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 blanket of fog is lit up by the colourful glowing lights of the city below .
A carefree bear cub reclines in the water with his feet raised in the air .
A makeup artist from the West Midlands magically transforms herself into famous cartoon characters using body paint .
STOOD side by side next to a busy road, these buildings were once bustling with life .
A terrified moose, trapped in a frozen lake, bobs her head above the icey water and awaits her rescue .
FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .
ARM extended and head flung back, this little chipmunk performs a loose-limbed yoga move .
SURROUNDED by a snowstorm, these young polar bears battle the elements - as well as each other .
SWIMMING next to 40 tonne whales, dare-devil divers take the plunge with these gentle giants of the sea .
