A kingfisher dives into the leafy water of the River Alde near Rendham, Suffolk in the second decade of November 2022 and catches two fish. Kingfishers must be able to see the fish they want to catch before making their dive, so for this bird to be successful when leaves covered the surface of the water shows its true skill for survival. (Photo by Ivor Ottley/Animal News Agency)

Members of the Indian Army display aerobatic Taekwondo skills during the 11th Reunion and 262nd Anniversary of Army Service Crops in Bangalore, India, 09 December 2022. The 11th ASC Reunion & 262nd Corps Day will be held at Army Service Corps (ASC) Centre & College on 8th and 9th of December 2022, to showcase the military capabilities. Indian Army Service Corps, established in 1760, is an arm of the Indian Army handling logistic support. (Photo by Jagadeesh N.V./EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

An all women team from Indian Border Security force displays their skill on a moving motorcycle during the rehearsal for the upcoming Republic Day parade at the Raisina hills, the government seat of power, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, January 20, 2022. India celebrates Republic Day on Jan. 26, highlighted by a march past by different branches of the military as well as a display of arms and missiles. (Photo by Manish Swarup/AP Photo)

Pernille Ferdinandsen receives a neck tattoo from Peter Madsen during the third Copenhagen Ink Festival which opened Thursday May 9, 2013 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the biggest tattoo festival in Northern Europe. During the three days, 180 of the world's best and most celebrated national and international tattoo artists show the audience their skills in making art on the body and tattoo's on the audience. (Photo by Lars Krabbe/AP Photo)

On February 16, 2025, Finna Indriani, a 27-year-old female jockey, showcased her skills in a specialized “sport-action” performance during the “Roda Gila” entertainment event at a traditional night market in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. (Photo by Sutanta Aditya/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

“Jason deCaires Taylor is an English sculptor specialising in the creation of contemporary underwater sculptures which over time develop into artificial coral reefs. Taylor integrates his skills as a conservationist, underwater photographer and scuba diving instructor to produce unique installations that encourage the habitation and growth of corals and marine life”. – Wikipedia. Photo: “The Silent Evolution”. Underwater Sculpture, Museo Subacuático de Arte, Cancun. (Photo by Jason deCaires Taylor/UnderwaterSculpture)

Justin Rowe creates these magical sculptures from hand cut books and found images with the help of just a touch of gum arabic and 24 carat gold or palladium leaf. Some are very much in the realms of fairy stories like the one above, but my favourites are the stories below where Justin’s skill brings the book’s own illustrations to life.

Warrior monks of the Shaolin Temple display their Kung Fu skills at the Songshan Mountain near the temple April 12, 2005 in Dengfeng, Henan Province, China. Shaolin Temple, built in AD 495 in the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420–581) and located in the Songshan Mountain area, is the birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu. (Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)