The hot air balloon “Hopper T Frog” from Park City, Utah, peeks over the red rock cliffs during the 23nd Annual Red Rock Balloon Rally at Red Rock State Park December 6, 2003 near Gallup, New Mexico. (Photo By Douglas Tesner/Getty Images)

Ra Paulette is an American cave sculptor based in New Mexico who digs into hillsides to sculpt elaborate artistic spaces inside mountains. Reviewer Martha Mendoza in the Los Angeles Times described the caves he created as shrines, as hallowed places, a “sanctuary for prayer and meditation” while others describe the caves as works of art. The caves are finished with “scallops, molded curves, smooth ledges, inlaid stones, narrow pods and crusty ledges”. His caves attract visitors worldwide.

“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)

One of the Houston Rockets NBA basketball team’s cheerleaders — known as the Power Dancers – in action during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center on March 19, 2023 in Houston, Texas. The Rockets won 114-112. (Photo by Thomas Shea/Reuters)

Fireworks from Japan light up the sky at the start of the 6th Pyro musical competition Saturday, February 7, 2015 at the Mall of Asia shopping complex at suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines. The fireworks competition, which runs for six consecutive weekends, features entries from 11 countries as host country the Philippines, Canada, United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Brazil, Portugal, China, Mexico, Italy, The Netherlands and Sweden, with Canada winning the championship last year. (Photo by Bullit Marquez/AP Photo)

Todd Bretl specializes in underwater photography, and is able to capture striking photos of aquatic life big and small. His photos of sharks are particularly striking; though he rarely faces hostility from the animals, he tries not to spend too much time looking through his viewfinder and many shots are framed by educated guesses and impeccable timing. What follows are photographs taken over the past several years on trips to the Bahamas and Isla Guadalupe, an island off the coast of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. (Photo by Todd Bretl)

In this Friday, November 6, 2015 photo dancers Alba Ibanez, right, and Luis Chavez, both from Spain, dress up backstage before taking part in the World Salsa Master dance competition in Madrid. Ten dance couples from different countries around the world performed in front of an audience of around 2,000 people. Participants – who wore bright, colorful outfits – came from the United States, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Czech Republic and Venezuela. (Photo by Francisco Seco/AP Photo)

Jorge, an immigrant from Mexico, dressed as the Sesame Street character Elmo rests in Times Square, New York July 29, 2014. Elmo and Cookie Monster have long delighted young viewers on TV's “Sesame Street”, but the recent antics of New York street performers dressed as the beloved characters have drawn the ire of city officials and now the show's producers. Sesame Workshop, which owns the rights to Big Bird, Ernie and the assorted puppet monsters on the 45-year-old program, said on July 29, 2014 it was drafting plans to stop performers who dress up as the characters from appearing in Times Square, where they pose for photos with tourists and then demand tips. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)