Focus Editor Philip talks with photographer Eren Çevik on his striking series of images captured around Istanbul and the Anatolian Peninsula of Turkey:

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Where did the idea originally come from to create your series? Tell us a little bit about the story behind your work

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These are the photos that have been created as a result of the desire to capture moments I love; with a purely inner voice. I like to look at the sea when it snows, it's good for me, the photos I took exist as a reflection of this spontaneous love.

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"I like to look at the sea when it snows, it's good for me..."

Your images feature a lot of single figures such as people or animals, what was the reasoning behind this?

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I love simplicity. In general, a busy scene drives me away from that special moment. People or animals exist together; we are all somewhere on a journey in this world and I like to capture that.

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"People or animals exist together; we are all somewhere on a journey in this world - and I like to capture that."

What was your process to get these shots, did you plan your images in advance or were the photos more opportunistic?

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No, I don't plan them in advance. I just go and photograph the places I love, or think I might love in the weather conditions I like; I don't know what I'm going to shoot when I head out, I just have thoughts, dreams and ideas with me.

Sometimes, I can come back without taking a single picture from the places I visit; as it's all about finding the right conditions and feelings in the moment.

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"Sometimes, I can come back without taking a single picture from the places I visit; as it's all about finding the right conditions and feelings in the moment."

What were the difficulties or obstacles in creating this series?

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The fact that you always have to keep your eyes open because you don't know what might come your way, and also the difficulty caused by not being able to stay outside for a long time - especially in winter, when I capture the vast majority of my photos.

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How did you choose the images for the final edit and what is your favourite photo?

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It's all about what the feeling when I look the photo and the story behind it; those reasons are enough for me to choose them for my final edit.

My favourite photo is the lightning of Istanbul, where there is a lightning strike next to a tree (see below).

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Your images have a striking, cold, yet beautiful aesthetic running throughout, did you do anything in post-production to get the best look for your shots?

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Since my photos are based mainly on feelings, the photos are completely finished at the shooting stage, I don't want anything to be artificial.

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"I don't want anything to be artificial."

Have you any future plans to expand this series (such as books, exhibitions, more images etc)

I want to travel more, see the unseen. I have a few exhibition plans in mind, I hope I can do this in the coming years.

See more from the series below, and the full body of work in Eren's Picfair Store.

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"It's all about what the feeling when I look the photo and the story behind it; those reasons are enough for me to choose them for my final edit."

More from this series in Eren's Picfair Store.