For those who love wildlife, photography or both, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards are a seasonal highlight. Now in its 53rd year, the competition showcases a quite extraordinary breadth of mesmerising photography.
This year the Natural History Museum, who run the awards, have organised a 'People's Choice' award to let you vote for your favourites. 25 of the 52 photographs shortlisted for the main award can be chosen from - and all 25 of those pictures can be seen below.
Choosing a favourite is a very tough task; once you have done so, you can cast your vote visit the Natural History Museum's website. Voting closes on January 10.
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
-
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style: A whistle-stop history, from the Roman Baths to Hampstead HeathEmma Hughes dives into swimming's hidden depths at the Design Museum's exhibit in London.
-
Dawn Chorus: The unseen Queen, the ultimate Highland train and the three-bedroom wreck for sale at £695k -
Dog photography: How to capture perfect pictures of your poochDog photography (or phodography) has risen in popularity in recent years, ever since our phones became able to capture beautiful shots of even the fastest whippet. Alexandra Fraser explains why she's determined to capture Wilf's life on film, and how she does this while still letting him be a puppy.
-
Charlie Waite: One of the world's best landscape photographers on how to take pictures, the unknowable beauty of Britain and why an iPhone can be good enoughCharlie Waite — the British landscape photographer famous for his painterly approach — on how he produces such striking images and how amateurs might follow suit.
-
Cheddar Gorge and The Mendips AONB: The landscape that inspired ancient cave painters, William Blake and a thousand magnificent photographsLocal legend has it that Jesus Christ himself once walked the green hills of the Mendips — and while that tale pushes fantasy too far, this beautiful spot has been inspiring Mankind for 10,000 years.
-
The photographer walking 7,000 miles around the coast of Britain: 'After 450 days of walking I've not been bored once'Quintin Lake has always loved walking, ever since trekking from Lands End to John O'Groats as a teenager. But his five-year epic journey around the coast of Britain has taken his love for getting out and about to a new level — as well as his love for our beautiful island.
-
11 hauntingly beautiful pictures of dogs in cars from one of the most unusual and touching books of the yearA fascination with dogs and cars has prompted photographer Martin Usborne to produce a beautiful, unusual and gently haunting book.
-
Country Life's best Instagram posts of 2019: Gorgeous interiors, stately homes and the lamb that broke the internetOne of Country Life's crowning jewels is our carefully-curated Instagram feed, displaying the Best of Britain twice a day, every day.
-
Five of Britain's most spectacular lighthouses, as captured by a beautiful new guideA beautiful new book collects some wonderful images of some of Britain's lighthouses – here's a selection of our favourites.
