For some reason, everything that comes from Australia is either very cute or very poisonous; sometimes cute and poisonous at the same time. For example, Slow Loris, which you probably have seen eating a ball of rice on YouTube, is actually a very poisonous creature, despite its extreme cuteness. Goodfellow’s tree-kangaroos, on the other hand, are all cuteness and no poison. Just look at its cute little snout and furry paws, as it gingerly scratches its stomach, while sitting on its hind legs! If you don’t find this creature adorable, nothing will be able to thaw your stone-cold heart.

It would seem to be something you'd see only in a cartoon or at a Phish concert, but according to park rangers in New South Wales, Australia, dozens of giant, fluorescent pink slugs have been popping up on a mountaintop there. The eight-inch creatures have been spotted only on Mount Kaputar, a 5,000-foot peak in the Nandewar Range in northern New South Wales. Scientists believe the eye-catching organisms are survivors from an era when Australia was home to rainforests. A series of volcanoes, millions of years of erosion and other geological changes “have carved a dramatic landscape at Mount Kaputar”, the park service wrote on its Facebook page, and unique arid conditions spared the slugs from extinction. (Photo by Michael Murphy/AFP Photo/NSW Environment Office)

As part of FLAIR Melbourne – a Flinders Lane art festival – Melbourne’s Lisa Minogue presents stylised photographic portraits of Australian women of colour, their faces painted vibrantly to accentuate their individuality and encourage the viewer to study each face more closely. Minogue asked each woman the same question: “What do the words “coloured girl” mean to you?”. (Photo by Lisa Minogue/The Guardian)

Light is the sole reason why life exists. It provides us with warmth; it allows us to see; it nourishes all the living things on this planet. Many painters, especially the masters of Old Renaissance Period, have recognized the importance of light and its intimate connection with nature and life itself. In their paintings they gave tribute to light, giving the impression that their paintings had a light source hidden within them. Al Hogue, the artist who created the paintings that you see before you, has studied their techniques for many years. As time went by, light permeated not only his paintings by also his life, becoming his sole philosophy.

When you look at the pictures created by Stacey Baker, you immediately think that these photos must have been staged by the photographer to convey some deep meaning. In reality, however, Stacy created her new series called “CitiLegs”, which has about 300 pictures of female legs, by asking passing girls and women in Manhattan, New York if she could photograph their legs. And that is when the realization hits you – “Some people actually dress like that!” What kind of a person would wear neon-green shorts over orange leggings with leopard-patterned boots, the toes of which are completely torn? Yes, there is a possibility that such a person might be insane; however, there are just too many “crazy” photos in this series! (Photo by Stacey Baker)

You have to agree, that most of the designs of the license plates in the United States are pretty boring and bland. In most cases, a three-year-old could have done a better job. This is the reason why Jonathan Lawrence has decided to create a project of redesigning the license plates of all 50 states. His designs feature fresh vibrant colors, as well as clean and readable design. These are the license plates you’d want to use if you have anything that is better than a rundown, old pickup truck (no offence to owners of rundown, old pickup trucks). Some of his designs are humorous, some are strict and official; however, all of them look better than the license plates that are in circulation today. (Photo by Jonathan Lawrence)

“A snapshot from mountaineer's life”. Have you ever wondered how does a mountaineer's day start? I will give you a hint: you wake up at 3 am, set the stove, wake up your partner, pretend it is warm, quickly consume a high-calorie breakfast, watch your friends slowly ascending the icy slopes of your dream summit with their tiny head torches glimmering against perfectly blue ice, and hope for the good weather. One would ask: why all this trouble? The answer is easy: for the love of the adventure and the unknown. Location: Chamonix, Haute Savoye, France. (Photo and caption by Kamil Tamiola/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

ATTENTION! All pictures are presented in high resolution. To see Hi-Res images – just TWICE click on any picture. In other words, click small picture – opens the BIG picture. Click BIG picture – opens VERY BIG picture.