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.'
A photographer from the United Arab Emirates travelled to Pakistan where he captured the lives of local people in a series of expressive portraits .
PUCKERING up and enjoying some quality time, these are the most lovable monkeys on the planet .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
MOUTH OPEN wide, this little stoat appears to be in mid-song as he belts out a tune for his onlookers .
EXPERTLY camouflaged, this clever panther chameleon knows how to catch its prey by surprise .
A mining town in Australia’s outback appears to be completely deserted, but its residents have escaped the scorching heat by living in underground caves .
FISTS fly as two gorillas take each other on in a dramatic battle .
Southern England, the south-west and west Wales have been warned to expect more wild weather, with heavy rain and high tides possibly leading to coastal flooding and travel disruption over the weekend .
THIS may look like a dolphin through jumping hoops, but it is in fact nothing more than a clever 3D pencil drawing .
From vibrant blues to dazzling oranges, these eye catching hummingbirds proudly show off their impressive colours .
A young orangutan comes over all shy as she hides her face behind a broken bucket .
STARING intently into the camera, a polar bear appears to be lost in thought while relaxing in the snow .