Shortlisted: “Two big eyes” by Miao Yong (Zejiang province, China). Damselflies look over the leaves. “I was photographing insects in a park near my home when suddenly I found two damselflies in the grass. They kept flying and it was very difficult to focus until suddenly they parked behind a leaf”. (Photo by Miao Yong/2017 Royal Society of Biology Photographer of the Year)

Each year Nikon Small World recognizes the excellence of photography taken under the microscope. The contest showcases the beauty and complexity of life. Anyone interested in microscopy and photography can enter the contest and in its 42nd year, Nikon Small World received 2,000 entries from 70 countries. Here: 11th Place; Scales of a butterfly wing underside (Vanessa atalanta). (Photo by Francis Sneyers/Nikon's Small World 2016)

“That’s the only way to show how we really are” – sweaty, exhausted, but happy, actress and singer Juliette Lewis said about the idea of a photo collection capturing musicians moments after a concert. Photographer Matthias Willi and journalist Olivier Joliat have persuaded about 100 bands to take part in their “The Moment After the Show” project since 2005. Photo: Iggy Pop. (Photo by Matthias Willi/Olivier Joliat/The Moment After The Show)

Martin De Pasquale with his creative photographs. Here's a look at the incredible world of a digital artist who creates mind-bending works of art with Photoshop. (Photo by Martin De Pasquale/Caters News)

When Dutch photographer Marcel Heijnen moved to Hong Kong, the territory’s shop cats instantly caught his eye. While the “feline emperors” are the stars, his shots also offer insights into Hong Kong’s wares, from dried fish to paper. Here: Hong Kong Shop Cats #17. (Photo by Marcel Heijnen/Blue Lotus)

Groupama Sailing Team, skippered by Franck Cammas of France during leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race to Cape Town on November 6, 2011. (Photo by Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/Volvo Ocean Race via Getty Images)

Brain-on-a-chip. Dazzling in green and magenta this image shows the nerve fibres (in green) produced by neural stem cells (in magenta) as they grow on a synthetic gel. Captured by a technique known as confocal microscopy, the image is part of research shedding light on how tinkering with the environment can affect the way in which nerve fibres grow. (Photo by Collin Edington and Iris Lee/Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Wellcome Images)

A tamed hawk sits on a chair next to a participant during a traditional hunting contest in Almaty, Kazakhstan on December 1, 2018. (Photo by Pavel Mikheyev/Reuters)