NATURE'S MOST STUNNING SHAPES AND PATTERNS

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.'

Other great stories
BUBBLE BLOWING BEAR

BLOWING bubbles underwater, this adorable polar bear slides into his tank for a playful dip .

SHEEPDOG GIVES BIRTH TO BUMPER LITTER OF 14 PUPS

One sheepdog is taking a well-deserved rest after giving birth to a whole WHEELBARROW-FUL of puppies .

JOLY THE WOLLY FALLS FOR PARKING PRANK

PRANKSTER Dom Joly was so livid when he was slapped with a parking ticket that he took to Twitter to vent his anger – only to discover he was the victim of his own gag! The comic got a taste of his own medicine when he was tricked by a fellow joker for the first time in a decade .

STRIPED MARLIN SPEARS ITS CATCH

A striped marlin means business as it spots lunch and spears a small fish .

WOMAN SAYS EATING BUBBLES WHILE PREGNANT WAS BETTER THAN SEX

A woman has told how her addiction to eating bath bubbles during her pregnancy was better than SEX .

DIGIT-AL ART: HANDY COLLECTION UNVEILED

Here's a collection of art for the DIGIT-AL age as these fascinating illusions of landmarks, places and even a banana are made using just a pair of hands .

WOMAN LOSES 11ST AFTER BREAKING TOILET SEAT

A 23st woman who was left humiliated after breaking a TOILET SEAT has lost an incredible 11st .

SEXY WEIGHTLIFTER LOSES 12ST AFTER SWAPPING BISCUITS FOR BICEPS

A weightlifter has lost a whopping 12st after swapping biscuits for biceps .

WOMAN CRUELLY NAMED ’TUMOUR GIRL’ FINDS LOVE

A woman who was cruelly called ‘tumour girl’ by bullies has finally found love .

BUMPS OF ART: DAD CREATES MASTERPIECES ON PREGNANT MUM'S TUM

A talented artist has created artwork with a KICKIN' twist by painting on his pregnant wife's bump .

FIGHTING BLACKBACK GORILLAS

FISTS fly as two gorillas take each other on in a dramatic battle .