The winners of the internationally acclaimed Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition were announced amid much excitement at a gala awards ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London.

Now in its 48th year, the competition attracted more than 48,000 entries from 98 countries, with Paul Nicklen’s Bubble-jetting emperors, a spectacular image of the chaotic underwater world of emperor penguins at the edge of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, claiming the overall title of Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Michael Breitung is a landscapes and nature photographer showcasing some of the most beautiful scenes on our planet which will leave you either breathless or at times put you on the edge of your seat. His intimate, striking imagery is published frequently in Landscape Photography Magazine or german KWERFELDEIN, where he is also a regular contributor.

Here is his favourite quote about photography: "Photography is a human act and therefore subjective, a selective act and therefore interpretive. This makes it possible for photography to be an art, for photographers to achieve a personal style - and for the camera to lie." Arthur Goldsmith 

Ed King is a self taught photographer with a desire and drive to continuously raise the bar and try new techniques and concepts in and out of the camera. Although he has had no formal training in photography, the love and appreciation has always been part of him.

A father of 3 and married to his childhood sweetheart, photography and art is a family affair, so much so that even his youngest daughter looks forward to standing along the beach to be the first to enjoy the sunrise with her dad.

"Writing about photography excites him just as much as taking the pictures, I can almost feel the experience of the shoot as I work through my words." ~Ed King