The British Isles is home to a huge variety of fauna and flora, ranging from the majestic (red deer) to the ultra cute (harvest mouse) and downright revolting (hagfish). Whatever they look like, there’s space for them in the stunning images produced for the annual British Wildlife Photography Awards, which celebrates the work of our nature photography talent. This year’s entries come from all over the country, with squirrels from Bedfordshire, owls from Wales and toads from Scotland all making it into the finals.
Now in its third year, the judges for the 2011 Awards included Ben Osborne, one of the UK’s top nature photographers, the National Trust Magazine’s Sue Herdman and Tom Hind of world-leading photo agency, Getty Images. ‘These images open our eyes to the wonders of our own biodiversity, not just the well-loved wildlife in our prime and protected nature reserves, but the common species that share our own immediate patch, perched in our gardens, sliming over our doorsteps or eating our petunias,’ comments naturalist, Nick Baker, in the introduction to the book accompanying the Awards. ‘All have their beauty, their form and their function.’ Even the hagfish.
All images from the awards are included in the book, British Wildlife Photography Awards: Collection 2 (£25, AA Publishing). To buy a copy, go to www.theaa.com
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