In pictures: The wildlife photography exhibit that attracted over 48,000 entrants worldwide

A breathtaking photograph of Laig Bay, on the Isle of Eigg, and a young Scottish 
photographer’s image of a seabird in Iceland are included in a remarkable collection of 
wildlife pictures due to go on display in October. Here, we take a snapshot of the exhibition, 
the result of a photography competition that attracted 48,000 entries worldwide

AN INTIMATE portrayal of a relaxing monkey with beads of water on its brow and a shot of a furtive lion hiding in a tree at night are some of the extraordinary images featuring in a new exhibition.

A collection of pictures taken as part of the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year award will go on show at the Natural History Museum in London in October before touring the UK.

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The photographs shown here provide a snapshot of the images which were commended by judges of the annual photography prize.Now in its 48th year, the competition, open to amateurs and professionals, attracts more than 48,000 entries from across the globe, and is owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide.

Among the judges’ favourites was an image by Fortunato Gatto of Laig Bay on Eigg, and a shot of a fulmar at Skógafoss waterfalls, in Iceland, taken by Scottish photographer Sam Cairns.

“The bird seemed tiny against the dark background of the massive falls and was exactly what I needed to convey the atmosphere of this elemental place,” said Cairns, 16, who is based in the Cairngorms.

Another image commended by the judges was by German photographer Klaus Tamm of some unusual-looking insects. Tamm was holidaying near Étang-Salé-les-Hauts on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion when he spotted the neriidae flies. “Every so often, a couple of males would take a break from feeding and engage in a kind of combat dance that involved spinning around each other,” he said. “I was so impressed by the dance that I ended up photographing them for several hours.”

The images shown here are part of a collection of 100, which will go on display when the exhibition opens on 19 October. The exhibition then embarks on a UK and international tour, which is expected to attract one million visitors worldwide.