Fuel and faith
‘We were on our way to a bronze age archaeological site in Tayma, Saudi Arabia, when we stopped to refuel. This scene appeared to encapsulate the country – sand, oil, religion.’
Photograph: Nigel Paterson
Smoke signals
‘We were camping next to a frozen lake in Jukkasjärvi, northern Sweden. It was about -16C. In the 75 seconds or so that my hands were without the double gloves, my fingers started to freeze.’
Photograph: Anne Owen
Big in Japan
‘After four years, the Sanja festival returned to full strength last month against the backdrop of the historic Asakusa district in Tokyo. Devotees and spectators alike revelled in the revival of ancient customs.’
Photograph: Mike Leonard
Brazilian beauty
‘Right after taking off from Santos Dumont airport towards São Paulo, I saw this beautiful sunset over the south zone of Rio, with all of its exquisite mountains being bathed by the setting sun.’
Photograph: Waldemar Falcão
Place to bee
‘A tawny mining bee resting on a blade of grass in our garden. I’ve been trying to create a bee paradise in the front garden and it is a joy to see the different bees arriving to enjoy the flowers.’
Photograph: Maddie Shapland
Dramatic drive
‘A glorious summer day in the North Cascades along highway 20 in Washington, US.’
Photograph: Kyle Bickel
Red alert
‘Wine shop lanterns. Taken in Hangzhou, China. The character means ‘wine’ and the display is in a wine shop.”
Photograph: Geoff Smith/Guardian Community
Treasure island
‘A flamingo tongue snail in Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands.’
Photograph: Ian Kay/Guardian Community
Food as art
‘In the social media age, food has become performance rather than sustenance. Even in a simple street stall in Hội An, Vietnam, the shrimps look like dancers on a stage rather than just barbecued shrimp ready to be eaten.’
Photograph: Anand Radhakrishnan/Guardian Community
Lunch mates
‘After a somewhat arduous climb, I reached the summit of the Aragonese Castle on the island of Ischia, Italy. When I got to the top, I noticed a man and a seagull sharing a quiet moment. The seagull seemed to be asking if he’d tried the fish.’
Photograph: Nathan Wilson
Rose-tinted view
‘A family walking on Rush North beach in North County, Dublin.’
Photograph: Alan Martin/Guardian Community
The mother load
‘A lamb climbing on its mother’s back in Marken, Netherlands.’
Photograph: Harvey Wasserman
Hot dog
‘A dog takes cover under an umbrella in the midday heat. Taken in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.’
Photograph: Colin Page/Guardian Community
Garden friend
‘A California scrub jay who loves peanuts and lives in my garden in Shadow Hills, Los Angeles, US.’
Photograph: Matt Cunningham/Guardian Community
On the lookout
‘A view from the Round Tower in Portsmouth, taken on a sunny summer’s day.’
Photograph: Richard Pearce/Guardian Community
English (US)