Bismuth (Image: fluor_doublet/R. Tanaka/Flickr)

We all know the periodic table of the elements from high school chemistry, but have you ever wondered what the actual chemical elements look like? Japanese chemist and photographer R. Tanaka is on a mission to photograph the world's most photogenic elements and we dare say he succeeded with flying colors.

Check out his website and Flickr page to see more wonderful images of the elements.

Osmium

Palladium

Monoclinic sulfur

Oxidized arsenic

Gold crystal

Lead

Platinum

Ruthenium

Tellurium

Oxidized vanadium

View more over at R. Tanaka's Flickr set: The Elements - via Visual News