Flowers are left at the scene of a hit and run following civil disturbances in the Winson Green area on August 11, 2011 in Birmingham, England. Police are continuing investigations after three people – reportedly trying to protect shops from rioting and looting in Dudley Road – were struck by a car. Police have so far arrested over 1,000 people following rioting which erupted over a four-day period across the UK. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

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)

A woman wearing a four-leaf clover-like hairpin takes a selfie nearby Nanluoguxiang street in Beijing, China, September 16, 2015. Wearing antenna styled hairpins in the shape of various flowers and plants at scenic spots has become a new trend in Beijing. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

In spring sunsunshine the “Out of Sync” art installation is unveiled on a grass meadow at Somerset House on March 15, 2012 in London, England. Chilean artist Fernando Casasempere hand crafted the 10,000 clay flowers that dominate the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court. The installation is open to the public at Somerset House from March 16th to April 27th 2012. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images for Somerset House Trust)

People in traditional costumes prepare before competing in the 55th Verdiales music contest in Malaga, southern Spain December 28, 2016. Verdiales is a form of traditional Flamenco music, which is common in the province of Malaga. Members of singing groups, known as “pandas”, wear traditional costumes decked with flowers and other accessories as they perform in the contest, which is held annually on December 28. (Photo by Jon Nazca/Reuters)

A model presents a creation during the Biofashion show, which features designs made from plants, recycled and natural materials, in Cali, Colombia, November 19, 2016. BioFashion is an environmental initiative that seeks to create awareness about the preservation and management of natural resources where new designers develop dresses made with living plants, flowers and organic elements. (Photo by Jaime Saldarriaga/Reuters)

Earlier this year, Belgian film-maker and artist Vincent Bal stumbled upon an uncanny resemblance to an elephant in the shadow of his tea cup. This gave him the idea for Shadowology, a series of doodles that interact with the shadows of simple, everyday objects: a banknote, some ice cubes and a flower, for example, can turn into a church, a woman and a hippy. “I draw a few lines and I get my image. It’s really the shadows that inspire me”, Bal says. Here: “Stonedog”. (Photo by Vincent Bal/The Guardian)

A follower of the Afro-Brazilian religion Umbanda pays tribute for Iemanja, goddess of the sea, in Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil December 29, 2017. Hundreds of practitioners of Brazil's Afro-Brazilian Candomble and Umbanda faiths have gathered at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach to honor Yemanja. Worshippers were mostly dressed in white as they launched their offerings to Iemanja: small boats with flowers and bowls with candles and fruits. (Photo by Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)