This talented photographer captures mountainscapes so otherworldly that it’s hard to believe they exist on planet Earth.
As a matter of fact, professional photographer Aytek Cetin says that some people question whether the landscapes he’s captured are real, as they look so unearthly.
The 41-year-old Turkish photographer, who also tutors fellow photographers in private photography tours and online classes, tells MailOnline Travel: ‘Sometimes we can be prejudiced about geography that we have not seen before. For example, for a photograph I took in Cappadocia [a region in Turkey], someone claimed that it was not a real place… I explained to this person that it was a real place and cappadoica balloon tour that I took others to this place to take pictures.’
Detailing why he’s drawn to epic mountain scenes, Cetin says: ‘What impresses me the most about mountains is that they are the most powerful beings of nature. They have been there in all their glory for millions of years and will continue to be.’
The photographer, who is drumming up a sizeable Instagram following – 87,000 followers and counting – explains that he sets out to ‘draw’ viewers into a mountain scene and ‘make them feel [like] they are there’ with his photography. He notes: ‘To do this, I try to use different perspectives than the scenes other people are accustomed to seeing.’
Capturing these remote landscapes is not without its challenges. As there’s often no transportation to off-grid peaks, Cetin regularly has to walk long distances carrying his camping gear and his camera equipment, which can weigh more than 70lb (31 kilos). The hard work is worth it, however, for the magical photographs he can capture. Scroll down to see evidence of a photographer at the peak of his powers…
This dramatic mountain shot was captured in the Kackar Mountains National Park – a hotspot for hiking and climbing – in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. Cetin describes the location as one of the ‘undiscovered valleys of [the] Black Sea’
LEFT: This mystical picture shows the bizarre rock formations in the Goreme National Park of Turkey’s Cappadocia region in the first light of the morning. Cetin says: ‘As a landscape photographer, I can say that I feel at home when I am in nature. I like to take pictures away from the crowd, where I feel like I can breathe.’ RIGHT: Cetin turned his camera on Lake Meke, a volcanic crater lake in Turkey’s Konya Province, for this mesmerising photograph
Ama Dablam, a 6,812m- (22,349ft) high peak in the Himalayas in Nepal, is the subject of this enchanting photograph. Cetin admits: ‘I don’t remember any sight giving me joy more than watching the magnificent Ama Dablam at sunset’
LEFT: This transfixing shot was taken in the Goreme National Park in Turkey’s Cappadocia region. RIGHT: Cetin describes this scene – captured in the Svaneti region in the Greater Caucasus mountain range in Georgia – as ‘unforgettable’
This spectacular panorama shot shows the wooden houses of the 2,170m- (7,119ft) high Pokut plateau in the Turkish province of Rize
LEFT: This otherworldly photograph was taken in the Martian Mountains – also known as the Merrikhi Mountains – in the southeastern Sistan and Balouchestan province of Iran. Cetin describes them as the ‘razor-sharp mountains of Iran’. RIGHT: Iran’s distinctive Martian Mountains are also the subject of this stunning photograph
LEFT: Khumbila, a 5,761m (18,901ft) mountain in the Himalayas in Nepal, is cleverly framed by trees in this spellbinding photograph, which was captured during a sunrise. RIGHT: Daisies spill over a grassy hilltop in this beautiful shot by Cetin, captured in Turkey’s Kackar Mountains National Park. Cetin reflects: ‘You can always get dramatic [weather] conditions in the Black Sea mountains’
This atmospheric picture shows the mountain of Taboche (background) in the Khumbu region of the Himalayas in Nepal. It was taken at an altitude of 4,500m (14,763ft), Cetin reveals
LEFT: Turkey’s ‘wild’ Kackar Mountains National Park was the setting for this astonishing photograph. RIGHT: This epic photograph was captured near the small town of Mestia in the Caucasus Mountains in northwest Georgia
This stunning shot shows Mount Kazbek, a stratovolcano in the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia, illuminated by the first light of day
To see more photography from Aytek Cetin, visit his Instagram profile and his website.