The National Geographic Photo Ark is a travelling exhibition of photographer Joel Sartore’s quest to create a photo archive of biodiversity around the world. So far, Sartore has captured studio portraits of more than 6,000 species – a number that he hopes to double. On 1 July, the ark will open at Melbourne zoo – the first time it has been exhibited in the southern hemisphere. More than 50 portraits will be on display, including many of Australian endangered animals being protected by programs at the zoo itself. These captions have been edited from text supplied by Melbourne zoo. Here: Barking owl. (Photo by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark/The Guardian)

For 20 years, Joann Biondi worked as a freelance writer. Then one day she adopted a kitten that had been tossed in a garbage can and left for dead. That kitten had an unusual quirk; he liked to wear clothes and pose for the camera. So Joann started shooting, and then she got serious about photography. Fast forward four years and that kitten is now Lorenzo the Cat, a feline art photography project that has gotten both the cat and the photographer a lot of attention; gallery shows, museum exhibits, and stories in major media outlets throughout the world. Amid it all Lorenzo has remained a mellow dude who still likes to roll around in the dirt, chase lizards, and knock things off the kitchen counter when his food bowl is empty.

Australian model Kate Fischer (Tziporah Malkah) poses with a Cointreau Ball to celebrate France’s founding anniversary in Sydney, Australia on July 14, 1996. (Photo by Getty Images)

“Australian Aborigines are those people regarded as indigenous to the Australian continent. In the High Court of Australia, Australian Aborigines have been specifically identified as a group of people who share, in common, biological ancestry back to the original occupants of the continent”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Aboriginal women washing their hair with sand at Arnhem land in the Northern Territory of Australia. 1st January 1950. (Photo by Three Lions)

Two women wearing bejewelled bras kiss during the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival in Sydney, Australia March 4, 2017. (Photo by Jason Reed/Reuters)

From the rocks of Arnhem Land to the backyards of the Sydney suburbs, from stretching by the pool to waiting for evening prayer, snapshots for the 2015 Australian Life prize demonstrated a nation in colour and motion. Here: Children Cooling Off at Dhiari Homeland. Local children get wet and cool in Arnhem Land. (Photo by Matthew Abbott/Australian Life Prize 2015)

The giant yellow 20-ton bronze teddy bear has been set up by Christie's outside the Seagram Building along Park Avenue. Created by New York-based Swiss artist, Urs Fischer, the enormous sculpture that has received mixed reviews, is getting auctioned off at Christie's next month. The black button-eyed, 23-foot-tall yellow teddy bear is "Untitled (Lamp/Bear)."