Runner-up. “The heavens opened and the streets around Shibuya, Tokyo, were suddenly drenched in even more colour and movement. I was taking photos (my friend was holding the umbrella) when I noticed this woman at the crossing. I’m pleased with the futuristic feel of the image”. (Photo by Katherine Bridgestock/The Guardian)

Behishta,11, listens during 4th grade class at the Zarghoona high school on July 25 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Zarghoona girls high school is the largest in Kabul with 8,500 female students attending classes. The school opened after a nearly two-month break due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Aymara dolls are seen during the “Alasitas” fair, where people buy miniature versions of goods they hope to acquire in real life, in La Paz, Bolivia, January 24, 2017. Shoppers fill their baskets with miniature versions of things they desire – everything from cars, houses computers – to give to Ekeko the God of abundance, in the hope he will being therm good fortune. (Photo by David Mercado/Reuters)

This might quite simply be the oddest skydive youll ever see – as a pair of daredevils simulate a rodeo ride as they hurtle towards earth. In the bizarre pictures, skydiver Robyn Young managed to straddle co-jumper Oliver Miller, as they plummet through the sky – and amazingly, pal Jeff Donohue caught it all on camera. The pair managed to perform the stunt before going their separate ways and pulling their parachute cords during the skydive over recibo, Puerto Rico, last month. Here: Robyn Young surfs on the back of Oliver Miller as they descend upon Arecibo, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Jeff Donohue/Caters News)

Now celebrating its 40th year, Nikon Small World is widely regarded as the leading forum to recognize proficiency and photographic excellence of photography taken under the microscope. To select the winners, competition judges analyzed entries from all over the world covering subjects ranging from chemical compounds to up-close-and-personal looks at biological specimens. The 2014 winners will be revealed on October 30th. In 2014, the competition received over 1,200 entries from more than 79 countries around the world. (Photo by Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz/Nikon Small World 2014)

Extraordinary tales of everyday heroism have been illustrated beautifully by renowned US photographer Steve McCurry in the new 2015 Lavazza Calendar. The calendar which has been created in collaboration with the Slow Food movement, features twelve breathtaking pictures, capturing the spirit, strength and humanity of the Earth Defenders – women and men who protect their land and projects in Africa with passion and bravery. The proceeds from sales of the calendar and all donations will be contributed entirely to create 10,000 food gardens in African schools and villages by the end of 2016. (Photo by Steve McCurry/2015 Lavazza Calendar)

In this photo taken on Monday, October 27, 2014, a cactus stands at a broken window in a damaged house after shelling not far from Donetsk airport in the town of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine. Donetsk, which has lost about 400,000 of its 1 million pre-war population, is bracing to a winter ahead. In a climate like eastern Ukraine's, where temperatures typically stay below zero all winter, the damage to the critical infrastructure and lack of effort to provide adequate shelter to people whose homes were destroyed could literally mean a death from the cold. (Photo by Dmitry Lovetsky/AP Photo)

It is simply staggering how complicated some items really are. We never think about it, but some items that we use every day consist of hundreds of parts meticulously put together and working perfectly. Todd McLellan is a photographer who based his newest book “Things Come Apart” on the complexity of various old and new tech. By carefully taking apart various items and arranging all of the parts in perfect order, Todd has allowed us not only to look inside various appliances, but also to appreciate the astounding complexity of these items. Just like the human mind, we are so used to seeing and talking with people that we forget just how complicated their minds really are. It would be great if we could “take apart” the human mind in order to gain some insight into the person’s thoughts and desires. However, very few people are capable of doing it, while the rest will remain blind to the obvious. (Photo by Todd McLellan)