AN acclaimed photographic exhibition will be giving visitors a window into the wild over the coming months at the Natural History Museum in Tring.

The acclaimed Wildlife Photographer of the Year display, now in it's 50th year, aims to showcases the rich array of life on planet Earth.

This collection of more than 100 images uniquely combines the work of talented young photographers, gifted amateurs and leading professionals, all chosen for their creativity, artistry and technical complexity.

Head of the museum, Paul Kitching said: "I'm delighted that we are able to show the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition again here in the Natural History Museum at Tring. This exhibition is a firm favourite with our visitors and staff alike and I'm always amazed by the quality and diversity of images on display."

Winners of the grand titles in this year’s milestone competition were announced at a prestigious awards ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London. American photographer Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014 by a panel of international judges for his serene black-and-white image of lions resting with their cubs in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.

Following the pride for nearly six months, he photographed them in infra-red, which he said, "transforms the light and turns the moment into something primal, biblical almost".

Jim Brandenburg, chair of the judging panel and acclaimed wildlife photographer, said: "Nick’s image encapsulated so many elements that demonstrated artistic and technical skill, the sort that takes many years of professional work to hone and craft as he has done."

Meanwhile eight-year-old Carlos Perez Naval was awarded Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2014 for his image of a scorpion soaking up the Sun, Stinger in the Sun.

The image shows the scorpion flourishing its sting as a warning to the young photographer, who had found it basking on a flat stone in a rocky area near his home in Torralba de los Sisones, northeast Spain. The late afternoon light was casting such a lovely glow over the scene that Carlos decided to experiment with his first ever double exposure.

To mark the fiftieth anniversary, a new category, the People’s Choice Award, was introduced and the winner was decided by an international public vote. The inaugural award went to Marsel van Oosten for his picture of a Japanese macaque examining his prize after snatching a tourist's mobile phone.

Winning and highly commended images from the competition will be on show at Tring until April 19, marking the beginning of the exhibition’s UK and international tour.