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.'
THESE kingfishers prove no rod is needed as they go fishing for their dinner .
FISTS fly as two gorillas take each other on in a dramatic battle .
DASHING through the snow, this little stoat is on the lookout for a Christmas feast .
EAGERLY BITING his nails, this little squirrel is clearly nervous of looming predators as he searches for his meal .
SHOVELLING food into his mouth, this hungry gorilla enjoys a peaceful moment at dinner time .
A BLIND man was battered with a brick in a sickening attack by two thugs .
With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet .
WITHOUT a care in the world, this little chimpanzee shows off her gymnastic skills as she swings around her enclosure .
LEAF-ing much to the imagination, this camera trickery is blooming marvellous .
These are the amazing close up pictures of North Korea's mass games - after photographers were previously banned from taking shots so close to the dazzling formation dances .
GETTING behind the camera, this monkey practices his photography skills on his friends .