Andy Rouse / African Lion (Panthera leo) female calling at sunrise, Maasai Mara, Kenya, Africa

Staffan Widstrand,Staffan Widstrand / Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Pulicat Lake, Tamil Nadu, India, February 2013.

Staffan Widstrand,Staffan Widstrand / Fishermen in boats, Pulicat Lake, Tamil Nadu, India, January 2013.

Ben Hall / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) pair performing courtship displaying at dawn, backlit and surrounded by mist, Cheshire, UK, April. Highly honoured in the Birds Category of Nature's Best Windl...

Richard Du Toit / Leopard (Panthera pardus) and cub, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Botswana

Michael Pitts / Devil rays (Mobula japonica) viewed from below, South Ari atoll, Maldives.

Alex Mustard,Alex Mustard / Pair of divers floating in Silfra Canyon, a deep fault filled with fresh water in the rift valley between the Eurasian and American tectonic plates) at Thingvellir National Park, Iceland. May 2011. I...

Konrad Wothe / Black kitten in garden, Germany

Florian Möllers / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) adult in breeding plumage, close-up of head and colourful orange beak, backlit, Berlin Zoological Garden, Berlin Zoo, Germany. February.

Andy Rouse / Maasai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) under setting sun Maasai Mara, Kenya, Africa

Markus Varesvuo,Markus Varesvuo / Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), Vardo, Norway, March.

Markus Varesvuo,Markus Varesvuo / Whiskered tern (Chlidonias hybridus), Hungary, June.

Markus Varesvuo / Common shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) flying, with the sun in the background, Vardo, Norway, March.

Tim Laman / King of Saxony Bird of Paradise (Pteridophora alberti) adult male on calling perch, Southern Highlands province, Papua New Guinea

Sven Zacek / Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) perched in Spruce tree top after sunset, Southern Estonia, June.

Bernard Castelein / Sunrise over wetland in Klein Schietveld, heatland, Brasschaat, Belgium, April

Pal Hermansen / Silhouette of a Blue tit (Cyanistes / Parus caeruleus) seen through the windscreen of an old car, Bastnas, Sweden, December. Winner of the Fritz Polking Prize at the GDT competition 2013 and winner of...

Thomas Marent / Golden Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) young, Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi, China

Milan Radisics / Ducks silhouetted at night on Heroes Square, Budapest, July 2009

Felicity Lanchester,Felicity Lanchester / Mixed group of Cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis), Great egrets (Ardea alba), African openbill storks (Anastomus lamelligerus) and Sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) gathering to roost, Selous Game Res...

Franco Banfi / Manta ray (Manta birostris), San Benedicto, Revillagigedo (Socorro) Islands, Mexico, East Pacific Ocean

Andrew Parkinson / Gannet (Morus bassanus) adult, backlit by the morning sun, coming in to land in colony, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK. September

Andrew Parkinson / Gannet (Morus bassanus) family on an exposed ridge, backlit by the morning sun. Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, August.

Andrew Parkinson / Gannet (Morus bassanus) chick backlit by evening light. Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, August.

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis) in black and white silhoutte. Napa Lake, Yunnan province, China. Vulnerable species.

Yukihiro Fukuda,Yukihiro Fukuda / Japanese fireflies (Luciola cruciata) in flight at night, endemic species, Yaku-shima UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kagoshima, Japan, May

Ben Hall / Mute swan (Cygnus olor) stretching its wings backlit at dawn, Poynton, Cheshire, UK, December. Highly honoured in the Bird Category of the Windland Awards of Natures Best Photography Competition 2016...

Ben Hall / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) pair performing courtship display at dawn, backlit with surrounding by mist, Cheshire, UK, March

Anup Shah,Anup Shah / Eastern White-bearded Wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) herd on the move Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, July

Fabrice Cahez / Wild cat (Felis silvestris) backlit, in field, Vosges, France, June

Flip Nicklin / Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) group gulp feeding, Auke Bay, Juneau, Alaska

David Tipling / Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) running, backlit in late evening, Norfolk, May

Paul Harcourt Davies,Paul Harcourt Davies / Common Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) backlit showing wing structure. Podere Montecucco, Orvieto, Umbria, Italy, October

Bence Mate / Hoopoe {Upupa epops} witb insect prey, Pusztaszer, Hungary

Andy Rouse,Andy Rouse / Ring tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) silhouetted. Madagascar.

Andy Rouse,Andy Rouse / Ring tailed Lemurs (Lemur catta) silhouetted, Madagascar.

Andy Rouse / Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in flight in dawn light. UK, Europe.

Andy Rouse / Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in hovering flight, with sunlight highlighting primary feathers. UK, May.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) and poppies (Papaver rhoeas) growing on fallow fields near Orvieto, Umbria, Italy. June 2010

Igor Shpilenok,Igor Shpilenok / Large male Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) standing in shallow waters of the Kronotsky lagoon, away from biting insects. Kronotsky Zapovednik Nature Reserve, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russian Far East, July.

Denis-Huot,Denis-Huot / Topi (Damaliscus korrigum) at sunset, Masai-Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Ernie Janes,Ernie Janes / Fallow deer (Dama dama) crossing rural road through Berkhamsted Common at dusk, Hertfordshire, UK, December

Franco Banfi / Scuba diver under ice and ice formation, Arctic circle Dive Center, White Sea, Karelia, northern Russia March 2010. No release available.

Alex Mustard / Synchronous spawning of a mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) at night. East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Peter Cairns / 2020VISION / Redshank (Tringa totanus) calling in flight, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK, June.

Ross Hoddinott / Colmers Hill in morning mist, near Bridport, Dorset, UK. September 2012.

David Pattyn / Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) perched on a wooden fence backlit at sunrise, Southern Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul State, BrazilAugust

Ross Hoddinott / 2020VISION / Common frog {Rana temporaria}, backlit portrait, Cornwall, UK. January 2012.

Alex Mustard / A large colony of Mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) spawning at night on a coral reef, showing the synchronous release of bundles of eggs and sperm, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands...

Ernie Janes / Garden tools silhouetted in potting shed window. September, UK.

Jeff Rotman / Whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus) pack silhouetted following scent trail in water column, Cocos Island, Costa Rica, Pacific Ocean

Alex Mustard / Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) silhouette of shark feeding on floating fish eggs (not visible) just below the surface in calm weather, with snorkeller taking photos nearby, Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo,...

Anup Shah / Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) dominant male silverback 'Makumba' aged 32 years sitting in a tree, Bai Hokou, Dzanga Sangha Special Dense Forest Reserve, Central African Republic. D...

David Pattyn / Common tern (Sterna hirundo) catching a fish, action shot, Camargue, France, July

David Pattyn / Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) in early morning sunlight, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Anup Shah / Lioness (Panthera leo) playing with a cub aged 9-12 months, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, August

Andy Rouse / European hare (Lepus europaeus) silhouetted hopping in field at sunrise, UK July

Andy Rouse / European hare (Lepus europaeus) silhouetted sitting in field at sunrise, UK, June

Andy Rouse / Barn owl (Tyto alba) hunting, UK, June

Andy Rouse / European hare (Lepus europaeus) in field, UK, May

Ross Hoddinott / Fungus (Mycena sp.) gills backlit, seen from low angle. Dartmoor, Devon, UK. 'Wild Woods' category, British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) competition 2012.

Andy Rouse / Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) male displaying at dusk, UK March

Andy Rouse / African lioness (Panthera leo) resting with head on another at sunrise, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Andy Rouse / Common wallaroo (Macropus robustus) hopping in late sunlight, Sal Salis, Ningaloo Reef, Cape Range National Park, Western Australia

Charlie Summers / Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) in a dominance fight with dust flying, Lake Magadi, Serengeti, Tanzania.

Sharon Heald / Common zebra (Equus quagga) foal in dusty sunset, Etosha National Park, Namibia Photo by Sharon Heald

Bertie Gregory / 2020VISION / Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) silhouetted as its feeds at sunrise, Brownsea Island, Dorset, winter.

Andrew Parkinson / 2020VISION / Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) adult walking on frozen lake at dusk, backlit, Derbyshire, UK, February

Erlend Haarberg / Frost-covered grasses in the pine forest, Klaebu, Norway, January 2010

Ben Hall / Great crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus) performing their elaborate courtship ritual at dawn, Cheshire, UK November

Vladimir Medvedev / Wild female Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) on rocky hillside, Kedrovaya Pad reserve, Primorsky Krai, Far East Russia, January. Critically endangered species

Tony Heald / African lion (Panthera leo) young male backlit at sunrise, Etosha National Park, Namibia October

Klaus Echle / Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) looking up into tree at sunset, backlit, Black Forest, Germany, Winner of Fritz Polking portfolio prize , GDT 2011 competition

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Adult male Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) with ruffled plumage feeding on flies from a manure pile, backlit, Hertfordshire, England, UK, April

Donald M. Jones / Common Loon (Gavia immer) stretching wings, Troy, Montana

Andrew Parkinson / 2020VISION / An adult male Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) comes in to land, backlit by evening sunlight, Derbyshire, England, UK, March. Did you know? In addition to the colour differences between male and female du...

Alex Hyde / Mountain Hare (Lepus timidus) on moorland with white winter coat, Kinder Scout, Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK, February.

Alex Hyde / Lesser burdock (Arctium minus) close up of seed hooks that catch on animal fur, allowing the seedhead to be transported, Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. February.

Chadden Hunter / King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) chicks in mass breeding colony, St Andrews Bay, South Georgia. Taken on location for BBC Frozen Planet series, 2008

Martin Gabriel / Four Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) in flight, silhouetted overhead. Monfrague National Park, Extremadura, Spain, March.

Martin Gabriel / Mountain ridges of Caldera de Taburiente silhouetted through clouds. View from Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma Island, Canary Islands, Spain, February.

John Abbott / Composite image of flying insects visiting blacklight, Texas, USA, September

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Adult Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) in flight in summer, backlit, Isle of Lunga, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, UK, July 2011. 2020VISION Book Plate.

Oriol Alamany / Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) three young standing alert, Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile

Michael W. Richards / Domesticated Indian elephants (Elephas maximus) being walked to forest at sunset, Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, India

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Backlit Meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis) perched on an old post, Scotland, UK, May 2010

Andy Rouse / Thomson Gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) male backlit in long grass. Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa.

Andy Rouse / Thomson Gazelle (Eudorcas thomsonii) male backlit in long grass. Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa.

Nick Garbutt / Adult Violin Beetle (Mormolyce borneensis) on decaying leaf on the rain forest floor. Near Ginseng Camp in the heart of Maliau Basin - Sabah's 'Lost World'. Maliau Basin, Borneo.

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Reeds in bog pool, backlit at sunrise, Flow Country, Sutherland, Highlands, Scotland, UK, July

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) in arctic ice landscape backlit by midnight sun. Nordaustlandet, Svalbard, August.

Anup Shah / Young Southern plains grey / Hanuman langurs {Semnopithecus dussumieri} playing, jumping up for leaves, Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India NOT FOR STOCK SALE, PLEASE CHECK WITH TIM A BEFORE...

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) adult female landing on rock in moorland habitat, Glen Tanar Estate, Grampian, Scotland, UK, June

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) adult female in flight, approaching nest with food for chicks, moorland habitat, Glen Tanar Estate, Grampian, Scotland, UK, June

Fabrice Cahez / Group of Wild boar (Sus scrofa) silhouetted, Vosges, France, June

Fabrice Cahez / Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) at sunset, Vosges, France, August