Tempering the violence of modern weaponry with charmingly rendered creatures, artist Xiau-Fong Wee captures a dark humor in her quirky drawings. While some of the weapons appear terrifyingly realistic, others such as in the ray gun wielding bunny portrait, speaks more to the fantastical worlds of science fiction. The anthropomorphic dispositions of the spectacle-wearing creatures also range in merry reverie to stern seriousness, adding to the delightful nature of these well-executed portraits. View more of the drawings below.

It’s a bug’s life for these colorful insects – whose natural markings resemble incredible smiling faces. These dazzling insects, with their colorful patterns and markings, look as if they are living a happy bugs life. But they’re also the spitting image of a whole host of stars from stage and screen from a creeping Charlie Chaplin to Elvis Presley. Photo: Pentomid bug. (Photo by Darlyne Murawsk/National Geographic Creative/Caters News)

The official name for this tiny speck of land – the size of 12 football pitches – is Hashima, but few call it that. In English, its most commonly used name means “Battleship Island” and, viewed from a certain angle offshore, its silhouette is uncannily dreadnought in nature. It was a mining facility until 1974, when it was abandoned to the elements, before partially reopening as a tourist attraction in 2009. Photo: A decades-old television. (Photo by Mark C. O'Flaherty)

A greenhouse is a contained quantity of air and light which extends the growing season and enables the thriving of plants otherwise alien to local climate. It creates a bubble of super-nature, where things otherwise impossible become possible. The smell, temperature, humidity and taste of things are significantly different than just outside the thin membrane. It enables us to create different kinds (or quantities) of food, but also to experience different climates and atmospheres. A greenhouse is by definition alien to its site, but creates a significant place in everyday life.

“Scott Linstead is an internationally published, freelance wildlife photographer/writer. His clients include Natural History Magazine, Hewlett Packard, Ranger Rick Magazine and a number of wildlife publications in North America and Europe. Scott's column on the techniques of bird photography appears in every issue of Outdoor Photography Canada”.

Photo: A veiled chameleon extends its tongue to catch a cricket. Canadian wildlife photographer Scott Linstead, formerly an aerospace engineer and high school teacher, uses a device called Phototrap “to not only photograph the elusive, but also the unimaginably quick”. (Photo by Scott Linstead)

There are many types of hobbies. Some of them are strange, such as piercing your skin with huge metal hooks with ropes attached to them, and dangling yourself from the ceiling. Others might enjoy riding down huge mountain hills on skis, snowboards, mountain boards, bikes, etc. However, some enjoy pastimes that are more tranquil and meditative. For example, the art of contortionism is a very peculiar hobby that is usually practiced by women and children, due to the natural stretchiness of their tendons. Despite the fact that tendons of grown men are usually too stiff, a Berlin-based dancer is able to do amazing things with his body and is not afraid to show it to the world.

“Photographer Seth Casteel has definitely taken animal photography to new heights – or depths – with his hilarious photos of dogs chasing balls underwater. Casteel, who, naturally, has two dogs of his own (a mini Labradoodle and a Norwich terrier), said that he's drawn to underwater dog photography because the photos show a side of dogs that people may have never seen before”.

Photo: Seth Casteel Underwater Dog Pictures (Photo by Seth Casteel)