Leaping Adélie penguins – Cape Denison, AntarcticaThe water was so clear that the shapes of the Adélie penguins could be seen as they rushed towards the ice. When the penguins got close enough, they launched themselves out of the water with perfect timing and landed (sometimes less than gracefully) on the slippery ice and waddled away to their waiting hungry chicks.Gemma Chapman, Travel PR Account Executive

Nikon D80, 18-200mm lens @ 170mm, Normal programme @ f6.3, ISO 400

Beauty and the beast – The Pantanal, BrazilSitting in a boat, we quietly travelled downstream surrounded by caiman. Butterflies danced across the river and I was snapping away as this one almost landed on the nose of the caiman. The contrast between large and small, colours and our perceptions of wildlife are summed up in this picture. Beverley Kay Allport, Basic Skills Tutor

Canon 1D Mk III, Canon 300mm f2.8 lens, 1/4000 sec @ f2.8, ISO 160

The Dark Hedges – Antrim, Nothern IrelandThe Dark Hedges is an avenue of 300-year-old beech trees nearing the end of their natural life. They are a local tourist attraction and are photographed regularly. An early rise rewarded me with some wonderful light and mist that morning.Gary McParland, Graphic Designer

Canon 5D, Sigma 150-500mm lens @ 267mm, 1/60 sec @ f16, ISO 400

Landscape

Winner 2011

Bagan Sunset – Bagan, Myanmar (Burma)

The sun sets over a dusty temple-dotted landscape in Bagan, Myanmar.

David Lazar, Musician

Nikon D700, Nikon 24-85mm f2.8 lens @ 50mm, 1/400 sec @ f10, ISO 400

Star trails above the Harker Glacier – South Georgia, AntarcticaOne hour and 40 minutes of the Earth’s rotation and the apparent movement of the stars above the Harker Glacier. Taken just before the Antarctic midwinter at a temperature of about -10°.Sam Crimmin, Doctor

Canon 5D MK II, 17-40mm f4 L lens, 177/30 sec @ f5.6, ISO 1600

Playing novices – near Dinajpur, northern BangladeshIn this photo the novices are playing football in the evening. Since they live in a rural dry place, there is a lot of dust. But in this golden hour, the dust and the action of the novices create a compelling image.Zaw Zaw Tun, Screen-printing Supplier

Canon Eos 5D MK II, Ef 70-200 f/2.8L lens @ 200mm, 1/800 sec @ f2.8, ISO 200

Khulna kitchen – Khulna, Bangladesh

I was having a rather tasty meal in a small restaurant in Khulna, Bangladesh, when the

owner came over for a chat. It seems that the novelty of a lone western tourist was not to be

ignored! I chatted with the kitchen workers – across different languages of course – and

managed to take a few photos of the furnace-like conditions in which they laboured. They were

friendly and seemed to appreciate the attention. The food was very tasty too!

Johnny Lawlor, Math Teacher

Canon 5D MK II, I24-105mm L lens @ 92mm, 1/30 sec @ f8, ISO 1600

People Winner

2011

Smoking mystic – Kutch, Gujarat, IndiaAn elderly woman smokes a pipe and exhales smoke that bears an uncanny resemblance to a cow – a sacred being for Hindus.Ross O’Toole, Language Teacher

Nikon D90 DSLR, AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED @ 46mm, 1/10 sec @ f4.5, ISO 1600

Queue of umbrellas – Leshan, Sechuan Province, China

Tourists with umbrellas wait in the queue to see the biggest statue of the Sitting Buddha in the world. It

rained all day, and the shopkeepers were selling the umbrellas everywhere.

Jan Košťál, Tour Guide

Nikon F 80, Nikkor 24-85/3,5-4,5 lens @ 24mm, ISO 200

People Winner

2010

Road to the past - Brighton, East

Sussex, EnglandNight picture of burnt down

West Pier in Brighton.Kestutis Balciunas,

Scaffolder

Canon 40D, Tamron SP AF 17-50 VC f2.8 lens without filter @ 23mm,

381 sec @ f10, ISO 100

Icons Winner

2011

Lost City – Machu Picchu, PeruOverlooked by Spanish invaders, the lost city of Machu Picchu was discovered by Hiram Bingham of Yale University in 1911. Almost completely overrun by trees at the time, this view of the Southern City Gate makes it easy to imagine how it may have appeared before the Incas abandoned it.Andrew Deer, IT Professional

Nikon D70, Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM lens @ 10mm, 1/250 sec @ f8, ISO 200