Surfers enjoy the last waves of the day against a backdrop more fitting of Hawai than Woolacombe, North Devon on what has been a fantastic sunny weekend in the UK.

Surfers enjoy the last waves of the day against a backdrop more fitting of Hawai than Woolacombe, North Devon on what has been a fantastic sunny weekend in the UK.

Light trails are created inside Salisbury Cathedral, photographed using a long exposure of five minutes, as the Cathedral's Advent Procession ‘From Darkness to Light’, takes place. It begins with the Cathedral in total darkness and silence as the single Advent Candle is lit. By the end the whole interior of the magnificent building is bathed in the light of 1300 flickering candles

Light trails are created inside Salisbury Cathedral, photographed using a long exposure of five minutes, as the Cathedral's Advent Procession ‘From Darkness to Light’, takes place. It begins with the Cathedral in total darkness and silence as the single Advent Candle is lit. By the end the whole interior of the magnificent building is bathed in the light of 1300 flickering candles

Two men's legs poke out from beneath a Union flag as they prepere for a plaque unveiling at the launch of the latest Southern Railway West Country Class locomotive No. 34046 named ‘Braunton’ at Lydeard starion near Taunton, Somerset

Two men's legs poke out from beneath a Union flag as they prepere for a plaque unveiling at the launch of the latest Southern Railway West Country Class locomotive No. 34046 named ‘Braunton’ at Lydeard starion near Taunton, Somerset

An aircraft flies past the moon over Somerset, UK as the Earth's satelite is its closest for years, producing a 'supermoon'

An aircraft flies past the moon over Somerset, UK as the Earth's satelite is its closest for years, producing a 'supermoon'

Revellers set light to some paper inside the Stone Circle at Stonehenge as Druids and revellers celebrate Winter Solstice

Revellers set light to some paper inside the Stone Circle at Stonehenge as Druids and revellers celebrate Winter Solstice

A weathered tree is pictured with the starry night sky over Exmoor Nation Park . Exmoor National Park is home to some of the darkest skies in the country and is bidding to become the UK's first dark sky national park. Exmoor National Park is hosting a weekend 'discovery event' event aimed to attract keen stargazers

A weathered tree is pictured with the starry night sky over Exmoor Nation Park . Exmoor National Park is home to some of the darkest skies in the country and is bidding to become the UK's first dark sky national park. Exmoor National Park is hosting a weekend 'discovery event' event aimed to attract keen stargazers

An avid England football fan chills out on his front doorstep at his semi-detached house in the Knowle West area of Bristol where he has adorned it with England flags

An avid England football fan chills out on his front doorstep at his semi-detached house in the Knowle West area of Bristol where he has adorned it with England flags

Two people inside a colourful balloon are silhouetted as the early morning sunlight strikes what is the top of the balloon as the crew prepare to inflate it at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, Ashton Court, Bristol

Two people inside a colourful balloon are silhouetted as the early morning sunlight strikes what is the top of the balloon as the crew prepare to inflate it at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, Ashton Court, Bristol

Hot air balloons, which lifted off from the main runway at Bristol International Airport for the first time in the airport's history, fly over the South West bathed in the glorious morning sun

Hot air balloons, which lifted off from the main runway at Bristol International Airport for the first time in the airport's history, fly over the South West bathed in the glorious morning sun

A reveller dances on top of a stone at the stone circle during a magnificent sunset at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset

A reveller dances on top of a stone at the stone circle during a magnificent sunset at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset

People on ski-doo's admire a halo, also known as a nimbus, icebow or Gloriole, which is an optical phenomenon produced by ice crystals and is produced by ice crystals in cirrus clouds high in the upper troposphere, on the island of Spitsbergen on the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic circle as the Norwegian islands enter summer 'midnight sun' season

People on ski-doo's admire a halo, also known as a nimbus, icebow or Gloriole, which is an optical phenomenon produced by ice crystals and is produced by ice crystals in cirrus clouds high in the upper troposphere, on the island of Spitsbergen on the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic circle as the Norwegian islands enter summer 'midnight sun' season

A deer herd at the Ashton Court estate forrage in in temperatures of -4C as Bristol avoids the snow chaos that has gripped other parts of the UK and is blessed in a very prickly hoar frost that has made Bristol and other parts of the South West look like a typical 'winter wonderland' without the problems of snow

A deer herd at the Ashton Court estate forrage in in temperatures of -4C as Bristol avoids the snow chaos that has gripped other parts of the UK and is blessed in a very prickly hoar frost that has made Bristol and other parts of the South West look like a typical 'winter wonderland' without the problems of snow

Features & Standalone

Pretty or quirky images shot on quieter news days to create a picture story or illustrate a fluffier feature.

These sort of pictures are basically eye-candy for newspaper readers. The impact of the content, colour and composition is used to make an arresting statement on the page. Websites often use them on merit in standalone galleries, such as the Guardian's 'In Pictures' series.

Standalones are always sourced by the individual photographer. They're fun to shoot and getting these images published is, in some ways, a greater accolade than a hard news story as Picture Editors don't have to use it...