These beautiful photos capture the tender moments between two young boys who share a unique bond with animals. Elena Shumilova, from Andreapol, Russia, began taking pictures of her sons Yaroslav and Vanya in early 2012 when she received her first professional camera. The pair were immediately accepted by the animals from a young age and their incredible bond continues to strengthen as they get older. Elena, 32, was able to capture images her boys playing with such animals as rabbits, dogs, cats and ducks as they become totally immersed in their communication with their furry friends. (Photo by Elena Shumilova)

Physicist Arie van't Riet uses a series of duel X-ray cameras to capture flowers, plants and small animals in living dioramas. The x-rays are then finished and colorized in Photoshop. Giving way to some breathtaking nature scenes. Photo: “Chameleon and Begonia”. (Photo by Arie van't Riet)

“I'm very lucky to be in a wonderful part of England , where the ever changing sky's are always a new opportunity for a good shot. To me photography is the art of using light to one's advantage”. – Eric Goncalves. Photo: “Let the light enter”. (Photo by Eric Goncalves)

Respect, Kronotsky nature reserve, Russia. The photographer’s cat, Ryska – her name means little lynx in Russian – stands outside their cabin and with aggressive posturing warns off a fox. In winter, foxes would regularly visit the cabin searching for food. If one peered in at the window, possible when the snow was deep, Ryska would sit on the other side, fur raised, and growl. When outside, she would hold her ground. The foxes were not always frightened and so encounters could be a sort of dance. (Photo by Igor Shpilenok/Unforgettable Behaviour/NHM)

“Entwined Lives”. Tim Laman, US Winner, Wildlife photographer of the year. A young male orangutan makes the 30-metre climb up the thickest root of the strangler fig high above the canopy in Gunung Palung national park, one of the few protected orangutan strongholds in Indonesian Borneo. Laman had to do three days of climbing to position several GoPro cameras that he could trigger remotely. This shot was the one he had long visualised, looking down on the orangutan within its forest home. (Photo by Tim Laman/2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

A selection of prizewinning images from the Take a View 2016 photography awards. Here: Finding Gold, taken in Wast Water in Cumbria, which won the Great Britain #OMGB “Home of Amazing Moments” award. (Photo by Mark Gilligan/PA Wire)

The shortlist for the coveted Bird Photographer of the Year awards has been announced by Nature Photographers and the British Trust for Ornithology. Here: Red-billed oxpecker on an impala, Kruger National Park, South Africa. (Photo by Edmund Aylmer/BPOTY/Cover Images/The Guardian)