An Okinawan woman in a kimono checks her phone before attending a ceremony on Coming of Age Day on January 13, 2019 in Okinawa City, Japan. Coming of Age Day is a Japanese holiday held every January to celebrate people who have reached 20 – the official age of adulthood in Japan. Despite being a solemn affair in some parts of Japan, Okinawans have become known for their flamboyant and occasionally boisterous celebrations. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

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)

A handout picture provided by Global newsroom of Czech Martin Sonka (C) leading Nigel Lamb (top) of Great Britain and Yoshihide Muroya of Japan (down) along the Mount Fuji prior the third stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Chiba, Japan on June 1, 2016. (Photo by Predrag Vockovic/EPA/Global Newsroom)

Mikel Merino of Spain and Maya Yoshida of Japan react on the pitch following a collision during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games men's semi-final football match between Japan and Spain at Saitama Stadium in Saitama on August 3, 2021. (Photo by Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

Jun Sato (2nd L), founder of Japan's first parkour educational institute SENDAI X-TRAIN, demonstrates his parkour skill with other practitionners at a park in Tokyo, Japan November 2, 2016. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

MotoGP Ducati Lenovo Team rider Marc Marquez (R) of Spain and his girlfriend Gemma Pinto (L) celebrate his World Champion 2025 title after the race at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of Japan in Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, 28 September 2025. (Photo by Franck Robichon/EPA)

A mascot of the Philippine National Police (PNP), named after their Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, marches with members of the K9 units and the Special Action Force before the mass blessing for rescue dogs during the celebration of the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron Saint of Animals, at the St. John Paul II parish church in Eastwood, Quezon city, metro Manila, Philippines October 2, 2016. (Photo by Romeo Ranoco/Reuters)

An injured young woman is led away after an incident at Parsons Green underground tube station in west London on September 15, 2017. Police and ambulance services said they were responding to an “incident” at Parsons Green underground station in west London on Friday, following media reports of an explosion. A Metro. co. uk reporter at the scene was quoted by the paper as saying that a white container exploded on the train and passengers had suffered facial burns. (Photo by Luke MacGregor/Reuters)