Wrestler Kairi Hojo jumps at her opponent Mieko satomura during their Stardom female professional wrestling show at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2015. Professional women's wrestling in Japan means body slams, sweat, and garish costumes. But Japanese rules on hierarchy also come into play, with a culture of deference to veteran fighters. The brutal reality of the ring is masked by a strong fantasy element that feeds its popularity with fans, most of them men. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Beautiful, strange and occasionally alarming pictures from the shortlist for this year’s Wellcome image awards – which celebrate the very best in science photography and imaging – from an x-ray of a bat to a micrograph of a kidney stone. The exhibition opens on 12 March at three science centres and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Photo: Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an Arabidopsis thaliana flower, also commonly known as thale cress. Some of the anthers are open, revealing pollen grains ready for dispersal. Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced and is widely used as a model organism in molecular and plant biology. Horizontal width of image is 1200 microns. Magnification 100x. (Photo by Stefan Eberhard/Wellcome Images)

Famed for his fascination with animals, British photographer Tim Flach places them in the same position as humans, using the pure form of photography. As friends of humans, animals made their contribution to human development, but their existence were nevertheless often neglected in this process. Tim Flach however gave the public an opportunity recognize these friends. The horse, one of Tim Flach’s favorite animals, is portrayed with an imposing elegance in his tribute to this men’s old friend. Tim Flach’s horse moves like music that undulates between serenity and grandeur.

Penitents wearing masks, known locally as “Morions” take a selfie during the start of Holy Week celebrations in Mogpog, Marinduque in central Philippines March 21, 2016. The Moriones is an annual festival held on Holy Week on the island of Marinduque, Philippines. The “Moriones” are men and women in costumes and masks replicating the garb of biblical Roman soldiers as interpreted by local folks. (Photo by Erik De Castro/Reuters)

In this October 6, 2018, photo, a craftsman makes daggers or “Jambiyya” in Yemeni Arabic, made out of remains of missiles, at his workshop, in Hajjah, Yemen. Missiles raining on Yemen from the jets of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels are killing thousands of civilians and militiamen alike, but amid crashing economy, some Yemenis see the bright side of it: they make daggers out of the fragments of the missiles for ordinary men traditionally wear for prestige and a show of courage. (Photo by Hammadi Issa/AP Photo)

Bulgarian Muslims Azim Liumankov and his bride Fikrie Bindzheva pose in front of their house during their wedding ceremony in the village of Ribnovo, in the Rhodope Mountains, February 15, 2015. The remote mountain village of Ribnovo in southwest Bulgaria has kept its traditional winter marriage ceremony alive despite decades of Communist persecution, followed by poverty that forced many men to seek work abroad. (Photo by Stoyan Nenov/Reuters)

The Dark Knight (2008) was a visual feast firmly grounded in reality. But what if it had been a little more "freaktastic?" Professional concept artist Rob Bliss, who also worked on Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Watchmen (2005) and Jack the Giant Killer (2009-10) created some truly bizarre visuals for the film. Some are available in his portfolio including The Joker (Heath Ledger), the Joker's clown masked men in the bank heist and horrific images of Harvey "Two-Face" Dent (Aaron Eckhart).

A house built on a rock on the river Drina is seen near the western Serbian town of Bajina Basta, about 160km (99 miles) from the capital Belgrade May 22, 2013. The house was built in 1968 by a group of young men who decided that the rock on the river was an ideal place for a tiny shelter, according to the house's co-owner, who was among those involved in its construction. (Photo by Marko Djurica/Reuters)