BUDDING schoolboy lensman Daniel Darby has had a prize-winning photograph snapped up by an international publishing company.

The 13-year-old youngster, from Clearmount Road in Weymouth, took the stunning shot of the swans at Abbotsbury for last year's RSPCA Young Photographer of the Year competition and scooped the nationwide runners-up prize.

But leading publishers Dorling Kindersley were so impressed with the picture they approached Daniel soon afterwards to use it in their new Animal World encyclopedia.

Daniel, a pupil at All Saints School said: "It's brilliant to see my photo in the book - it's been used as a double page spread and it was the only one from the RSPCA competition to be published in the book."

Daniel has been a keen photographer for the past few years but says his passion is for wildlife photography.

He added: "I mainly use a Minolta 7000 and I'm eager to keep up my photography. I don't know if I'd like to go into it as a career, but I think I will certainly keep it up as an amateur."

His mum, Heather said: "We're very pleased at Daniel's success - it's great that he's so self-motivated. It really is an achievement to have one of his shots included in the book.

"He loves animals and seems to have the knack and the patience to take good pictures of wildlife. On the day he took that shot of the swans he waited for over an hour in the baking sun to get the picture he wanted - he was so determined."

And Daniel has had a spot of personal encouragement for his work from the celebrity wildlife photographer Chris Packham, who was one of the judges who gave him the runners-up award.

Mrs Darby said: "Chris Packham told Daniel he knew the picture would be a winner as soon as he saw it - I think that meant as much as winning the prize."

And the former Really Wild Show presenter also gave Daniel tips for the future and urged him to keep taking pictures.