Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2102 launched

Flamingos by Paul Goldstein - Highly Commended in the 2011 competition

Call of the wild: the world's most prestigious wildlife photography competition returns

December 2011. The search for the most inspirational and provocative nature photography of the year has begun. Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year is calling on photographers of all ages to enter images that reveal nature as it has never been seen before.

For the first time, the competition's international jury will be chaired by renowned American photographer Jim Brandenburg.

Brandenburg said ‘Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year is as relevant and as significant today as when it first launched in 1965. This is an incredible feat for any photographic competition and the reason is that it has not lost sight of the very values that are its soul. With a strong moral compass, a need for complete honesty and truthfulness within each and every powerful image, and a desire to reawaken the world to the beauty and vulnerability of our dwindling resources, this competition will continue to flourish.

‘I am indeed proud and honoured to be chairing the judging panel this year. The reviewing of thousands of rare and precious moments from nature that have been preserved by photographers from around the world is at once a humbling and euphoric experience. Remarkable images from a "blessed with chance" backyard hobbyist to veteran globe-travelling professionals are combined in a final winners' circle to remind us of our vital and fragile natural heritage.'

Jim Brandenburg
Jim's career spans 10 years as a newspaper photojournalist, three decades as a photographer for the National Geographic Society, and a plethora of commissions from renowned organisations such as the BBC and the Japanese Public Television service NHK. In spring, Jim and our team of experts selected from across the creative spectrum will spend weeks in a darkened room scrutinising tens of thousands of entries. Their challenge: to sift through all of the submissions and select the very best of the best.

The 2012 competition opened on 5 December 2011 and closes on 23 February 2012. Images can be entered online at www.wildlifephotographeroftheyear.com.

Now in its 48th year, the competition is a global leader in the visual representation of the natural world, stimulating engagement with its diversity and beauty while engendering a sense of awe, wonderment and respect.

£10,000 first prize
The competition offers photographers a chance to win a share of the £30,000 prize fund. As well as the much-coveted title of Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the adult winner is awarded £10,000, while special award winners each receive £1,500 and category winners £1,000 each. The overall winner of the Veolia Environnement Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year title receives £1,000 and a one-day masterclass with a leading light from the photographic world, while the young category winners each receive £500. Winning images are featured in a hardback commemorative portfolio book, which is translated into a range of languages including Finnish and German, as well as a special supplement to the November issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine.

All commended and winning images are then showcased in the acclaimed exhibition that debuts at London's Natural History Museum in October, before touring venues around the world. By the time that the exhibition has completed its annual tour, more than three million people will have been inspired by this unique body of work, ensuring contributing photographers become both internationally recognised and household names.

For further details about the competition, categories and rules, please visit www.wildlifephotographeroftheyear.com.