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.'
Enjoying life’s little pleasures is something that many struggle to do .
A little clownfish opens its mouth to reveal a blood sucking intruder living on its tongue .
A German photographer travelled around Africa where he met and photographed members of tribes in a series of intimate portraits .
A baby sperm whale assumed the role of a friendly giant when faced with two awestruck divers .
SPLASHING around in a paddling pool, this little elephant soaks up the sunshine .
This tranquil setting stretches for miles as the sun sets behind the mountain .
A disabled sheep is enjoying a new fleece of life after receiving a specially-designed wheelchair .
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and for this greedy camel he can't get enough of his morning feed, as he gate crashes his owner's mealtime .
Pouncing down on top of his twin brother, these two snow leopard cubs practice their kung-fu moves .
RACING through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles .
SITTING in the middle of a vast desert, an abandoned cinema is still waiting for its first movie to be screened .
These are the amazing close up pictures of North Korea's mass games - after photographers were previously banned from taking shots so close to the dazzling formation dances .