It's often said that pets and their owners can start to look alike, but these adorable photographs take the old mantra to a new extreme. They are the work of Svetlana Valyiskaya (27), from St Petersburg, who snaps pets in everyday poses in her spare time from her job as a commercial photographer. The vibrant costumes and scenes, which Svetlana designs herself, have made the photos a hit in her native Russia – and it's not hard to see why. She said: “I really love animals, they are loyal, faithful and true and always interesting to work with – plus they never criticise the photographs afterwards”. (Photo by Svetlana Valyiskaya/Mercury)

“Serebro (Серебро, Silver) are a Russian trio, formed in Moscow, Russia in 2006. Serebro is currently one of the most popular Russian bands. They are also famously known as the band who finished third in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki with the song “Song #1”. On 30 July 2011, Serebro premiered their eighth single, “Mama Lover” at Europa Plus Live. It is their third official English language release after “Song #1” and “Like Mary Warner”. On 15 September 2011, the music video for “Mama Luba” (Russian version of “Mama Lover”) was released”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Russian trio «Serebro», 2008

Migrants play soccer at makeshift camp in Via Cupa (Gloomy Street) in downtown Rome, Italy, August 2, 2016. Italy is taking in thousands of boat migrants every week for a third year in a row, and friction is common between them and those who live along the path many take on their journey towards northern Europe. (Photo by Max Rossi/Reuters)

Rocky the cat's recovery from a nerve condition in his legs is coming along swimmingly – thanks to regular hydrotherapy sessions at a 20ft-long swimming pool in United Kingdom in the second decade of March 2022. The two-year-old wears a life vest to help keep him afloat and needs a plastic toy to lure him from one end of the pool to the other. (Photo by Max Willcock/BNPS Press Agency)

Groundsman Darren Cordingley on his way out of the maze on July 11, 2024. Gardeners have had their work cut out after spending a whopping 520 hours trimming one of the world's biggest hedge mazes. It has taken a team of 13 working eight hours a day for five days to tackle the enormous maze at the Longleat estate in Wiltshire, UK. (Photo by Max Willcock/Bournemouth News)

Second Place Winner: “Thunderstorm at False Kiva”. I hiked out to these ruins at night hoping to photograph them with the Milky Way, but instead a thunderstorm rolled through, creating this dramatic image. – Max Seigal. National Geographic Traveler Director of Photography Dan Westergren, one of this year's judges, shares his thoughts on the second place winner: “This photo combines two different scenes into one: the small kiva in a cliff dwelling and the grand vista of Canyonlands National Park across the valley. I really like the two different color palettes – warm inside and purple outside. This two-for-one scene was caused by the lightning storm outside the dwelling, which lit up the landscape like it was a huge electronic flash. Looking at this picture I can imagine what a wonderful sight it must have been for the ancient people who lived here. It doesn't seem too amazing now in our modern world, but might have been mind-blowing for the prehistoric residents”. Location: Utah. (Photo and caption by Max Seigal/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

The Knights of Middle England equestrian stunt display team perform ahead of the first match on July 13, 2024. The British Beach Polo Championships, or “sand polo”, returns to the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula near Poole, Dorset. Spectators can appreciate the horsemanship, speed and gladiatorial nature of polo at the largest beach polo event in the world. (Photo by Max Willcock/Bournemouth News)

These Halloween horrors were all carved out of humble pumpkins by Ray Villafane and his team of professional sculptors who meticulously carved the terrifying characters using spoons and scalpels. Each one takes on average two hours to complete – with the horrifying results netting Villafane, plus colleagues Andy Bergholtz and Chris Vierra, numerous TV appearances each Halloween. This year the team has gone global travelling to Germany, Switzerland and Hong Kong to create their masterpieces. Photo: A horror face carved out of a pumpkin by Ray Villafane and team in Bellaire, Michigan. (Photo by Ray Villafane/Barcroft Media)