Animal planet

Winning a contest with entries as strong as this one is no mean feat! However, this entry really does have it all: character, composition, colour, timing and technique.

The way the leaf bisects the image shows very accomplished framing, and the way its curvature mimics the shape of the frog takes the composition to another level.

The vivid, yet not oversaturated, colours work wonderfully, with beautiful tonality in the green and yellow ranges creating depth and dimension, and the bright sting of red adding a pop of punctuation.

Everything about this image is spot-on – a very worthy winner!

A delightful shot! Extra points are earned for it being a capture of such a rare animal – and what a fantastic moment to have caught!

This image is bursting with character, the hamster standing upright and wiping its nose simply couldn't have been timed better. The shallow depth of field works beautifully to isolate this splendid creature and its fantastic expression. Bravo!

This is a splendid shot, absolutely perfectly timed to capture the symmetry and character of these beautiful giraffes. The split-second timing required to capture the moment has, however, meant that the composition is slightly off. The horizon is a touch askew, and it would have been great to have the two edges of the track both leading to the bottom corners of the frame. Still, for timing alone with shot definitely deserves its commendation!

This is an incredibly deserving image, proving that you don't need to shoot on a 1-D X to get great wildlife images! The composition is a real joy, making great use of both negative space and using the horizon to cleave the image in two. The hare is captured in a wonderful candid moment, oblivious to the photographer and anything else in the world other than its mouthful of grass. A treat of an image – thank you for sharing!