Now in its 46th year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is an international showcase for the very best nature photography. The competition is owned by two UK institutions that pride themselves on revealing and championing the diversity of life on Earth – the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine. Being accepted into this competition is something that wildlife photographers, worldwide, aspire to. Professionals win many of the prizes, but amateurs succeed, too. And that’s because achieving the perfect picture is down to a mixture of skill, vision, originality, knowledge of nature and luck.Each year thousands of entries are received and judged by a specially selected expert panel. The winners are announced at an awards ceremony that takes place each October at the Natural History Museum, London. ObjectiveWildlife Photographer of the Year seeks the very best wildlife images – photographs that are not only technically flawless, but creative, innovative and surprising. You can enter pictures of wild animals, plants and landscapes in the categories listed below.

Read more about Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010 on Contest Watchers.