Like something out of a science fiction movie, the surreal, folding landscape photos by Aydin Büyüktas will take your mind on a trip. Büyüktas has worked in the fields of visual arts, 3D animation and film. Now focused on photography, Büyüktas marries his artistic skills into a portfolio that is both mystifying and completely, optically gratifying.

In Büyüktas’ project, Flatland, the Turkish artist uses drones and some serious visual planning to shares slightly nauseating photographs that give the appearance of Earth folding in on itself.

“The shots were planned using 3D software that allowed Büyüktas to explore possible locations in Istanbul, Turkey,” PetaPixel reported. “It took 2 months of planning to figure out how to make the smooth curving landscape of his photos. Each location was photographed multiple times from different angles and altitudes using a camera-equipped quadcopter.”

The unpredictable nature of the elements, birds attacking his drone, and the general public were several hurdles Büyüktas had to overcome. Once he captured a sufficient number of images, he spent several days editing the photos so they could come together in a single and seamless composite.

Büyüktas says his original inspiration for the project was from Edwin Abbott’s book, Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, which used a fictional two-dimensional world to comment on Victorian culture. Büyüktas’ childhood love of science fiction also propelled the project.

“Who wouldn’t want to create surreal places that he or she dreamed about while reading?” he shared with Wired.

Flatland’s recent installment features various locations across the United States, and Büyüktas hopes to continue the project in other countries like Germany and China. No matter where his drone camera takes him, Büyüktas’ photos will definitely be out of this world.

Images © Aydin Büyüktas