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.'
SOARING through the air, this is the moment a hungry tawny owl arrives home with dinner .
STARING intently into the camera, a polar bear appears to be lost in thought while relaxing in the snow .
AN OLD ENGLISH cottage packed full of history and valuables has been left to rot .
LEAPING through the air this determined little mouse is on a mission for food .
Sprawled out on top of a log, this sleeping leopard takes a relaxing break from his daily routine .
Is your cat bored? Do his usual playthings simply not do it for him anymore? Not to worry - there's an app for that .
A GLOWING range of greens and blues sweep across the sky in a spectacular display of light .
A trout manages to escape the jaws of a hungry cormorant - only to find itself back inside the bird's long beak .
LYING flat out on his back, this little meerkat makes the most of the English sunshine .
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 .
The view from this rooftop pool is sure to make most holidaymakers envious .