Locks hang on a fence along the Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island July 14, 2015. They say the whole world loves a lover, but in Newport, Rhode Island, at least, not everyone is fond of the so-called “love locks” that sweethearts are leaving along the resort city's famed seaside Cliff Walk. Hundreds of the padlocks left behind by tourists as romantic tokens now cover sections of a chain-link fence along the route. Each is meant to represent the bond lovers shared during their visit. By custom, the key is thrown away. (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)

Vardzia is a cave monastery site in southern Georgia, excavated from the slopes of the Erusheti Mountain on the left bank of the Mtkvari River, thirty kilometres from Aspindza. The main period of construction was the second half of the twelfth century. The caves stretch along the cliff for some five hundred metres and in up to nineteen tiers. The Church of the Dormition, dating to the 1180s during the golden age of Tamar and Rustaveli, has an important series of wall paintings. The site was largely abandoned after the Ottoman takeover in the sixteenth century. Now part of a state heritage reserve, the extended area of Vardzia-Khertvisi has been submitted for future inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Born in 1958 in Kiev, Ukraine, artist Mark Khaisman studied Art and Architecture at the Moscow Architectural Institute in Russia. Now living in Philadelphia, USA, Khaisman uses rolls of brown packaging tape to create incredible works of art. Mark characterizes his work as ‘pictorial illusions formed by light and shadow’. The three key elements are: translucent packing tape, clear acrylic or film panels, and light. By superimposing layers of packaging tape Mark can ‘play on degrees of opacity that produces transparencies highlighted by the color, shading, and embossment’.

When you look at the picture of a furry pig that resembles a sheep from a distance, you may think that this may be the result of the work of some crazy scientist that tinkered with the pig’s genome. However, in this case, this is not true. Mangalica is a natural breed of pigs, which were bred in Europe for their lard. This breed of pigs is very unique, since the only other breed of pigs which had a long coat was Loncolnshire Curly Coat, which is now extinct. In the past, these pigs were quite popular, since they were able to produce a lot of lard. However, when the demand for pig lard dwindled, the population of these pigs rapidly decreased, making it a “rare breed”.

A competition, now in its 43rd year, dedicated to showcasing the beautiful and bizarre as seen under a light microscope attracted over 2,000 entries from 88 countries. Here: Honorable Mention by Emre Can Alagöz, Istanbul, Turkey: The eyes of a jumping spider, magnified 6x. (Photo by Emre Can Alagöz/2017 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition)

Rescued Dutch hikers exit a search and rescue snowcat after they were brought safely to Grotli, Norway, February 26, 2016. Thirteen Dutchmen who were stranded while hiking in central Norway's mountains were found after snowmobile patrols by the Red Cross. Snowcats from the Red Cross are now moving ahead to pick the hikers up. (Photo by Torstein Boe/Reuters/NTB Scanpix)

These images of an abandoned theater act as a time capsule of a location that was once rocked by the stars. The likes of Metallica, R.E.M. and Motorhead all played the Variety Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, but now all that remains are dusty chairs that once supported encapsulated crowds. Renowned abandoned building photographer Matthew Christopher photographed the theater in its dilapidated state. Here: The Variety Theatre, Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Matthew Christopher/Caters News)

From footballs to live fish, delivery mopeds piled high with unwieldy, unlikely goods are one of the Vietnamese capital’s most distinctive sights. As the city plans to ban motorbikes altogether, photographer Jon Enoch captured the drivers at work. (Photo by Jon Enoch/The Guardian)