Krista Long began snapping pics of people sliding down a water slide after many visits to the local water park with her tween daughters. The result is an action-packed series that show emotions ranging, she says, “from pure joy to fear, in anticipation of the inevitable splash-down!” (Photo by Krista Long)

Project Mermaids model. Project Mermaids lets ocean-lovers don tails and live out their siren fantasies. Clients can pay for a shoot that is either on land or underwater, with the images looking to raise awareness about preservation of beaches, seas and oceans. The project – which is shot by photographers Angelina Venturella and Chiara Salomoni – started purely to raise awareness, with celebrities dressing up as sirens as part of the cause. (Photo by Angelina Venturella/Chiara Salomoni/Caters News Agency)

Artist Robert Mickelson is an expert sculptor whose medium of choice happens to be glass. There's something so pure and serene about glass. Perhaps it's the material's transparency coupled with its fragility. Whatever it may be, Mickelson knows how to accentuate the element's most appealing qualities. Each of his life-like sculptural pieces exude realism with a refined quality.

These adorable rat portraits were taken by a committed photographer who’s made it her mission to remove the stigma attached to the creatures. Diane Ozdamar’s vibrant images feature rodents cutely cuddling flowers, eating fruit, playing with bubbles, and lovingly interacting with each other. The 32-year-old photographer, who lives in Montreal, Canada, shot her «Fancy Rats» series over a number of years. (Photo by Diane Ozdamar/Caters News)

Famed for his fascination with animals, British photographer Tim Flach places them in the same position as humans, using the pure form of photography. As friends of humans, animals made their contribution to human development, but their existence were nevertheless often neglected in this process. Tim Flach however gave the public an opportunity recognize these friends. The horse, one of Tim Flach’s favorite animals, is portrayed with an imposing elegance in his tribute to this men’s old friend. Tim Flach’s horse moves like music that undulates between serenity and grandeur.

A woman is helped with adorning her hair with jewelry, part of the traditional clothing known as “Pollera”, before the annual Thousand Polleras parade in Las Tablas, in the province of Los Santos January 10, 2015. According to local residents, the Pollera dates back to the 18th century and was worn by the Spanish lower classes. Today, it has become the Panamanian national costume. The dress is made entirely by hand and the jewellery worn is pure gold and worth thousands of dollars. (Photo by Carlos Jasso/Reuters)

“The Ainu (アイヌ?), also called Aynu, Aino (アイノ), and in historical texts Ezo (蝦夷), are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. Most of those who identify themselves as Ainu still live in this same region, though the exact number of living Ainu is unknown. This is due to ethnic issues in Japan resulting in those with Ainu backgrounds hiding their identities and confusion over mixed heritages. In Japan, because of intermarriage over many years with Japanese, the concept of a 'pure Ainu' ethnic group is no longer feasible. Official estimates of the population are of around 25,000, while the unofficial number is upwards of 200,000 people”. – Wkipedia

Photo: A captive bear drinking from a large bottle held by an Ainu tribeswoman. (Photo by Evans/Three Lions/Getty Images). Circa 1955