FROM ICE bubbles to boiling lava, these photographs highlight the stunning shapes and patterns found in nature. The series of extraordinary images were taken by German software engineer Thorsten Scheuermann after he decided to examine his surroundings. A trip to the city of Kalapana in Hawaii, home to the Kilauea Volcano, provided Thorsten with the setting for his lava picture, while a visit to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon offered him the opportunity to photograph ice bubbles up-close. The 37-year-old, now of Washington, USA, said: 'These are sights that can gain greater significance and have their beauty exposed when excluding everything else around them.'
WITH A wide smile plastered across his face, this little gecko is ready for his close up .
This frozen lighthouse in Michigan could easily be mistaken for a still from the snow swept disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow .
AT 4,800 metres high and just three metres wide, this is the most dangerous road in the world .
A lazy tree frog, tired of hopping along a branch, chooses the slowest form of transport when it jumps on top of an unsuspecting snail .
MOUTH OPEN wide, this little stoat appears to be in mid-song as he belts out a tune for his onlookers .
A tiny puppy who lost his front legs after being hit by a train has been given and new LEASH of life with a set of wheels .
With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet .
SPLASHING around in a paddling pool, this little elephant soaks up the sunshine .
FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .
An elegant snowy owl spreads her wings and glides effortlessly above the snow covered field .
An adorable orangutan named Pongo celebrates his first birthday at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, America .
COURAGEOUS CLIMBERS scale frozen waterfalls in Canada, as the ice threatens to collapse beneath them .