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.'
LIFTING their heads high and bumping beaks, these aggressive pelicans clash over fish .
Staring death in the face, a little field mouse bravely confronts a hungry cat .
WITH A STERN look of determination on their faces, these adorable pooches perfect their doggy paddle as they dive head first into a swimming pool .
With the vivid red smoke billowing into the sky amid the misty sand dunes, these are the blissful views provided at the break of dawn at a volcano .
Like a scene from a fairytale, THOUSANDS of fireflies create an enchanting glow as they dance in a forest .
From squids to Star Wars, these flipping marvellous creations are pancake portraits .
SPURTING water 20ft into the air, this is one well you wouldn't want to dip your bucket into .
From a floating jelly fish to a relaxed seal, Britain’s unappreciated beach life is captured above and below the water .
A quiet Himalayan mountain village springs to life for a colourful Buddhist festival designed to expel evil spirits and bring happiness .
A Little owl looks down the lens of a camera and gives the photographer a cheeky wink .
THEIR gnarling teeth at the ready, these two baboons fight it out for the last piece of fruit .