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.'
Staring death in the face, a little field mouse bravely confronts a hungry cat .
WITH THEIR adorable big round eyes and fluffy white fur, these baby seals are cute enough to melt any heart .
This longhorn beetle demon-strates a dark side as it looks just like the devil .
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 .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - FUNKY BUMP: FROM MIRROR bellies to rainbow bumps these pregnancy casts of stone and bronze could be the funkiest way to preserve your bump for posterity .
If you tune into primetime coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games, you’re most likely going to see London’s new Aquatic Center from many angles as athletes from all around the globe compete for the top spot on the podium .
These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .
SOARING at 112 miles per hour through the air, this petite blonde certainly lives up to her title as the fastest flying woman in the world .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .
Is your cat bored? Do his usual playthings simply not do it for him anymore? Not to worry - there's an app for that .
FROM COLOURFUL autumn leaves to living trees at first glance you might miss these people blended with nature .