With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet. These mesmorising pictures, however, capture the beautiful variety of fungi here on Earth. The incredible images were taken by Australian photographer Stephen Axford, 62, after he became familiar with the importance of fungi in everyday life, and decided to document it twelve years ago..
STARING intently into the camera, a polar bear appears to be lost in thought while relaxing in the snow .
BLOWING bubbles underwater, this adorable polar bear slides into his tank for a playful dip .
SHOVELLING food into his mouth, this hungry gorilla enjoys a peaceful moment at dinner time .
STARING eagerly into the camera, this little toad is full of curiosity .
A BAMBI was dramatically caught in mid-air by a greedy Nile crocodile in a once-in-a-million flying pincer move .
A cheeky gorilla sticks her tongue out and plays up for the camera at Bronx Zoo .
Some will get up close and personal with Mother Nature’s deadliest animals to get the perfect shot, posing the question, what lengths will a photographer go to for that all important picture? But in this case, the question should be what depths .
SWIMMING next to 40 tonne whales, dare-devil divers take the plunge with these gentle giants of the sea .
An Italian photographer travelled to northern India where he visited poverty stricken suburbs and captured ordinary people in a series of intimate and expressive portraits .
What lies beneath this building site? Britain's great hope of winning the pre-WW2 arms race against Nazi Germany .
A lively lemon shark grins into the camera and showcases his impressive teeth .
WELCOME to the Temple of Zoom where you can “experience” sliding down a Mayan temple into shark infested waters .