A glimpse of incredible 'decisive moments' in nature

European photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson introduced the concept of "decisive moments" in photography. The concept refers to the moment when the photographer captures the fleeting second that reveals the beauty, essence and larger truth of a situation.

The striking photograph below shows the moment of "dirty storm" during the eruption of Calbuco volcano in Chile, South America. The amazing phenomenon occurs when the forces of the elements thrown from the bottom of the volcano collide on the outside, causing positive and negative charges which produce lightning.

A "dirty storm" during the eruption of the Calbuco volcano in Chile. /VCG

Here are some other spectacular moments that record the beauty and order in nature:

A green-crowned brilliant hummingbird goes eye to eye with a green pit viper. /VCG

Droplets of water form a triangle as a cormorant shakes water off its wings at KiskunsÃ¡g National Park, Hungary. /VCG

A SpaceX rocket launch over Aspendell in U.S. /VCG

A lamb leads the sheep over a small bridge in Patagonia, Argentina. /VCG

A close encounter with a friendly whale shark. /VCG

Praying mantises on a twig in Cyprus. /VCG

Countless chili peppers surround laborers in the Bogra district in northern Bangladesh. /VCG

The Kofa Mountains in Arizona, U.S. /VCG

A lizard and a snail kiss in Indonesia. /VCG

Sweetlips fish off the coast of the Raja Ampat Islands. /VCG

A European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) nibbling on a dandelion stalk. /VCG

(All images via VCG)

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