THE prestigious Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year title is coveted by wildlife photographers all over the world – last year’s competition attracted 32,000 entries from 78 countries and was won by Shropshire-based Ben Osborne, who brings his show, Dog Days and Lion Nights to Ledbury Market Theatre on Friday, May 16.

Ben, who originally trained as a zoologist, had entered a few times in the past 20 years, collecting, as he puts it, “the odd category winner and runner-up award”.

Having taken the award for Creative Vision of Nature, Ben knew there was a possibility of scooping the big prize. “I knew there was a chance of being in the frame for the overall prize, and it was a bit nerve-wracking.” Ben gave up working in science in 1984 on his return from an expediction to South Georgia with the British Antarctic Survey studying albatrosses. “When I came back, people were more interested in the pictures than in the work I’d done and I decided that science was not for me.” But he does admit that the grounding in science is invaluable in his career as a photographer. “It’s incredibly important,” he says. “As a wildlife photographer you need to know about your subjects, to understand them and be able to predict what they might do.” In Dog Days and Lion Nights Ben talks about his adventures (or misadventures) working on the ground-breaking TV series, Planet Earth, getting up close and personal with all sorts of wildlife in some pretty daunting environments.

The presentation is set against an atmospheric score courtesy of the Soweto String Quartet. This presentation will appeal to wildlife and travel enthusiasts aged 8 and over.

Dog Days and Lion Nights is at Ledbury Market Theatre on Friday, May 16. Show starts at 8pm and tickets are prices at £8 (£4 for students), available from Ledbury Tourist Information 01531 636147.