The annual calendar features stunning shots of lighting, cloud formations and the aurora australis. Hundreds of photographers from every Australian state and territory submitted images to the Bureau of Meteorology for selection in the year’s calendar, with only the best chosen to represent the full spectrum of Australian weather. Here: April. A path through the clouds between Townsville and Richmond, Queensland. (Photo by Captain Victoria Harrison/Australian Bureau of Meteorology)

These images offer a rare glimpse of life within remote Brazilian tribes. Award winning photographer Ricardo, 47, said: “The pictures show the traditional way of life of these people who live in harmony with nature. The photos provide an overview of the contemporary situation of the indigenous people in Brazil”. Here: Bej indian in the Xingu river, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil on December 20, 2015 .(Photo by Ricardo Stuckert/Caters News Agency)

Kazakh nomads have been grazing their livestock in Mongolia for hundreds of years. Fascinated by the bond between hunter and eagle, photographer Palani Mohan has spent the last few years documenting the burkitshi. Mohan's photos of the landscape, isolation of the hunt, and most of all the trusting relationship between man and bird, convey the importance that the eagle plays in their lives. (Photo by Palani Mohan)

When Colin Garratt went to photograph the traditional sentinels of the British countryside, he found they ranged from the dapper to the downright sinister. “They are not from the anaesthetised world of the craft fair”, says Colin Garratt, “but are the direct descendants of the ancient spectres which have haunted the landscape for centuries”. The Scarecrow Exhibition is at Geddes Gallery, London, from 25 to 30 March. (Photo by Colin Garratt)

These timeless postcards offer an eye-opening glimpse into life in Japan in the early 20th century. Taken from hand-colored photographs, the postcards showcase the still beauty of the country, depicting a nation on the cusp of modernization. The images feature solemn fishermen, bustling streets, temples and shrines: a country yet to be influenced by Western culture. The tinting effect brings out the rich colors of the natural surroundings, with trees, flowers and cherry blossoms jumping from the original black-and-white images. Here: Toyokuni Shrine Nakanoshima, Osaka, Japan. (Photo by New York Public Library/Caters News)

Barking mad owners have proved they really do look like their pets – by performing impressions of their own dogs. In a series of hilarious “paw”-traits, owners pull their best faces to look like their pooches. Snapped by photographer Ines Opifanti, people stuck their tongues out, yawned and tilted their heads in curiosity at the camera. Opifanti, from Hamburg, Germany, came up with the idea while interacting with her own dogs, two pug/French bulldog crossbreeds. Here: Amina and Zazou the dog. (Photo by Ines Opifanti/Caters News)

The Vietnam Slide Project was created by photo editor Kendra Rennick, who began collecting photo slides after a close friend lost her father, a Vietnam veteran. Her friend found a box of slides that her father had taken while in Vietnam and from there Rennick has continued to collect photographs that Vietnam veterans took during their tours of duty. Here: A photo taken from the collection of D.Thornton, who served in the First Air Cavalry division of the United States Army. (Photo by D.Thornton/The Vietnam Slide Project)

These spectacular images of the universe are the finalists in the 2016 CWAS “David Malin” awards. The annual competition, which celebrates the best astronomy images taken by Australian photographers, is part of AstroFest 2016. The winners will be announced on 16 July. An associated exhibition opens the following day at the CSIRO Parkes Observatory visitors centre, and a second exhibition will also travel to selected venues around Australia. Here: Mars and its Rival Antares and the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex. (Photo by Phil Hart/CWAS/The Guardian)