What do superheroes do when they’re not busy fighting bad guys and saving the world from destruction? Perhaps they’re drawing strength alone in the peace and quiet of the great outdoors. That’s the premise of French photographer Benoit Lapray‘s photo-manipulation series “The Quest for the Absolute.”

Myoung Ho Lee‘s 2007 Tree series is about as peaceful and serene as the scenery itself. In the series, the young South Korean photographer touches upon the subjects of physical isolation and visual confirmation. By placing the tree in front of a stark white background, Lee creates a false separation that plays a delightful game with the mind’s eye.

From stuffed elephants to picnics under power lines, Leipzig-born photographer Frank Herfort coaxes magical, colour-saturated tableaux from intriguing slices of everyday Russian life. Here: A lonely dog watches the mailboxes in a typical Moscow residential block. (Photo by by Frank Herfort/The Guardian)

This restroom on the rubbly flanks of Jonsknuten in Norway looks up at the peak of the 904m mountain. Yu have to leave the door open to enjoy the view but the chances of being disturbed are minimal. (Photo by Olaf Menz/Lonely Planet)

Japan's Naomi Osaka visits Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary ahead of the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane on December 29, 2023. (Photo by Patrick Hamilton/AFP Photo)

A lone protester sings outside the offices of Republican president-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, New York, U.S. November 14, 2016. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Reuters)