For some time, online gamers have been treating their virtual lives as just another part of their offline lives.

Millions around the world play, meet up, battle, buy and sell in online games and virtual worlds, such as Second Life and World of Warcraft.

But to many, these virtual goings-on can be a total mystery.

Armed with his lens, photo journalist Robbie Cooper has been facing up to gamers, revealing their intricate lives and identities to the rest of the world.

Last year, his Alter Egos exhibition in London showed off the people behind the avatars - their virtual representations. It was a fascinating and comforting peek into the very ordinary and familiar faces of gamers and virtual worlders.

This year, he has cast his lens further afield into China and Korea to get the stories behind the avatars.

"I wanted to build on what I had done before and get more cultural variety and more personal variety," he told the BBC News website.

Article provided form the BBC