This is a double take moment if ever we saw one – Ruben Brulat‘s photographs have a surprise within them hidden in plain sight. The Sharing Paths series follows on from his previous Immaculate collection, in which he used a timer to photograph himself nude among the financial buildings of Paris. The wilderness of China, Japan and Siberia among other areas provide the settings for his latest project, following three years travel through the Near and Far East. This time he kept his clothes on (probably wise in Siberia) and instead enlisted the participation of locals, who are presumably more acclimatised, to become the subjects.

It is the scale of the landscapes and their ability to completely overpower their human inhabitants that is the central theme of Brulat’s images. Still only 24, this is the artist’s third major collection and he has already exhibited across Europe to critical acclaim. Sharing Paths is being published as a book, and features those images seen here, as well as Instants – snapshots from the trip with a more documentary feel. The book and an exhibition of both sets can be found at Berlin’s Urban Spree – the exhibition opens 6 September and runs until the 22nd.

Au temps disparu,
Bromo, Indonesia, 2012
Zandra

Odeurs d’origines,
Kurodake, Japan, 2012
Robbie

Cimes aux pas subtiles,
Tilicho, Nepal, 2011
Yaïr

Emportez nous,
Altaï, Mongolia, 2012
Rémi and Mélanie

Patiences,
Goreme, Turkey, 2011
Tom and Winston

Rimes irrégulières,
Kurdistan, Iraq, 2011
Vincent