Inspired Portraits Of Nepal

(The North Face Blog/Renan Ozturk)

If you want to visit a photogenic country, Nepal is an easy choice. The bright colors of the prayer flags and building facades against the sharp, stark peaks of some of the highest mountains in the world, not to mention the slough of ancient temples, create plenty of visual appeal. But Nepal itself can't make photographs truly outstanding. It takes an eye for special moments, patience and some pretty good camera skills. 

So when we came across Renan Ozturk's post on The North Face Blog, we had to pause. The light- and smoke-infused photos captured the serenity, quiet, and—at the risk of sounding trite—magic of this country near the top of the world. Ozturk's ability to depict these moments is most likely a combination of  the skills mentioned above and his experience within the country. Not only has Ozturk climbed many of the peaks (including the recent first ascent of Shark's Fin with Conrad Anker and Jimmy Chin that Ozturk filmed and turned into a documentary), but also studied the culture. He first visited in 2001 for an "intense language program," according to the blog post.

The goal of Ozturk's most recent trip was to work with Dave Mossop, one of the founders of Sherpas Cinema, to get footage for the company's new ski film coming in fall, 2013. In the blog post, Ozturk said the highlights included shooting with Karma Tsering, one of the oldest Sherpas of the Khumbu.

To read more about the trip and to see more photos, visit The North Face Blog.