There is a absolutely nothing quite like anticipation. It’s this thrill that allows parents to threaten “if you don’t go to sleep Father Christmas won’t come”. It’s this buzz that allows you to give thoughtless presents in fancy packaging. It’s the most versatile trick in the book and the amplifier of every proceeding emotion.

So why do some marketing teams abandon anticipation and head straight for the jackpot?

For four years, I’ve been excitedly going to the Natural History Museum’s annual show, Wildlife Photographer of the Year. I appreciate it’s the museums big earner (not difficult when every day they open their doors to London’s most fascinating collection free of charge), which must prompt the excessive advertising that sweeps across London before it commences each October. The problem is photography doesn’t grow on you. It grabs you by first sight and demands you surrender your feelings right there on the spot. Any second glances are mere aftershocks. And after just one Time Out article, several newspapers, and a couple of minutes wait on a tube platform I’ve seen this year’s winning image and most of the highly commended entries too.

I’m still going to the exhibition next weekend. I enjoy the curating; the wall hung light boxes, the photographer’s narratives, and I’m still anticipating my reaction to the creatures I’ve not yet seen. It’s just a shame there’ll be so little “tadaaaa!”

Wildlife Photographer of the Year runs from 19 October 2012 – 3 March 2013. It costs about £10 per adult and you should pre-book your time slot at www.nhm.ac.uk (which you’ll need to try to do with your eyes shut as you’ll encounter no less than six of the entries during your booking process).