mountains

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Photography

Sho Shibata Captures the Beastly Snow-Covered Trees of Japan’s Hakkōda Mountains

A few years back, photographer Sho Shibata traversed the frozen landscapes of Aomori’s Hakkōda Mountains documenting the otherworldly formations that cover the slopes. Heavy, icy snow cloaks the countless trees that populate the region, morphing the arboreal vistas into frigid hoodoo-like characters. “This is my favourite place to visit when it is cold like this because it transforms into a wonderland,” Shibata says. “When I first saw them, I actually thought there were lots of snowmen. What’s incredible is how they all look so similar. They look like snow monsters, like they are ghosts.”

Rising to 5,200 feet, Hakkōda is a popular ski destination in the winter, when temperatures plunge and dry, powdery snow blankets the volcanic peaks. “I moved from mountain to mountain. Temperatures got as low as -8 degrees Celsius while I was up there,” he said. “This meant I was able to capture walkers on their journey.”

In addition to the frosty specters shown here, Shibata published a book of black-and-white photos showcasing the area near his home in the Tsugaru region. You can find more of his work on Instagram. (via Spoon & Tamago)

 

Photography

A Photo Series Captures a Magnificent Rock Formation Set Against the Tateyama Mountains

With the imposing Tateyama Mountain Range in the backdrop, a photo series by Yasuto Inagaki centers on a smaller, recurring focal point: a few trees that have sprung from the top of cragged rocks. Inagaki, who lives in Japan’s Toyama Prefecture, visits the Amaharashi coast in Takaoka City often to capture the unusual formation among different weather, times of day, and seasons. Some shots show the sun just atop the mountains as it reflects in the water below, while others document bright daylight illuminating the snowy backdrop and an airplane flying in the distance. “The first time I encountered a miraculous scene like this one,” he tells Colossal,” the city was covered in fog, and the moon was shining brightly on the Tateyama Mountain Range…I have visited the shooting several times.”

For more of Inagaki’s photos, which include striking vistas and cityscapes around Japan, visit his Instagram.

 

Photography

An International Photo Competition Illuminates the Captivating and Remarkable Sights of Earth’s Landscapes

From the brilliant dancing aurora of Iceland to Comet NeoWise hurtling above Mount Tamalpais, the winning shots of the 2021 International Landscape Photographer of the Year contest capture a diverse and captivating array of Earth’s topographies and phenomena. The annual competition is in its eighth year and garnered more than 4,500 entries centered on a variety of subject matter, including a mystical wood at Alcornocales Natural Park in Cadiz, the fairytale-esque flowers of France’s Vallée de la Clarée, and a wildlife fire in Yosemite National Park that appears more like a sunset on the horizon than massive blaze.

We’ve included our favorites from the 101 winners below, and you can see the entire collection on the contest’s site. For a deeper dive into the stories behind the photos, pick up a copy of the 2021 book.

 

Photography

Dramatic Ice Formations Mimic Unearthly Creatures Frozen in the Harz Mountains

Hamburg-based landscape photographer Jan Erik Waider (previously) climbed the Harz Mountains in northern Germany last week in search of the otherworldly figures inhabiting its highest peak. A thick coating of ice transformed the evergreens and other vegetation at Brocken, the summit at an elevation of 3,743 feet, into towering beasts and monster-like characters that appear to wander the frozen tundra. “I like the muted sounds and the seemingly endless variations of gray that come with fog,” he tells Colossal. “I can wander for hours as the winter landscape changes and recomposes itself almost every minute.” Pick up a print of Waider’s Mountain Creatures and see the rest of the series on Behance. You also might enjoy these fantastical menaces.

 

Photography

Sunlight Caps the Snowy Meili Mountain Range in a Majestic Photo Series

Soaring more than 22,000 feet above the landscape, the frigid Meili mountain range sits at the edge of Yunnan’s Deqin County in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and borders the phenomenal “Three Parallel Rivers,” a UNESCO world heritage site where the Jinsha, Mekong, and Salween each run alongside each other but never converge. The imposing landmark, while steeped in cultural and historical significance, is majestic and sublime in its own right, features Shenzhen-based photographer Rainlook captures in a new series. Taken around 6 a.m., the images are shot when the first break of sunlight shines on the snow-streaked terrain, casting the mountain peaks in an ethereal glow while leaving the rest in nighttime shadows. We’ve gathered some of Rainlook’s photos here, but you can see the entire series on Behance.

 

 

Photography

Illusory Photographs of Mountain Landscapes Are Flipped 90 Degrees to Reveal Human-Like Profiles

There’s a long history of connecting natural occurrences and pareidolia, or the inclination to see an object or find meaning where it physically doesn’t exist. The psychological phenomenon is responsible for a range of human experiences from the childhood pastime of cloud watching to the Rorschach test to the idea that there’s a man in the moon and one that’s aided in naming some of the rocky formations photographed by Bernhard Lang (previously).

In Pareidolia—Mountain Faces, Lang documents both well-known and obscure landscapes that resemble human profiles when turned at a 90-degree angle. Many of the mountains in the series reference regional legends like “The Sleeping Witch” and “Sleeping Greek Woman,” while others are Lang’s own interpretation like “Golem,” which frames the highest peak of the Vršič Pass in Slovenia to reveal a face resembling the magical figure.

See the complete collection on the Munich-based photographer’s site, where you can also purchase limited-edition prints, and head to Instagram to follow the imagined characters he finds next.