Photography competition showcasing Aladağlar’s autumn scenery begins

NİĞDE

Photographers gather in a village at the foot of the snowdusted Aladağlar mountain range for the Çamardı Photo Safari competition in Niğde. (AA Photo)

A six-day photography competition kicked off in the Aladağlar mountains on Oct. 27, drawing roughly 200 photographers from Türkiye and abroad to showcase the region’s dramatic peaks, glacial lakes and diverse wildlife while boosting local tourism.

The Çamardı Photo Safari competition, running from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1, is being held in Niğde’s Çamardı district in cooperation with the district governor’s office, Çamardı Municipality and the FOTON Photography Association.

Spanning the Central Anatolian provinces of Niğde and Kayseri and the southern province of Adana, Aladağlar is a major mountaineering destination with more than 50 peaks exceeding 3,000 meters. The competition aims to document its autumn landscapes and raise its profile among domestic and international visitors.

Participants will photograph the mountain range’s hiking routes, canyons, seasonal lakes, endemic plant species and wildlife. The competition is open to both amateur and professional photographers, including those using mobile phones, cameras and drones.

Fatih Kızılkaya, head of the FOTON Association’s Niğde branch, said the event would help introduce the region to wider audiences while creating a lasting visual archive of its natural heritage. “Aladağlar is experiencing one of its most beautiful periods right now,” Kızılkaya said. “Our main goal is to bring the mountain range into greater prominence and increase its recognition.”

He said many photographers across Türkiye had wanted to visit the area and had expressed interest in a competition that would bring them together there.

Photographs collected during the event will be handed over to the Çamardı district governor’s office for use in promotional materials, including brochures, books, newspapers and magazines. The images will also be archived by local authorities to support future tourism promotion and contribute to the local economy.

Photographer Aleyna Doğan, who learned about the competition on social media, said the mountain range’s autumn colors and contrasting red and blue hues made it particularly striking. She said she had also photographed mountain goats and endemic plants, adding that she hoped others would be able to experience the landscape through her images.

Another participant, Hüseyin Uğur, said photographs could not fully convey the scale and grandeur of the mountains. Having previously visited with his family, he said he planned to return for camping holidays.