Planet fantastic: Stunning images of the world's most breathtaking landscapes

By DANIEL MILLER

They look like scenes straight out of the latest sci-fi blockbuster, futuristic landscapes from a distant alien world. But this is planet Earth at its most magnificent, the spectacular quirks of mother nature that continue to astound and delight in equal measure. From the vivid colours of a beautiful hot spring to a random rock formation that looks just like an elephant, the incredible landscapes have formed over millions of years.

The Wave: (Utah, USA) Carved rock eroded into a wave-like formation made of jurrasic-age Navajo sandstone that is approximately 190 million years old

The Beauty Pool: (Yellowstone National Park, USA) The hot spring allows luminous algae and bacteria to flourish creating a vivid array of colours

Another view of Beauty Pool in Yellowstone National Park. It is connected to a nearby pool called Chromatic Spring and when the water level in one rises, the water level in the other decreases Take Beauty Pool, a much visited site in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, where the hot spring has allowed algae and bacteria to flourish creating a staggeringly beautiful array of luminous colours.

The Moeraki Boulders: (New Zealand) The gigantic boulders started forming on the ocean floor and can now been seen sitting mysteriously on the coastline thanks to centuries of erosion Or the incredible sliding stones of Death Valley, California - the movement of which continues to baffle experts, who remain at a loss to explain how these enormous boulders, weighing up to 700 pounds each, have slid across a perfectly flat bed. The Wave in Utah, USA, is a swooping curve of sandstone rock, 190 million years old, that has been gradually eroded by wind and rain to create a spectacular natural display.

The sliding stones: (Death Valley, California, USA) The movement of the rocks continues to baffle experts who are at a loss to explain why they have moved across a perfectly flat bed despite weighing up to 700 pounds each

The Peculiar Pinnacles: (Nambung National Park, Western Australia) These amazing natural limestone structures, some standing as high as five metres, were formed approximately 25,000 to 30,000 years ago after the sea receded and left deposits of shells

Crater Lake: (Oregon, USA) Formed about 150 years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama

Elephant Rock: ( Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, USA) A strange natural sandstone rock formation which looks like an elephant

Balls Pyramid: (Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia) The world's tallest sea stack, at 562 metres formed through processes of coastal geomorphology, which are entirely natural. Time, wind, and water are the only factors involved

Hiller Lake: (Western Australia) Scientists cannot explain the pink colour although they have proven it is not due to the presence of algae Then there is the mysterious bright pink Lake Hiller in Western Australia. Its startling colour remains a mystery and while scientists have proven it's not due to the presence of algae, unlike the other salt lakes down under, they still can't explain why it's pink. One can only imagine how these incredible sights would have stunned our early ancestors. The Moeraki Boulders for example, that sit mysteriously on the New Zealand coastline, resemble giant eggs laid by some terrible monster from the deep. Or travel inland to New Zealand's Champagne Pool - where hot water containing gold, silver, mercury, sulphur and arsenic bubbles up like a fiery pit. Other wonders include the Great Blue Hole in Belize - A large submarine sinkhole which is over 984 feet across and 407 feet deep formed during several episodes of quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower. The peculiar pinnacles at Nambung National Park, Western Australia - amazing natural limestone structures, some standing as high as five metres, were formed approximately 25,000 to 30,000 years ago after the sea receded and left deposits of sea shells. Over time, coastal winds removed the surrounding sand leaving the pillars exposed.

The Great Blue Hole: (Belize) A large submarine sinkhole which is over 984 feet across and 407 feet deep formed during several episodes of quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower

Badwater Salt Flats: (California, USA) This is the lowest point of the United States at -282 feet

Tsingy: (Ankarana National Park, Northern Madagascar) A series of carpet limestone pinnacles

The Champagne Pool: (Waiotapu Geothermal area of New Zealand) A colourful hot spring with a surface temperature of 74 degrees celsius. It bubbles due to uprising carbon dioxide

Tufa Pinnacles: (Mono Lake, Sierra Nevada, USA) Mono Lake is a closed hydrological basin meaning water flows into it but it doesn't flow out. The only way for water to leave is through evaporation

Bryce Amphitheatre: (Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA) The bizarre pinnacles of limestone rock and eroding fins create a majestic display

The Puente del Inca: (Argentina) A natural rock bridge covered by bright orange and yellow bacteria mats created by natural sulphur springs which cover the rock walls

Rainforest sinkhole: (Jaua-Sarisarinama National Park, Venezuela) A sinkhole is the natural depression of or hole in the Earth's surface source: dailymail

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The greatest goal ever scored: Swedish striker's stunning propeller kick leaves even defeated England's fans applauding

By NEIL ASHTON and MATT BARLOW

Sporting beauty: Zlatan Ibrahimovic unleashes his incredible overhead kick after leaping six feet into the air to score the wonder goal that fired Sweden to a 4-2 victory over England Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic last night scored the ‘greatest goal ever’ to round off a crushing victory over England in the first match at his national stadium. The talented footballer's remarkable overhead kick came when he was 30 yards from goal. He sprang six feet into the air to arch the ball over the helpless goalkeeper and into the net. The world's biggest football names are already queuing up to praise the goal, with even England's gobsmacked stars hailing his achievement as 'extraordinary' and 'world class'.

Remarkable talent: The crowd went silent as the ball arched over helpless England goalkeeper Joe Hart into the back of the net - and then erupted in wild applause England captain Steven Gerrard, playing his 100th match for his country, said: 'It is the best goal I have seen live. 'The best goal I’d seen before that was Wayne Rooney’s against Manchester City. 'Everyone knows how special that was, but this one — an overhead kick from 30 yards when the ball is six feet in the air — only certain players can do that. And he is a special player. ‘This was a world-class performance from a world-class player.' Ibrahamivic's goal was his fourth of the match, taking the score to 4-2 to round off the first game at Friends Arena in Stockholm.

Game-changer: The player tears off his shirt to celebrate as the crowd on both sides cheers the incredible moment at Stockholm's new Friends Stadium The propeller kick came after goalkeeper Joe Hart had come out of his area to head the ball clear. Silence fell as those inside the arena held their breath. and watched the flight of the ball. Then the noise exploded as it landed in the net. Even England supporters stood to applaud the audacity of Sweden's captain, thrilled to witness such a brilliant flash of sporting beauty.

Pure delight: Sweden's captain celebrates his outrageous fourth goal of the friendly, with the world praising the sheer audacity of his remarkable propeller kick Ibrahimovic ripped off his shirt, tossed it towards the crowd and shrugged as he was shown a yellow card. Asked to rate his international career out of 10, Ibrahimovic replied: ‘Ten. When I saw the goalkeeper was out of his net, I tried to put it over him. It was a good try, and when it comes off it’s fantastic.’ source: dailymail

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Almost human: Photographer's intimate studio portraits that show wild creatures making unnervingly similar gestures to us

By LEON WATSON

These stunning pictures were created by UK-based photographer Tim Flach, who has made a name taking intimate photos of animals How he got them to sit still, we don't know. But somehow award-winning UK-based photographer Tim Flach managed it, and this was the result. The 54-year-old has created a collection of incredible photographic portraits of animals so intimate they reveal the complex emotions of their subjects. And the emotions on show look strikingly familiar to our own.

Mr Flach is known for his highly-stylized animal portraits. His work aims to capture the emotion animals evoke in humans

Almost humanlike: Turned away from the camera, this gorilla was captured for a spectacularly intimate shot After receiving worldwide attention for his photographs of dogs and horses in projects titled Dogs Gods and Equus, Mr Flach, from London, turned his attention to more exotic creatures. His latest project, titled More Than Human, consists of intimate studio portraits of various wild animals, from various monkeys and apes to specially-bred featherless chickens.

London-based photographer Tim Flach's latest project, titled More Than Human, consists of intimate studio portraits of various wild animals, from various monkeys and apes to specially-bred featherless chickens The description of Mr Flach’s work on his website reads: 'Although drawn from different animal species, Tim Flach brings his subjects into such close focus that we begin to read their poses and gestures as we would the body language of a human figure, face or hand [...] We find ourselves irresistibly drawn into a distinctly anthropomorphic tête à tête, suddenly able to see eye to eye with a curiously kindred species whose behavior is not unlike our own.'

Mr Flach has received worldwide attention for his photographs of dogs and horses in projects titled Dogs Gods and Equus, Mr Flach, from London, turned his attention to more exotic creatures

Near naked: A chicken pictured mid-stride with one eye on the camera

Spreading its wings: Up close and personal with a peacock

This portrait of an elephant shows it spouting water from its trunk

Tim Flach brings his subjects into such close focus that we begin to read their poses and gestures as we would the body language of a human figure, face or hand

Sad eyes: This orangutan is pictured gazing out of shot, thoughtfully

A capuchin monkey picks at his finger, and looks surprised (left) while a rare white tiger (right) is intrigued Mr Flach graduated from the renowned St Martins School of Art in London and has spent the past 20 years working taking pictures for advertising. He has worked for Adidas, Cirque du Soleil, Jaguar and Sony during his career. But more recently he become known for his highly-stylized animal portraits. His work aims to capture the emotion animals evoke in humans. To do this, he brings his subjects into such close focus that the viewer begins to read the gestures and body language as we would a human being. His work has been widely exhibited in the UK, U.S. and Far East and he has also lectured extensively around the world. The photos will go on display at the Osborne Samuel Gallery in London's Mayfair from December 5 to 21.

A look of concern? A gorilla's orange eyes are seen gazing out in this intimate portrait

Very personal: Two apes enjoy an intimate moment together

A bat looks almost shy as it covers its face from the camera source: dailymail

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So who wears the trousers in the relationship? Cross-dressing couples pose in each others' outfits for hilarious photo series

By OLIVIA FLEMING

A Canadian photographer has given the term 'boyfriend jeans' a whole new meaning. Hana Pesut, 30, has been photographing couples, friends and family in their own outfits, and then again in each other's, since 2010 for a book project called Switcheroo. Mixing and matching skirts and jeans; trucker caps and straw hats; parkas and pea coats; pendants and bow ties; and heels and heavy boots, the compelling couples look at once goofy and intimate dressed in each others clothes.

And switch! Photographer Hana Pesut, 30, has been photographing couples, friends and family in their own outfits, and then again in each others', since 2010 for a series called Switcheroo Ms Pesut told the Globe and Mail: 'It’s a nice way to take a portrait and to see the way couples interact with one another. To see how much fun it is for them to see each other in each other’s clothes.

Quick change: Switching clothes, the compelling couples look both goofy and intimate dressed in each others outfits, while also imitating the others' original pose 'A couple of guys have not liked it. They act like their girlfriend tricked them into doing it. Others are good sports. They know they look funny. It’s all just for fun.' While exploring gender, identity and disguise with the project, the photographer also wants people to 'interpret it in their own way.'

Making a statement: While exploring gender, identity and disguise with the project, the photographer also wants people to 'interpret it in their own way' The idea first came to Ms Pesut, who works as a deejay and handles social media for a company in the entertainment business, while on a camping trip with friends. She told Glamour magazine: 'I didn't really plan for Switcheroo to be a project, it kind of just happened.

Special spots: Ms Pesut chooses each location based on places that are special or memorable for each couple 'I was camping with some friends and two of them were dressed in very different styles. One was wearing tie dye, sequins, silk scarves and everything was very colorful, whereas the other was wearing black jeans and a black T-shirt, so we thought it would be fun for them to switch outfits and I decided to take before and after photos.

Globe trotter:She has photographed over 200 'switcheroos' all over the world, including Spain, Japan, France, Austria, Mexico, Canada and America source: dailymail

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A towering sunrise above London as blood-red skies turn the Thames crimson by Tower Bridge

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Today's dramatic sunrise over Tower Bridge taken from the sixth floor of the Northern and Shell building on Lower Thames Street You might think you need expensive equipment to take a brilliant photo but these dramatic images of a surnrise over one of London's most iconic landmarks were snapped with a point and shoot camera worth less than £200. IT engineer Jason Pope captured the sun poking through Tower Bridge at around 7am this morning from the sixth floor office of the Northern and Shell building on Lower Thames Street in the heart of the captial. The 35-year-old said the breathtaking pictures were taken using a simple compact Panasonic camera and have not been manipulated on a computer.

Today's photo taken by Mr Pope is reminiscent of English artist Joseph Turner's famous portrait entitled Fighting Temeraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up Mr Pope says he is still getting used to the incredible view from the office window at his new place of work after being relocated from a near windowless room in Moorgate just a few months ago. He said: 'I saw the sunrise as soon as I got into work and initially went to take a photo on my mobile phone, but they usually turn out a bit grainy so I went and found the office camera.

The stunning photographs which show the fluffy orange-coloured clouds behind the iconic landmark were taken using a £150 compact camera 'I didn't do anything special, just turned the flash off and rested it on the rail to keep it still. 'One of the sales guys liked the photo and then it went around the office until someone posted it on the recommendations site Reddit and a lot of people seemed to like it.' Mr Pope who returned to the UK four and a half years ago after 27 years in South Africa said he thinks London is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. He added: 'I heard someone saying a while back that a lot of Londoners walk around with their heads down, but if you actually around you there are some lovely buildings and when the sun catches them they can look magnificent.'

IT engineer Jason Pope who snapped the scene said was initially going to take the pictures on his mobile phone but having had mixed results in the past he decided to grab the office camera

Tower Bridge has been a feature on the London landscape for 118 years and played a prominent role in the Olympics when David Beckham sped underneath on a boat carrying the Olympic torch Tower Bridge has been a site on the London landscape for 118 years and its famous towers are now known around the world. The bridge consists of two towers tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways, designed to withstand the horizontal forces exerted by the suspended sections of the bridge. The bascule pivots and operating machinery are housed in the base of each tower. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for the Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee. Originally it was painted a mid greenish-blue colour. It is famous for its raising mechanism which enables larger vessels to continue their journey along the Thames. The original raising mechanism was powered by pressurised water stored in several hydraulic accumulators. Although the bridge is an undoubted landmark, professional commentators in the early 20th century were critical of its aesthetics. Frank Brangwyn stated that 'A more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river'. Tower Bridge has appeared in numerous films and prominently featured twice in the opening ceremony for this Summer Olympics opening ceremony as first the Queen's helicopter was seen flying above it and then David Beckham powered underneath in a speed boat with the Olympic torch.

There was also a beautiful sunrise at the Somerset Levels this morning where millions of starlings took to the skies at Ham Wall

The birds which are known for their mega flocks dance and wheel through the early morning sky as they are chased and harrased by predators source: dailymail

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