Free Republic

These are the stunning pictures that offer a rare bird's-eye view of the landscape across the United States. Photographer Jassen Todorov snapped the aerial images of rivers, lakes and mountains to show a different angle to American life than skyscrapers and fast food outlets. Some of the destinations that Mr Todorov has photographed from such a height include rock formations in Utah, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Tiny Islands in Florida and Yosemite National Park. He said: 'I have been exploring the US from above for the past four years - I love flying and photographing remote locations - most of...

This is the incredible moment a bubble transformed into a delicate snow globe, before freezing completely and shattering. Mesmerising footage shows a bubble balanced on a straw that quickly crystallises in sub-zero temperatures, creating a stunning swirl of delicate icy flakes. The clip captures ice crystals dancing along the fragile surface of the bubble before it collapses in on itself, all in just 14 seconds.

A baby humpback whale, a flame-haired Norwegian and the starry sky above a desert are among winning photos in a prestigious international contest. Judges picked out 11 stunning images from among 30,000 entrants submitted for the awards, run by Swedish camera manufacturers Hasselblad. Winners, from nine different countries around the world, included a picture of a bride in a flowing wedding dress embracing her new husband and an elderly couple holding hands as they walk past a housing block.

This is the Game of Thrones-themed hotel that has been carved entirely out of ice and snow and comes complete with dragons, direwolves and even the dreaded White Walkers. The hotel has been built in collaboration with HBO, the network behind the smash-hit series, and has opened at Lapland Hotels Snow Village in Finland. Intricate ice sculptures depicting themes and characters from the show grace the 14 bedrooms and 10 suites with one room even featuring an enormous carving of a demonic White Walker looming over the bed.

An adorable seal was caught on camera completely covered in mud enjoying a relaxing bath by a passing photographer. The chilled seal was covered from head to tail in sticky seaside mud as it lolled about on the sand dunes of Donna Nook, Lincolnshire. Nigel Cox, 54, took the charming shot while on a photography holiday and on first seeing the seal he thought it looked like it was covered in chocolate. Nigel said: 'I started photography at an early age after my father, who worked at Kodak, gave me my first camera. In my teens, I progressed to an...

Commuters will be forgiven for thinking that there is absolutely no good side to Oxford Circus. But a series of striking birds-eye-view snaps by aerial photographer Jason Hawkes can safely prove that indeed there is. Mr Hawkes, who takes helicopter flights over the capital, captures the city at it's very best angles — and at a comfortable distance from the hustle and bustle of Trafalgar Square. Each spectacular shot showcases the city in a different light; from mist-shrouded vistas of the City, to bustling the bustling crowds of a Justin Bieber concert.

After living for two and a half years in London, Amber Austin-Wright and David Sciasci were hoping for some sunshine on their wedding day. Their wish wasn't granted - at first - and they were forced to move the outdoor ceremony into a chapel. But as the couple were taking their first photos together as man and wife, something magical happened. A gorgeous full rainbow appeared in the middle of the sky.

The plastic feeder acted as a greenhouse, and the birds would sleep in the feeder attached to our kitchen window during the coldest part of winter.

From majestic animals to sweeping waterfalls and lakes - these are among the best drone images of 2017 that showcase the world from above. The images, chosen by photo-sharing site Dronestagram, reveal 20 of the most stunning shots taken across the world last year. Spectacular scenery is quite common in memorable drone images, but close ups of people and animals was a common theme in 2017.

My 5th great grandfather, Henry Livingston, each year wrote up the news of the previous year and published it as a newspaper Carrier Address, which was handed out by the newsboy for a tip. This is my video version of his Carrier Address, 195 years after Henry published his last. Mine is focused, of course, on President Trump. If you like the video, an uparrow would be gratefully appreciated. I always love to see the Trump videos shine online!

These are some of the stunning images submitted to the Sony World Photography Awards 2018 as the deadline fast approaches for hopeful snappers. Among the amazing shots already handed over to judges is a spectacular portrait of a Kalahari lion with sunshine illuminating its golden eyes. Another picture shows a lion-tailed macaque in stark black and white as he keeps an eye other monkeys while they drink water. One astounding picture shows a light illusion featuring dazzling colours after being taken in a venue named the 'Crystal Universe' in Shenzhen, China. Photographers can win $25,000 for entering the 'Professional' competition...

A snow leopard cub born at the Bronx Zoo has made its public debut in October. The cub is the second generation offspring of Leo, the snow leopard which became famous when he was rescued as a young orphaned cub after being found in the high mountains of northern Pakistan in 2005. The young female was born this summer to mother, K2, and father, Naltar, who was sired by Leo in 2013. New York's Bronx Zoo has revealed a selection of its cutest new arrivals in 2017. Ranging from a rare gelada, the only one bred in a US zoo,...

Crowds flock to Pfeiffer Beach in weeks leading up to, following Winter SolsticePhotographers chase it. Beachgoers are baffled by it. And at sunset, for just a few weeks in mid-winter, it cuts a fiery path across the undulating waves off the Big Sur coastline. The orange glowing light that peeks through the Keyhole Arch on Pfeiffer Beach does not have a name. Photographers describe the fleeting phenomenon in adjectives: mystical, otherworldly, ethereal. Camera-toting crowds flock to the beach in the weeks preceding and following the Winter Solstice, on December 21 in Northern California, when the sun sets and rises at...

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph aren't the only animals that get to have their pictures taken with Santa. While most 'parents' bring their kids to the mall to take pictures with the jolly man from the North Pole, others take along their family pets for some very festive photos. And barring any allergies, this can mean a whole lot of upsides for Mr. Claus: Smokey the Cat is a lot less likely to throw a temper tantrum, Buddy the dog definitely won't ask for an Xbox, and Myrtle the turtle probably will not pick its...

Watching waves crash into the shoreline can be a beautiful and mesmerizing sight. And these stunning images snapped by the world's top surf photographers show the intense power the sea can have. The dramatic pictures form part of a eye-catching new book called Amazing Waves, that is aimed at surfers wanting to learn how to ride them.

A hilarious photograph of an apparently delighted dormouse perched atop a flower has won a top prize at the 2017 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. The adorable snap, which shows the cute rodent climbing up a yarrow flower in the Italian mountains, won the Creatures of the Land category. The photography competition aims to raise awareness of conservation through comedy - and received more than 3,500 entries from 86 countries.

They were among the bravest and hardiest men of their time, the first to explore the world's polar regions alongside men like Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton. While these men might not have received the same recognition as Scott and Shackleton, they were still worthy of being immortalised in photographs that have now been brought to life in colour for the first time. Among the men pictured here is Tom Crean, and Irishman who served with both Scott and Shackleton including on the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole, which he survived. Also pictured is Lawrence Oats, who...

A stunning shot of an orangutan crossing an Indonesia river has been named the winner of a prestigious nature photography award. The shot, by Singapore photographer Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan, was selected as the winner of the 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest. He has won $10,000 and will have his winning image published in an upcoming issue of National Geographic magazine and featured on the @NatGeo Instagram account. Mr Bojan captured the dramatic image while wading in five feet of water in the Sekoyner River in Tanjung Puting National Park in Borneo.

An incredible image of Antarctic ice mountains shaped like sugar cubes has won a prestigious science photography competition. The Royal Society Publishing photography competition celebrates the power of photography to demonstrate the beauty of nature and science. Polar ecologist Professor Peter Convey took this year's overall winning shot during work with the Cambridge-based British Antarctic Survey. It was commended by the judging panel for its skill in capturing the sheer scale of the icy continent.

From deep gorges to the elusive northern lights, new drone footage shows the mesmerising beauty of Iceland. A team of filmmakers trekked across the volcano-ridden country to capture a range of unique landscapes from the air, earlier this year. Now, in a five-minute long video titled The North Awakens, viewers are taken on a breathtaking flight, soaring above icy glaciers and rugged cliffsides.