Landscape photography at its peak! Instagramming photographer captures jaw-dropping shots of mountains and giant rock formations around the world

• Arpan Das – a photographer based in Switzerland – says mountains ‘hold an air of mystery and intrigue’
• He has captured stunning mountainscapes everywhere from the Canadian Rockies to the Italian Dolomites 
• READ MORE: Now THAT’S living on the edge: Fascinating book reveals homes in vertigo-inducing locations

‘Mountains hold an air of mystery and intrigue.’ 

So says Arpan Das, whose incredible photographs of mountains capture the essence of their mystery in spellbinding fashion. 

Taken everywhere from the Canadian Rockies to the Swiss Alps, these shots are proving a hit on Instagram, earning Das nearly 40,000 followers to date. The Indian photographer, who is an astrophysicist and data scientist by trade, reveals his interest in mountain photography began when he went on a hiking excursion in the Italian Dolomites. ‘It was during that experience that I had an epiphany – I knew instantly that landscape photography was the path I wanted to pursue passionately,’ he tells MailOnline Travel. And while his forte is mountains, he shows great flair in photographing a wide variety of landscapes, from gushing waterfalls to towering rock formations.

Das, who is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, reveals he goes to great lengths to nail the perfect shot, starting with extensively researching potential locations using tools such as Google Earth. He then hikes through the mountainous terrain to reach his desired vantage point, arriving in time to capture the landscape in the best light –  ‘during sunrise, sunset and the night’. 

Once he’s got the shot, Das reveals that post-processing techniques – such as adjusting the colour balance – are ‘crucial’ to his work, though he emphasises that he doesn’t digitally manipulate his images. The reaction from fellow Instagram users is often one of amazement, he reveals, saying: ‘Many of these places are breathtakingly beautiful and evoke a sense of wonder. People are particularly surprised to learn that these landscapes are real.’

The photographer adds: ‘The power of photography lies in its ability to transport people to places they have yet to explore, and it’s truly rewarding to share these real and stunning landscapes with others.’ Scroll down to transport yourself to the mountaintops from Das’s spectacular portfolio… 

This striking picture was taken in the French Alps. Das tells MailOnline Travel: ‘What I love about mountains is their sheer vastness and the profound perspective they offer. Standing in their presence, we are reminded of our relative size in the grand scheme of nature’ 

LEFT: These rock formations can be found in Nevada, Das reveals. Comparing the landscape to the surface of Mars, he says the scene looks ‘straight out of science fiction’, adding: ‘The alignment of the moon was the cherry on the top.’ RIGHT: The Swiss Alps were the setting for this atmospheric shot. Das says: ‘The Swiss mountains possess a natural beauty that is truly remarkable. The sheer majesty of the Alpine peaks is a sight to behold, and capturing their grandeur through my lens is an exhilarating experience’

This breathtaking photograph shows Ship Rock, a volcanic rock formation in San Juan County, New Mexico. Das describes it as ‘one of the many wonders of the American Southwest’ 

LEFT: This postcard-perfect scene is in British Columbia, Canada, Das reveals. He says: ‘The vast amount of pristine wilderness in this country is truly one of a kind.’ RIGHT: Mist envelops the peaks of the Swiss Alps in this dreamy photograph by Das

You can feel the chill in this beautifully wintry shot, which was snared in Mt Hood National Forest in Oregon  

LEFT: This vivid shot was captured in British Columbia. ‘My heart is captivated by the raw wilderness of Canada’s mountain ranges,’ says Das. RIGHT: A full moon looms over Death Valley National Park, which straddles the border of California and Nevada, in this enchanting shot

This impressive photograph shows a jagged peak shrouded by the clouds in the Italian Dolomites 

This moody shot – illuminated by ‘some amazing diffused light’, Das notes – was taken in Yukon, a mountainous territory in Canada 

This spellbinding shot was captured in the Canadian Rockies. Revealing how he reached this vantage point, Das says: ‘I had to go through some forests and waist-height snow to reach this place, which I found on Google Earth’

LEFT: Das snared this mesmerising image in the Alabama Hills, a sprawl of hills and rock formations in Inyo County, California. RIGHT: This vibrant photograph shows a cloud formation in the skies over Death Valley National Park in the U.S 

LEFT: This eye-catching shot shows a lake in British Columbia. ‘The country’s landscapes are a sanctuary of natural beauty,’ Das says of Canada. RIGHT: Das captured this dramatic picture in the mountains of British Columbia

Das turned his lens on Switzerland’s Aletsch Glacier, the largest and longest glacier in the Alps, for this magical photograph 

LEFT: A carpet of golden larch trees can be seen in this magnificent drone picture, taken in the Swiss Alps. ‘This is by far the densest larch forest I have ever seen and literally, every single tree was golden,’ says Das. RIGHT: It was summertime in the Swiss Alps when Das snared this glorious shot

Das captured this picture of the Matterhorn, an iconic mountain on the Swiss-Italian border, from an ice cave. He says: ‘I reckon there might be very few ice caves in the world with such a great mountain backdrop – and when it is Matterhorn it becomes extra special’ 

This atmospheric sunrise shot was during a ‘peaceful morning in the Swiss Alps’. Das says: ‘My profession as an astrophysicist profoundly influences my landscape photography. Science provides me with a methodical and analytical approach to understanding the universe’s complexities, while art grants me the freedom to express and communicate the emotions and experiences evoked by the natural world’ 

This is yet another showstopping picture of the Swiss Alps by Das. He says of the reaction to his images: ‘Many find my images to be transportive, providing a sense of calm and beauty amidst their busy lives. Some viewers connect deeply with specific photographs, triggering cherished memories or a newfound appreciation for nature’ 

The Swiss Alps can be seen during the sunrise in this otherworldly shot. Das says that the mountain range offers a ‘refined and awe-inspiring beauty’ 

The Swiss Alps can be seen on a foggy morning in this dramatic picture by Das. He says the fog created ‘unreal’ conditions 

Icicles frame this evocative scene of freshly fallen snow in ‘one of the most beautiful valleys’ in the Swiss Alps. Das describes the setting as ‘magic’ 

Das doesn’t just have a knack for photographing mountains and peaks, as this picture proves. It shows ‘just one of the thousands of beautiful waterfalls in British Columbia’, Das reveals 

• To see more photography from Arpan, visit his Instagram or his website.  

Source: Read Full Article