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 SPECTRUM of colours fills the sky during this spectacular and natural display of light .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - WAVE-ING GOODBYE TO RUSH HOUR: WHILE most workers endure commuting chaos by road or rail everyday, one entrepreneur has come up with a novel way to get to the office - by KAYAK .
A quiet Himalayan mountain village springs to life for a colourful Buddhist festival designed to expel evil spirits and bring happiness .
From giant mountains to vast deserts, an American photographer spent a year capturing the diverse and beautiful landscape of the United States .
THROWING himself off 1,100ft bridges in a wheelchair, this is the PARALYSED base jumper who knows no fear .
SHOVELLING food into his mouth, this hungry gorilla enjoys a peaceful moment at dinner time .
Say cheese! This cheeky chappy isn’t in the mood to live up to his scary reputation as he is pictured here cracking a killer smile as he goes about his daily business .
An elegant snowy owl spreads her wings and glides effortlessly above the snow covered field .
A middle spotted woodpecker swoops into her nest and feeds her young in a forest in Trentino, Italy .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .
These are the men with one of the most unpleasant jobs in the world .
WRAPPED up in classy headscarves, these adorable pooches are the picture of sophistication .