“Festive preparation”. Baghnapara, Bardhaman, West Bengal, India. Two girls prepare for the Gajan festival. They will perform a play based on Indian mythology. (Photo by Krishnasis Ghosh)

Indian models showcase creations by designer Shivan & Naresh during the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Winter/Festive 2016 in Mumbai on August 27, 2016. (Photo by Sujit Jaiswal/AFP Photo)

Porters carry the carcasses of a shark (L) and a Marlin (R) to the local market in Hamarweyne near the port of Mogadishu on the Indian Ocean coast on November 18, 2014 in the Somalia capital as fishermen bring in their catch. (Photo by Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP Photo)

A flood-affected couple sits along a flooded roadside under a picture of Jayalalithaa Jayaram, chief minister of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, in Chennai, India, December 6, 2015. (Photo by Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters)

These young sloth bears hitch a ride on their mother's back as she forages for food in the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve in the Indian state of Rajasthan in May 2023. (Photo by Aditya Singh/Solent News)

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)

American sculptor Michael Alfano has been sculpting for over fifteen years. A native of New York, he now lives and works in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. His major influences are Salvador Dali, Jo Davidson, and Jean-Antoine Houdon, as well as Buddhist, Taoist, Sufi and other eastern philosophy and literature. He first studied at the Art Students League of New York, with an emphasis on life-size sculpture from the model. His formal education continued at Boston University and was augmented by internships with several prominent sculptors.

“Sepak takraw or kick volleyball, is a sport native to the Malay-Thai Peninsula. Sepak takraw differs from the similar sport of volleyball in its use of a rattan ball and only allowing players to use their feet, knee, chest and head to touch the ball. It is a popular sport in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Philippines”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Hyun Ju Kim of Korea kicks over the net against Yukie Sato of Japan during the round robin match between Korea and Japan during day one of the ISTAF Sepaktakraw World Cup at Titiwangsa Stadium on July 21, 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images for UFA Sports)