Photographer Johan Lolos captures Europe’s most beautiful mountains

By Francesca Street, CNN
3 minute read
Published 7:46 AM EDT, Thu July 26, 2018
<strong>Secede Mountain, South Tyrol, Italy</strong>: New book "<a href="http://johanlolos.com/peaks-europe-5-month-photography-journey/" target="_blank" target="_blank">Peaks of Europe</a>" documents photographer Johan Lolos' trip of a lifetime -- he spent three months photographing mountains and peaks in Europe.
Secede Mountain, South Tyrol, Italy: New book "Peaks of Europe" documents photographer Johan Lolos' trip of a lifetime -- he spent three months photographing mountains and peaks in Europe.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Theth National Park, Albania:</strong> Belgium-born Lolos has traveled the world, but last year he had a change of plan. "After three years of intense travel, I just realized that maybe I should try and focus more on my own continent. Europe had a lot to offer, lots of varied landscapes," he tells CNN Travel.
Theth National Park, Albania: Belgium-born Lolos has traveled the world, but last year he had a change of plan. "After three years of intense travel, I just realized that maybe I should try and focus more on my own continent. Europe had a lot to offer, lots of varied landscapes," he tells CNN Travel.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Aiguille du Midi, France: </strong>The photographer spotlighted three specific, diverse regions of Europe. "I divided the trip into three parts: the north, the Balkans and the Alps," he explains.
Aiguille du Midi, France: The photographer spotlighted three specific, diverse regions of Europe. "I divided the trip into three parts: the north, the Balkans and the Alps," he explains.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Ryten, Lofoton, Norway:</strong> Lolos says the trip was full of incredible moments, but a highlight was his stopover in northern Norway. "I was there the first two weeks of June and it was already the time of the midnight sun in Lapland," the photographer says.
Ryten, Lofoton, Norway: Lolos says the trip was full of incredible moments, but a highlight was his stopover in northern Norway. "I was there the first two weeks of June and it was already the time of the midnight sun in Lapland," the photographer says.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Sommaroy, Tromso, Norway:</strong> "The light was insane from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day or every night," he recalls. "That was a dream for any photographer, so that was probably the most memorable moment landscape wise, I would say."
Sommaroy, Tromso, Norway: "The light was insane from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day or every night," he recalls. "That was a dream for any photographer, so that was probably the most memorable moment landscape wise, I would say."
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland:</strong> Iceland was another destination blessed with incredible light. Softer hues helps make mountain photography pop, explains Lolos. "The human eye is more attracted by this kind of soft light rather than harsh midday light," he says.
Fjallabak Nature Reserve, Iceland: Iceland was another destination blessed with incredible light. Softer hues helps make mountain photography pop, explains Lolos. "The human eye is more attracted by this kind of soft light rather than harsh midday light," he says.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Lac de Pormenaz, France: </strong>Lolos was an early adopter of Instagram and used the platform to promote his work, but he says he's not as enamored with the photo-sharing app as he once was.
Lac de Pormenaz, France: Lolos was an early adopter of Instagram and used the platform to promote his work, but he says he's not as enamored with the photo-sharing app as he once was.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Alpbachtal, Austria: </strong>"The market is different, the application is different, it's over saturated," says Lolos. That said, he still enjoys Instagram Stories and credits that application with sparking the idea for the book.
Alpbachtal, Austria: "The market is different, the application is different, it's over saturated," says Lolos. That said, he still enjoys Instagram Stories and credits that application with sparking the idea for the book.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Gerold, Germany: </strong>"The whole trip I was sharing through Instagram stories, I was sharing a series of 15-20 photos, that was about documenting my trip," he recalls. "It was not about the perfect image, it was about sharing the story behind."
Gerold, Germany: "The whole trip I was sharing through Instagram stories, I was sharing a series of 15-20 photos, that was about documenting my trip," he recalls. "It was not about the perfect image, it was about sharing the story behind."
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Innsbruck, Austria:</strong> It was the way his followers interacted and engaged with these Stories that prompted Lolos to consider publishing a book.
Innsbruck, Austria: It was the way his followers interacted and engaged with these Stories that prompted Lolos to consider publishing a book.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Eibsee, Germany: </strong>"At the end of the five months, my followers had followed me for 145 days straight, and they couldn't access all these stories anymore," Lolos explains, crediting this with the inspiration for his book.
Eibsee, Germany: "At the end of the five months, my followers had followed me for 145 days straight, and they couldn't access all these stories anymore," Lolos explains, crediting this with the inspiration for his book.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Elafonisos Island, Greece: </strong>The growth of identikit travel Instagrammers has inspired Lolos to think outside the box. "I'm trying to renew my work as much as possible and being creative as much as possible," he says.
Elafonisos Island, Greece: The growth of identikit travel Instagrammers has inspired Lolos to think outside the box. "I'm trying to renew my work as much as possible and being creative as much as possible," he says.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Giau Pass, Italy:</strong> Lolos also counsels budding Instagrammers to be individual. "If you want to stand out do something new, unique and be creative and different," he says. "It's a lot of work, for sure, it's hard but I'm fairly sure it's possible."
Giau Pass, Italy: Lolos also counsels budding Instagrammers to be individual. "If you want to stand out do something new, unique and be creative and different," he says. "It's a lot of work, for sure, it's hard but I'm fairly sure it's possible."
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Kyparissia, Greece: </strong>During the trip, Lolos started experimenting with portrait photography. He says he began to lose his inhibitions in asking people to pose for him.
Kyparissia, Greece: During the trip, Lolos started experimenting with portrait photography. He says he began to lose his inhibitions in asking people to pose for him.
Courtesy Johan Lolos
<strong>Lykos, Greece:</strong> While working on the project, Lolos became more comfortable approaching subjects. "There's a real progression in my work and Peaks of Europe has been a true in between phase of this progression during my career as a photographer," he says.
Lykos, Greece: While working on the project, Lolos became more comfortable approaching subjects. "There's a real progression in my work and Peaks of Europe has been a true in between phase of this progression during my career as a photographer," he says.
Courtesy Johan Lolos