Passenger jet pilot photographs some of the world's most beautiful views from his cockpit at 35,000 feet

• They were taken by Karim Nafani, a commercial airline pilot and photographer based in Dubai
• He began the project to document his daily routine through a series of stunning photographs from 35,000 feet
• He says, 'I take you far away from skyscrapers this time to somewhere much higher: welcome to my daily office!'
• Gives pictures ethereal glow by setting camera to take three images at different exposures which he then combines

By MATT BLAKE

Most people are lucky to see the sky through their office window, let alone be in it.

But Karim Nafani sees more than just a few trees and an open space from his desk at work... he gets to see the whole world in shimmering panorama.

And now the Dubai-based commercial airline captain and photographer has taken pictures of his cockpit and posted them online.

He says he began the project in a bid to document his daily routine through a series of otherworldly images that look more like oil paintings than photographs and reveal exactly what it is like for pilots at 35,000 feet.

Stunning view: Dubai-based Karim Nafani sees more than just a few trees and an open space from his desk at work... he gets to see the whole world in shimmering panorama

Panorama: This photograph is of a 1st officer enjoying the sunrise at 37,000 feet above sea level en route to Chittagong Bangladesh

Into the light: He says he began the project in a bid to document his daily routine through a series of stunning photographs that reveal exactly what it is like for pilots at 35,000 feet

The only trouble is, when it gets a bit stuffy, you can't open the window as any normal office worker would.

He said: 'I take you far away from skyscrapers and high rise building roof tops this time to somewhere much higher: welcome to my daily office!'

He gives the images their ethereal look through a technique called 'exposure bracketing' which involves setting up a DSLR camera to take at least three shots, each at a different exposure, before combining them to create the final print.

 

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The result looks more like an oil painting on canvas than a real-time digital photograph.

Apart from the beautiful views that confront Karim each day he takes to the skies, his pictures also remind viewers of the incredible array of levers, panels and buttons that cover almost every inch of an aircraft's cockpit.

And, of course, he knows his way around them just as well as he does around those on his digital SLR camera.

Great view: Karim usually has to be behind the camera to take pictures of the cockpit but here he turned the camera on himself

Motherboard: Apart from the beautiful views that confront Karim each day he takes to the skies, his pictures also remind viewers of the incredible array of levers, panels and buttons that cover almost every inch of an aircraft's cockpit

Hometown: Karim took this picture as he flew over his hometown Dubai