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.'
Destroyed buildings and overturned cars are seen after a huge tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City, May 20, 2013 .
THESE LOVE BIRDS can’t keep their beaks off each other as they share a very public display of affection .
While often referred to as the kings of the jungle, gorillas - for all their might - are notorious hydrophobes .
THIS may look like a dolphin through jumping hoops, but it is in fact nothing more than a clever 3D pencil drawing .
A chipmunk, with his cheeks full to bursting, has no intention of leaving with an empty stomach .
SNEAKING slowly into the water, this Bengal tiger plans a vicious attack on three unsuspecting deer .
A German photographer travelled around Africa where he met and photographed members of tribes in a series of intimate portraits .
In the calm waters of Greenland, gigantic icebergs dwarf everything around them .
An adorable little squirrel wakes from a nap and pops out his tongue for the camera .
With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet .
With the full moon looming behind him, this polar bear nestles down for the night .
RAISING his flipper, this two day old seal pup gives a wave to the camera .