The images were taken off the coast of Tonga in the South Pacific. Photographer Grant Thomas said: “Through my images I aim to show off the amazing life we have on our planet in hope of inspiring more people to experience it for themselves and, most importantly, care for it”. (Photo by Grant Thomas/Caters News Agency)

These may look like alien creatures from another planet, but the odd organisms are, in fact, colorful, microscopic life forms found in our forests. The bizarre slime molds, known as mycetozoa or fungus animals, were captured by geologist Valeriya Zvereva. She spent months documenting the common life forms that are found beneath our feet – but are rarely seen. Incredibly, the organisms can move and hunt for other microscopic life forms on which to feed. Zvereva, who is from Moscow, used a special macro lens to capture the vibrant and up-close shots, which show off the organisms’ unlikely beauty. (Photo by Valeriya Zvereva/Caters News)

It’s the United States of Air-merica! Pilot Jassen Todorov from San Francisco spent three weeks flying across eight states in a 1976 Piper Warrior plane to capture the this shots – from deep craters in Arizona’s red desert and the swamps and wetlands in Florida and Louisiana, that look like they could be on alien planets, to freeways and stretches of suburban Texas. Here: El Paso, Texas at sunset. (Photo by Jassen Todorov/Caters News)

Nikolai Tolstyh takes photos of paper animal silhouettes in a natural setting. The combination is surprisingly perfect: the surroundings provide both color for the cutout and a scene to frame the animal.

“Two Brothers”. We found about 20 lions eating a buffalo. When the male leaved the group we anticipated him to take photos. It is 8AM, light is perfect and the position too. The lion stops and looks down from the hill, another lion is coming up, it stiffens, I think that will be a fight, i'm tense, the camera is OK, the shots previously made perfect. The two meet, looking directly into their eyes, they sniff, rub against their heads, the tension drops, they start walking with the same step as when they were puppies, they are two brothers. Photo location: Masai Mara, Kenya. (Photo and caption by Massimo Mei/National Geographic Photo Contest)

Miss USA, Olivia Culpo, appears on stage during the Miss Universe Pageant at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 19, 2012. Olivia Culpo was crowned Miss Universe 2012, beating out beauties from around the world to claim the coveted title. The title of first runner-up title went to the contestant from the Philippines, Janine Tugonon. (Photo by Joe Klamar/AFP Photo)

Polish photographer David Kaszlikowski took a series of stunning photographs of a glacier in the Karakoram region of Pakistan while on a film expedition. At the Baltoro and Godwin-Austen glaciers near K2, the second highest mountain in the world, he sent his drone on flights to scout the surrounding landscape. Here: at the heart of Karakoram, a glacier formation found at Concordia at the very beginning of one of the longest glaciers on the planet, Baltoro. (Photo by David Kaszlikowski/Rex Features)