“At her job, Maria Torero cares for sick human beings. At home, she lavishes love on slowly dying cats – 175 of them at last count. The 45-year-old nurse has turned her two-story, eight-room apartment into a hospice for cats with feline leukemia, scattering it with scores of feeding dishes and at least two dozen boxes litter boxes. Some have suggested she shelter healthy cats instead. “That's not my role”, she told The Associated Press. “I'm a nurse. My duty is to the cats that nobody cares about”. She said that “people don't adopt adult cats, especially if they are terminally ill”. – Franklin Briceno via Associated Press. (Photo by Martin Mejia/AP Photo)

Initially the project started when I was working in Atlanta. About four years ago, a roommate of mine had a Yorkie and we thought it would be funny to take some photos of this really cute dog with a few handguns. Once my friends saw the photos they started asking me to take pictures of their dogs with other firearms... (Photo and caption by Ben Haulenbeek/Puppies with guns calendar 2015)

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)

Winner. “This was taken in the South Ari Atolls, Maldives, as the south-west monsoon season was setting in. It features my partner – and dive buddy – Emma after surfacing at the end of the last dive of the day to find 1.5 metre swells and dark monsoon clouds. MICK RYAN, JUDGE: This beautiful portrait of a diver in an ocean swell below a menacing sky stands out this month for its emotional and elemental beauty. It is a reminder that while we may play among nature we are always dwarfed by its power and must be constantly on our guard”. (Photo by Simon Dunn/The Guardian)

The Arabian mare “Jenny” curiously sniffs at the child of Raphael Wöllstein, who is on his way to the train, on her daily walk through the Fechenheim district of Frankfurt, Germany on March 8, 2019. Her owner opens the stable door for the 22-year-old horse every morning. Then the animal can decide for itself where it wants to spend the day. So that nobody thinks she's escaped, a sign with the inscription “My name is Jenny, didn't run away, just go for a walk” is on the halter. (Photo by Boris Roessler/dpa)

«After Presents», 1996. Siri Kaur: “I was 14 when Simran was born in 1990. We have different mothers, so we grew up separately and I made pictures with her whenever I saw her. The work of Sally Mann and Nan Goldin gave me permission to see my family as a valid art subject. This image shows the aftermath of Christmas morning. Simran is unselfconsciously lounging on the floor, melding into her beloved dog”. (Photo by Siri Kaur)

Steve Shirts, aka “Strike Pony”, left, gets a hug from Amber Snyder, aka “Ditsy Dots” in Baltimore, MD on July 8, 2016. Both are from Suburban Chicago. BronyCon is the world's largest My Pretty Pony convention. Featuring cosplay and fan events, the annual convention was held at the Baltimore Convention Center. (Photo by Andre Chung/The Washington Post)

“I started photography in June 2009. At the time, I was searching for a way to express both the rigorous scientist and the creative artist in me. There are few hobbies that let these two approaches work together, so I really was enthusiastic about it: I am now spending all my free time studying various techniques, contemplating others' fantastic work, and of course, making pictures”. – Christophe Kiciak. Photo: “The Hero”. (Photo by Christophe Kiciak)