A Falmouth University graduate has scooped one of the awards in National Geographic magazine's Nature Photographer of the Year contest.

Marine and natural history photography graduate Eleanor Ryder, who graduated last summer, picked up third place in the Environmental Issues category for her image Toxic Vanity.

Her prizewinning piece is a magnification of plastic particles in eyeliner, which highlights just one facet of the swarm of synthetic materials suspended in our oceans.

Eleanor, whose recognition by National Geographic means she has now placed in three national and international photography awards, said: "I was surprised to be placed as I know I lot of great photographers enter this competition but I wanted to give my work the chance to be shown, and the conservation issue shared.

"I have won $500 which will be going towards my next conservation based portfolio. I'm always on the lookout for more competitions in a bid to get my name out there."

For this year's National Geographic competition participants could enter their photographs in four categories - Landscape, Action, Animal Portraits and Environmental Issues, meaning Eleanor's photograph was one of a select few images to make the cut, out of the thousands of entries.