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.'
WITHOUT A care in the world, this little snow monkey puts his feet up and settles in for a snooze .
A Brit photographer has captured one of the world's most camera-shy species of fish - during a game of underwater peek-a-boo .
Splashing around in the water, a mother otter and her son are tangled in a family feud .
A middle spotted woodpecker swoops into her nest and feeds her young in a forest in Trentino, Italy .
A SPECTRUM of colours fills the sky during this spectacular and natural display of light .
PERCHING on the edge of a flower, these loved-up caterpillars can't resist each other as they enjoy a romantic moment together .
COURAGEOUS CLIMBERS scale frozen waterfalls in Canada, as the ice threatens to collapse beneath them .
A group of shelter dogs showcase their loveable personalities in a series of passport-style photographs - in the hope of finding their forever homes .
CCTV shows a dark figure dumping the dog- A pet dog suffering with cancer has been put down after being dumped at an animal rescue in what officials said is the worst abandonment of any animal they have witnessed .
A BRITISH couple are the first to tie the knot inside an enormous GLACIER in Iceland .
Gigantic 100ft waves create the perfect playground for dare-devil surfers from across the world .
THIS BIGFOOT 'Jesus bird' may look silly, but he's perfectly designed for walking on water .