International Nature Photographer of the Year 2004 winners announced

The winners of this year's International Nature Photographer of the Year Competition were announced on Wednesday 20 October 2004, at a special viewing held at the Natural History Museum, London, England. The exhibition is open to the public: October 23, 2004 – April 17, 2005

International Nature Photographer of the Year is the world's largest and most prestigious photographic competition, jointly organized each year by the Natural History Museum, London, and BBC Wildlife Magazine. This year the competition received over 18,500 entries from 55 countries.

The First Place winner in the Composition and Form category is Larry Michael of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, USA for Wind-blown Sugar Maple.

The exhibition opened to visitors in the Natural History Museum's Jerwood Gallery on Saturday, October 23, 2004, and runs until April 17, 2005. It will then tour the UK and five continents after its London debut.

Organized by BBC Wildlife Magazine and the Natural History Museum, the International Nature Photographer of the Year Competition invites entries from amateur and professional photographers of all ages from across the world. The total competition prize money amounts to more than $30,000, and the judges include key figures from wildlife, art, and photography arenas.

The competition's aim is to showcase the very best photographic images of nature to a worldwide audience, showing the splendor, drama and variety of life on Earth and inspiring people to care for its future. At the same time, the competition aims to show the artistry involved in nature photography and encourage a new generation of photographers to produce visionary and expressive interpretations of nature.

Now in its twenty-first year, the International Nature Photographer of the Year Competition is the largest and most prestigious international photography competition in the world and is an unforgettable experience for all participants, visitors to the exhibition, and nature lovers alike.

Museum website: www.nhm.ac.uk

Competition website: www.nhm.ac.uk/wildphoto

The Natural History Museum Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD United Kingdom +44(0)20 7942 5156