The last twelve months have seen some incredible and memorable moments from the uprising across the Middle East and North Africa, to the Royal wedding in London.

Capturing each and every event are the photographers, travelling the world hoping to get that one shot that describes a moment or reveals a point in time.

Here we look at some of the best photographs of the year, as chosen by the professional photographers themselves.

The collection shows that it’s not just the big global events that make for a great picture. A rainy day in west London can be just as mesmerising as an image of Libyan rebels.

From Amy Winehouse struggling to perform at one of the last concerts before her death to horses vaulting a jump at Doncaster, the pictures tell a story of drama and change.

Included is the Press Association’s Lewis Whyld, who took the famous picture of Pippa Middleton’s rear whilst holding her sister’s wedding dress. He also took the now iconic picture of the burning warehouse in Tottenham during the London riots.

Peter MacDiarmid, who works for Getty Images, contributed pictures taken following the death of Steve Jobs, as well as pictures taken from the front line of the Arab Spring as the uprising in Egypt brought an end to the regime of Mubarak.

Brian Rasic of Rex Features took the shot of Winehouse, crumpled on stage, while Edmond Terakopian contributed the Love Your Job image at the front of the gallery.

Speaking to the Huffington Post UK, Martin Stephens, Managing Director of the Press Association, described Egerton's Racehorse shot in detail:

"Mike Egerton’s positioning of a remote camera in the fence allowed him to capture this amazing horse racing image, which gives a real feeling of the power and grace of the animals."

He was equally effusive about the picture taken of the prime minister drinking beer at the cricket. Stephens said:

“There is nothing unusual about a man enjoying a pint while watching the cricket but when the man is the Prime Minister. Anthony Devlin caught this moment while covering the fourth test between England and India at the Oval showing that a keen eye for the whole event can create unexpected pictures.”

Enjoy some of the best photographs of the year, picked by the professionals:

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Edmond Terakopian: Love your job

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"This is the one image that really stands out for me from 2011. It was taken on a rainy winter's afternoon in Hammersmith, west London. I was on my way back to my car after visiting an expo at a nearby hotel. The rain was torrential and people were running for shelter all round. I first spotted the illuminated sign as it was side lighting the rain and giving a surreal look to the entire scene. It was a rolling sign with several adverts, but this particular one was the brightest." Photo: Edmond Terakopian/www.terakopian.com

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