A fascinating collection of photographs showing nature at its very best will be featured in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, at Nature in Art in Gloucester this 2012.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, fresh from its debut at the Natural History Museum in London, will be unveiled at Nature in Art in Gloucester on Tuesday 17 January 2012 – providing an awe-inspiring collection of stunning images, which is set to appeal to both art enthusiasts and naturalists alike from across Gloucestershire.

Creative animal portraits, captivating action shots and jaw-dropping vistas taken from the furthest corners of the planet are all captured in this photographic exhibition of the world’s most striking natural moments, represented by more than 100 winning and commended entries from the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, which is jointly owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine.

The largest and most prestigious event of its kind in the world, this year’s competition was the most successful and competitive in its 47-year history – and the judges spent three months scrutinising over 30,000 entries for their composition and originality to find the winning shot.

This year the overall winner was Daniel Beltra from Spain with a powerful image depicting a group of pelicans undergoing the first stage of removing crude oil which had smothered them in the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. Mark Carwardine, chairman of the judging panel, described the shot as ‘a strong environmental statement, technical perfection and a work of art all rolled into one. The sheer simplicity of this powerful image makes it really beautiful and shocking at the same time.’

Running for six-weeks, until Sunday 18 March 2012, the exhibition will showcase the very best photographic images of nature from around the world in Gloucestershire, providing even more reason to visit Nature in Art in 2012.

Please note, the dates listed apply to the opening fortnight of this exhibition. Full dates for this exhibition are Tuesday 17 January to Sunday 18 March 2012.