# BurakArik.com — Photography Portfolio

> First-person travel and photography portfolio by Burak Arık. Bilingual (English + Turkish) with long-form Photographer's Guides that pair each trip's narrative with per-day itineraries, gear-by-EXIF breakdowns, and exact-spot GPS pins so readers can re-create the shots themselves. 51 destinations across six continents; 1,300+ photos total.

**Owner:** Burak Arık  
**Contact:** burak@burakarik.com  
**Location:** San Francisco Bay Area, USA  
**Languages:** English (`/en/`), Turkish (`/tr/`)  
**Crawler policy:** see [robots.txt](https://burakarik.com/robots.txt); all major search and AI crawlers are welcome, including training-data crawlers.

Content is organized as **Photographer's Guides** (long-form, trip-by-trip editorial, the most citable artifacts), **galleries** (destination photo sets), and **journal / gear articles** (lens decisions, workflow, reviews). Every page has an English and a Turkish variant.

The links below use English paths under `/en/…`. A fully Turkish version of this file is available at [/tr/llms.txt](https://burakarik.com/tr/llms.txt).

## About the photographer

Burak Arık is a travel and landscape photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, shooting since 2006 and published with Anadolu Agency, Turkey's national news service. He has photographed in 50+ countries across six continents, with a focus on cultural moments, cityscapes, and frames most travelers miss.

Outside the camera he is a chief executive, tech entrepreneur, and active early-stage venture capitalist. Computer engineer by training, with an MS in Computer Engineering and an Executive MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

**Canonical entity:** [Wikidata Q139820111](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139820111)  
**Full bio:** [English](https://burakarik.com/en/about) · [Turkish](https://burakarik.com/tr/about)  
**Subjects:** travel, landscape, cityscape, cultural / street, wildlife, portrait

## Photographer's Guides

- [Japan Sakura Photography Itinerary: Tokyo, Kyoto and Mt. Fuji](https://burakarik.com/en/photographers-guide/tokyo-kyoto-sakura-photography-itinerary): Trip March–April 2026. Tokyo, Kyoto and Mt. Fuji during sakura — a photographer's field journal of vantage points, lens choices, and timing for spring 2026.

## Galleries

_Grouped by region. Each link is the destination gallery's landing page; every photo has its own deep-linked page with EXIF, GPS pin, and the gear used._

### Africa

- [Safari](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/safari): Kenya safari photography from Narok County and Nakuru County, shot 2013-2014. Rothschild's giraffes on the open savannah, a lion walking past circling…
- [Kenya](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/kenya): Kenya, November 2012. From a Maasai shepherd boy wrapped in a red shuka at Maasai Mara to golden cattle silhouettes crossing the plains at dusk, 34 frames…

### Americas

- [San Francisco](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/san%20francisco): San Francisco through a Canon 7D: rain-smeared windshield reflections downtown, the Painted Ladies against the Transamerica Pyramid at Alamo Square, and a…
- [California](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/california): California unfolds across 60 frames, from the Hollywood Sign above Los Angeles to Santa Monica pier at golden hour, surfers on the Pacific, vintage cars on the…
- [NewYork](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/newyork): New York through 47 frames: yellow cabs blurring down midnight streets, the Empire State Building glowing deep blue from Rockefeller Center, and Central Park's…
- [USA](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/usa): Across the USA, 59 frames trace Monument Valley at sunrise, the Colorado River curling through Horseshoe Bend, and Crater Lake's volcanic Wizard Island. From…
- [Canada](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/canada): Canada through Calgary's red-and-white Peace Bridge, Vancouver's fog-draped Lions Gate, Stanley Park's Brockton Point Lighthouse, and a canoe cutting turquoise…
- [Hawaii](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/hawaii): Hawaii across Maui and the Big Island, from the bamboo corridors of Hana to the cloud-piercing rim of Haleakala Crater. 46 photos covering waterfalls, volcanic…
- [Rio de Janeiro](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/rio%20de%20janeiro): Rio de Janeiro through 15 frames: Maracanã's bronze Pelé statue, Lapa's tile-covered Selaron Steps, Cristo Redentor above the clouds, and a Copacabana sunset…
- [Alaska](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/alaska): Alaska in August 2022, from Juneau's colorful harbor storefronts backed by steep forested slopes to Mendenhall Glacier stretching across its icy lake. Hoonah…
- [Peru](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/peru): Peru photographed across Cusco, Huacachina and Paracas: Rainbow Mountain's layered mineral colors, Winay Wayna ruins along the Inca Trail, a red granodiorite…
- [Cuba](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/cuba): Havana in August 2018, from a cigar-smoking woman on a bustling street to blue-hour light over Plaza de San Francisco and classic cars rolling past El…
- [Mexico](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/mexico): Mexico in July 2018, from the glowing blue waters of Cenote Xkeken in Yucatán to El Castillo under storm clouds at Chichen Itza. Cobá's Nohoch Mul Pyramid and…
- [Caribbean](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/caribbean): Caribbean frames: jungle paths in Ocho Rios, cruise ships anchored off Labadee's private Haiti cove, turquoise coral waters at Cozumel, and a Miami skyline…

### Asia

- [Japan](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/japan): From Nara Park's stone lanterns and roaming deer to Shibuya Crossing seen from above, this Japan gallery spans Kyoto's quiet spring streets, Kinkaku-ji's gold…
- [India](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/india): From Amber Fort's sandstone courtyards near Jaipur to the towering minarets of Jama Masjid in Old Delhi, 29 frames trace the color, architecture, and living…
- [South Korea](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/south%20korea): South Korea in June 2025, from the guard ceremony at Gyeongbokgung Palace to the neon-lit alleys of Hongdae at night, the quiet DMZ edge in Paju, and Nami…
- [Singapore](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/singapore): Singapore in November 2019, from Little India's Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple to Marina Bay Sands laser shows at night. Periyachi shrines, art deco Atlas Bar…
- [China](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/china): China in 24 frames: the Forbidden City from Jingshan Park at golden hour, the Great Wall winding across Jinshanling ridgelines, and Shanghai's Lujiazui towers…
- [Phuket](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/phuket): Phuket through a Canon 7D: long-tail boats resting on white sand at Khai Nok Island, a lone surfboard at Surin Beach, and Ko Tapu's limestone spike rising from…
- [Bangkok](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/bangkok): Bangkok, December 2013. Wat Arun rises on the Chao Phraya's west bank, tuk-tuks demand hard bargaining on every corner, and Muay Thai rings fill with live…

### Europe

- [Sweden](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/sweden): Stockholm's Gamla Stan cobblestones, the Nobel Museum's neoclassical facade, and Riddarholmen Church at twilight fill this 17-photo gallery from October and…
- [Iceland](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/iceland): Iceland in October 2024: Skogafoss thundering 60 meters into mist, Sólheimajökull's retreating ice framed by black volcanic rock, Geysir erupting in the…
- [Norway](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/norway): Norway in September 2024, from aurora-lit shores at Telegrafbukta to Tromsøbrua arcing over the Tromsøysundet strait. Tromsø Domkirke at dusk, fjord…
- [Paris](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/paris): Paris, Versailles, and Colmar across 32 frames shot between 2011 and 2024. From the Hall of Mirrors catching afternoon light to the Eiffel Tower glowing at…
- [Normandie](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/normandie): Normandy frames St. Joseph Church's illuminated spire over Le Havre at dusk, Mont Saint-Michel rising from coastal mist, and Étretat's chalk cliffs above the…
- [Denmark](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/denmark): Copenhagen in February: Nyhavn canal lit by low afternoon sun, Rosenborg Castle's copper spires against cold blue sky, and Christiansborg Palace framed by bare…
- [Switzerland](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/switzerland): Switzerland in January 2024, from Zürich's blue-hour Limmat reflections near Rathausbrücke to Grossmünster's twin spires at dusk, the Art Deco interior of Café…
- [Greece](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/greece): Greece unfolds across 29 frames: Mykonos windmills glowing at sunset over the Aegean, Oia's whitewashed cliffs above Santorini, and Rhodes' medieval Knights'…
- [Luxembourg](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/luxembourg): Luxembourg in March 2022, from the Grand Ducal Palace to the Corniche panorama over the Grund district. Gothic spires above Place Guillaume II, colorful vases…
- [Moscow](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/moscow): Moscow in 22 frames: from the Ivan the Great Bell Tower looking down into the Kremlin, to a long-exposure night at Manezhnaya Square with the State Historical…
- [Kiev](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/kiev): Kyiv after dark, the gilded domes of Saint Michael's Monastery glowing against the sky, Maidan Nezalezhnosti alive with foot traffic, and deep Soviet-era metro…
- [Barcelona](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/barcelona): Barcelona across a decade: city lights trailing across the skyline at 10-second exposure, Tibidabo at sunset with a stone statue standing watch, Barceloneta's…
- [Lisboa](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/lisboa): Lisbon captured across a decade, from dusk light on the Altice Arena in Parque das Nações to Tram 28 rounding the corner at Portas do Sol. Belém, the Sé…
- [Italy](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/italy): Italy photographed across Siena's medieval alleyways, Venice's gondola-filled canals, and Florence's Arno riverfront. Scenes from Ponte Vecchio to San Marco…
- [Germany](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/germany): From fog-wrapped Neuschwanstein rising above Schwangau to the iron gate of Dachau bearing its grim slogan, Germany holds 30 photos spanning 2013 to 2020…
- [Belgium](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/belgium): Belgium through medieval Brugge and Gothic Gent: canal reflections at Rozenhoedkaai, swans drifting through Begijnhof, and St. Nicholas' Church glowing against…
- [Slovenia](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/slovenia): Slovenia in March 2020, from the Velika Osojnica viewpoint above Lake Bled to riverside cafes along the Ljubljanica. Eleven photos covering Bled Castle, the…
- [London](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/london): London through 18 years of visits: red Routemaster buses at Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London under dramatic clouds, Camden Town's vinyl-stacked market…
- [Provence](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/provence): Provence and the Côte d'Azur from Cannes yacht traffic to Monaco harbor glowing during Grand Prix season, Eze's La Chèvre d'Or terrace, and Saint-Paul-de-Vence…
- [Amsterdam](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/amsterdam): Amsterdam canal houses lean at impossible angles along the waterfront, Kinderdijk windmills rise against open Dutch skies, and autumn bikes rest quietly under…
- [Bratislava](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/bratislava): Bratislava's Old Town through August 2016: the Čumil statue on Panská Street, the castle rising above Beblavého ulica at dusk, and Hlavné námestie's Maximilian…
- [Budapest](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/budapest): Budapest after dark, from the glowing Chain Bridge over the Danube to light trails stretching toward Buda Castle at blue hour. Matthias Church lit against a…
- [Austria](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/austria): Austria in December 2015: Hallstatt's pastel lakeside houses under rain and mist, Hallstatt's Beinhaus with its hand-painted skulls, and Vienna's Stephansdom…
- [Edinburgh](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/edinburgh): Edinburgh, Glencoe, and Inverness captured between 2011 and 2013. From a shaggy Highland cow in Glencoe to the Gothic spire of the Scott Monument on Princes…
- [Rome](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/rome): Rome captured across a July 2013 visit: graffiti-covered trains at Termini station, the spiral staircase of the Vatican Museum curving into shadow, and Castel…
- [St.Petersburg](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/st.petersburg): St. Petersburg through a July 2012 lens: gilded statues roaring at Peterhof's Grand Cascade, the Church on Spilled Blood glowing after dark along the canals…
- [Andalucia](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/andalucia): Andalucia through Burak Arık's lens: flamenco nights in Granada, Alhambra plasterwork up close, cobblestone alleys of Albayzín after dark, and La Giralda…
- [Prague](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/prague): Prague through a Canon 40D in April 2011: the Astronomical Clock's gilded dials in Old Town Square, Charles Bridge at golden hour with the castle looming…

### Turkey

- [Turkey](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/turkey): Türkiye across 57 frames: Güzelyalı's waterfront bridge at dusk, the layered Ottoman stonework of İshak Paşa Palace at golden hour, poppies blazing red across…
- [Istanbul](https://burakarik.com/en/gallery/istanbul): Istanbul across 44 frames, from Büyük Çamlıca's 288-meter panorama to a fisherman catching first light beside the Ortaköy Mosque. Balat's cobblestone streets…

## Journal & gear articles

- [Smartphone vs Mirrorless Camera: Which Wins in 2026?](https://burakarik.com/en/article/smartphone-vs-mirrorless-2026): Smartphone vs mirrorless camera in 2026: where phones have caught up, where mirrorless still wins. Real photo tests, pixel-pitch math, decision tree for…
- [The Future of AI Travel Photography: Do We Still Need Photographers?](https://burakarik.com/en/article/the-future-of-ai-travel-photography-do-we-still-need-photographers): Discover how AI travel photography is reshaping the industry in 2025. Can AI replace photographers, or does authenticity still define real photography?
- [Top Destinations for Landscape Photography: My Personal Favorites](https://burakarik.com/en/article/top-destinations-for-landscape-photography-my-personal-favorites): Discover my top landscape photography destinations from 40+ countries: Maasai Mara's wildlife, Banff's turquoise lakes, Matterhorn's alpine peaks, Yosemite's…
- [Embracing Change: My Transition from Canon 5D Mark IV to Fujifilm X-T5](https://burakarik.com/en/article/embracing-change-my-transition-from-canon-5d-mark-iv-to-fujifilm-x-t5): After 13 years with Canon DSLRs, I switched to the Fujifilm X-T5. Discover why the compact mirrorless design, retro dials, 40MP sensor, and 7-stop IBIS…
- [DSLR vs Mirrorless (2026): Which Camera Should You Buy?](https://burakarik.com/en/article/dslr-vs-mirrorless-the-ultimate-camera-decision): DSLR vs mirrorless cameras compared: optical vs electronic viewfinders, autofocus, size, battery, video. Real-world tradeoffs to pick the right camera.
- [My Photography Workflow and The Software I Use](https://burakarik.com/en/article/my-photography-workflow-and-the-software-i-use): Learn my complete photography workflow: RAW vs JPEG, NAS storage with Synology, photo organization with Luminar, AI editing features, and automatic cloud…
- [Discovering New Points of View with Drone Photography](https://burakarik.com/en/article/drone-photography-for-new-point-of-views): Discover how drone photography opens new perspectives. Learn about drone components, selection criteria, flight modes like orbit and follow me, and legal…
- [Compact vs SLR Camera: Which Wins for Travel in 2026?](https://burakarik.com/en/article/what-are-the-differences-between-compact-and-slr-cameras): Compact vs SLR camera in 2026: where each wins, where each loses. Sensor size math, lens economics, real travel-photography test cases for the right pick.
- [The Camera Gear I Use](https://burakarik.com/en/article/the-camera-gear-that-i-use): Discover my complete photography gear: Canon 7D Mark II body, essential lenses from 10-400mm including L-series glass, and tripods for every situation. Learn…
- [Depth Of Field Calculator](https://burakarik.com/en/article/depth-of-field-calculator): Learn how depth of field works and calculate DOF for any camera. This interactive calculator determines focus range based on sensor size, aperture, focal…

## Reference

- [Homepage](https://burakarik.com/en): overview and featured galleries
- [About the photographer](https://burakarik.com/en/about): full bio, credentials, and how to navigate the portfolio
- [Photographer's Guides index](https://burakarik.com/en/photographers-guide): all long-form trip guides
- [Journal index](https://burakarik.com/en/journal): all gear and workflow articles
- [World map](https://burakarik.com/en/world-map): interactive pin map of every gallery location
- [Sitemap](https://burakarik.com/sitemap.xml): machine-readable full URL index
- [Contact](https://burakarik.com/en/contact): licensing, print, and collaboration inquiries