangelsen
• Vincent Munier
• Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols
• Paul Nicklen
• Anup Shah
• Christian Ziegler.

Running twenty pages each, the 10 portfolios includes a profile of the photographer, describing the style of his photography as well as his influences and aims. Captions describe why the pictures are special to the photographer as well as telling the stories behind them. Also including details of the equipment used, this is a sumptuous gift for nature lovers and professional and amateur photographers.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is an international showcase for the very best photography featuring natural subjects. It has been the leading event of its kind for nature photographers since it was founded in 1965 with three categories and about 500 entries. Since then, there have been more than 48,000 entries from over 98 countries. The photographs are judged by a panel of experts and the winning and commended selections are exhibited at the Natural History Museum, where over the next year, millions of people will view them. The exhibition tours worldwide, attracting more than a million visitors.