We met in front of Galata Tower for the interview. During our short walk towards his office, he managed to fit in a few "Hello"s and a few nods on the street, Mustafa Brother of his street!
When we started chatting, one of his first sentences was "I don't like talking very much", but we saw before us a very pleasant, controversial, sometimes troubled, sometimes emotional man. Many of us, even foreign photographers, know him for the excellent city photographs he shares on Instagram! He is a humble man, who likes to be on the streets, whose soul is in the streets... And he is a true Istanbul lover!
It will be a classic question, but we are curious about you. Can we briefly listen to your story?
I was introduced to photography in 1993 when I was a student. I got a camera, I was curious, I played around with it and I liked it very much. The next day, I bought black and white negative film, took photos, then went and had it washed... Of course, I didn't know anything at that time.
Actually, I have been expressing myself by drawing since my childhood. I don't like talking much, I don't like writing... I always like to express myself by drawing and my dream at that time was to be a cartoonist. I was doing something in this direction in high school and university. I started photography in the first year of school and I liked it very much... Seeing the ability to express myself with it, touching it and existing. Then I started photojournalism in 1995. From there I moved to Hürriyet, then I worked at Milliyet for 7 years. Afterwards, I worked as a photography editor at Akşam Newspaper for 6 years. 5 years ago, I completely quit working as a corporate photo editor and continue to work freelance.
Why the thought of exiting the media?
I didn't think I could express myself sufficiently.
Were you traveling around that much back then?
I was traveling a lot while I was at Milliyet. After becoming the editor of Akşam, I stayed inside a little longer. At that time, I couldn't travel much except for my personal work. I loved being on the road. I love being present on the road and being with people who complement my existence and the stories I experience on the road. It was a boring situation for me to be in Istanbul all the time, it didn't suit me, but I had a job to do...
You were a successful young man, weren't you? For example, when you were working in newspapers, would your superiors say, "You took very good photographs"?
Frankly, success is not a very important thing for me. So it doesn't matter in this sense, the fact that I consider myself successful and describe myself this way seems artificial and this is a trap for me. Of course, in the end, my work was appreciated so that I was able to work in many newspapers, and my work was appreciated so that I was able to work as a photo editor. But the important thing for me was that I wanted to create channels that could express myself correctly and use the channels in the most appropriate way, and the newspaper was one of them. We are talking about a time when social media tools were not so developed and traditional media was the only means of reaching people. Being there was an important thing for me in this sense.
I think you are one of the first users on Instagram, right?
Of course, I am not the first photographer, but I am not the first user.
Could the fact that you were one of the first users in the photography community have affected the current popularity? When we ask foreign photographers in Turkey, for example, they give your name...
Of course, the biggest reason why it is so fast and widespread is Instagram. They knew my name in our own circles in Istanbul, but the reason why I can reach a wider audience, be so well-known abroad, and why even people who look at the photo as mere viewers know my name is, of course, because I have such a large presence on Instagram.
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Photography has an adventure like this for me: I have produced work in every field of photography and worked in all of them! So, I was curious about fashion photography, so I went and worked as an assistant to someone who took fashion photographs. While doing this, I was also a photo editor. I was curious about food photography, so I went and worked as an assistant to someone who was taking food photographs. I was curious about architectural photographs, I was curious about advertising photographs... These are not things related to loss of appetite, don't get me wrong.
I am a photojournalist after all. My job is clear, how I define myself is clear, but I didn't think I could do it well without knowing these. I always thought I should know them. Because "food" is a part of the street, "fashion" is a part of the street, "architecture" is a part of the street, and I don't think it is possible to create one's own identity and character without knowing all of these or without existing in all of them. And I worked hard and worked hard for this.
There was also a period when I cared more about technique. But now I'm almost over 20 years old. Technique is not a matter that I care about much anymore, I think that technique should be left behind something. Because whatever I am, whatever the reason for my existence, whatever my purpose in life is, my photograph should be the same. And I think it is him! So technical issues don't mean much to me anymore. No, the photo was not the golden ratio, the model's arm and leg were cut off... If the photographer (I'm talking about my own photo) describes something correctly, it's finished for me! I don't care much about aesthetic concerns.
Then there are photos taken by someone greeting people and chatting with people while walking on the street...
The street is my reason for existence, I already live on the street. I spend my life on the street, and it has been that way since my childhood. I have never been a salon person, nor can I ever be! Because my soul has always been prone to the street... I love swearing, I love being a vagabond, I love being on that hard side of the street.
I live in Turkey, naturally you say…
It doesn't matter, I can live anywhere in the world. It doesn't matter to me. No matter where I am, what the codes of that country are, what the language of that street is, I am always curious about the language there. Because I know the language of the street, I know how to exist there. That's why I do this because it's the best way I can express myself. Because this is where I feel best.
What is your zodiac sign?
virgo
It's very interesting for a Virgo to live so much on the streets... Pretending to be who you are...
No, stretching is not something I can do.
Is an emotional man sitting in front of me?
Yes, I am emotional.
I look at the photos, I think about how he took it, whether he came across it, whether he designed it, and I'm getting the answer to that now...
I never edit photos. Except for my advertising and commercial photographs, of course.
There can be no fiction in some photographs anyway, the photograph seems very fictional, but that cat cannot be brought there, that man cannot be carried there... The photograph gives this away. I don't consider this a fiction, but... Sometimes you can expect some things seriously, like the shadow of the reflection of the Galata Tower falling there... Right?
There are also things I've been waiting for for days.
Is there such a solid story? So it was waited and chased like this...
It's not a street photo, but the first thing that came to my mind was the birth of Caretta Carettas, we were working on it for a magazine 6-7 years ago. At Olympos beach in Antalya, Caretta Carettas will hatch from their eggs and go to the sea, and volunteers ensure that they reach the sea in a healthy way, without any intervention. When intervention is made, all the animals' settings are disrupted... It is not clear what they will hatch, they hatch in the morning, because they hatch close to sunrise and reach the sea by following the sun. That's why I slept on the beach for 3 nights and waited there until I got out. While I waited, they came out on the first day, but I didn't get the photo I wanted, so I couldn't take it. Therefore, when nothing happened that day, I had to the next day... It didn't turn out the way I wanted, I didn't like the photos. I liked only one shot on the 3rd day and then it was over for me. It was a shot I wanted, and it happened. Of course, there are many stories like this.
What do you mostly shoot with?
I shoot most of my Instagram with my smartphone. Of course, there are also devices I use for professional shooting.
What filters do you use on mobile?
I don't use anything extra, just Instagram's own filters... And I use it narrowly, I put the filter at around 10-15 percent.
You look at mobile photography as photography, so…
Of course!
This is not generally viewed in the photography world, your comment was interesting.
This illusion is for all of us... It also exists for amateurs and professionals... It seems ridiculous to me to bless the equipment or machines. So none of this matters and shouldn't!
That's right, because this is the tool! In other words, it does not matter whether the material is digital, because a digital material will evolve depending on how you feel good or how well you think you express yourself... We are not in the analog era. We don't use film, we don't use negatives, so this is a manufactured material... A material that allows you to play the way you want! If you like to exaggerate yourself, you can play with photography that way...
Yes, for example HDR… Not everyone likes it. More precisely - rather than not liking it - classical photographers do not find HDR correct...
Okay, you may not like it, that's what I'm trying to say! So, someone loves him or I don't have the courage to say a word to him, it's not my place! Just because I don't like dried beans, I can't criticize all those who like dried beans. Some people love what I do and look at me. Other people also love what he does and look at him.
Photography is a field, a discipline, after all. There is a school for this, and classical photographers may not find it suitable for non-disciplinary practices. Actually, that's what I'm talking about...
This may be a problem for academics. I don't know how they define this. For example, a man takes photographs, it doesn't matter what his origin is. He has a 3000 lira phone in his hand and takes photos with it, he sees himself as a photographer. What will we say? Are we going to say that you are not a photographer, you are not from a photography background? This seems to me like an effort by some dominant powers to protect their own power. I don't like it but some people do, what should I do now? Someone please tell me that this photo cannot be counted for these reasons. It may be said that I don't like it, but it should not be said that this is not a photo.
It looks like this topic will be subject to debate for a long time... So, what were the advertising campaigns you usually photographed?
I've worked with everyone you can think of. I have done business with all the big brands you can think of, such as Biscolata, Samsung, Sony, THY.
So, which is more enjoyable, the street or the studio?
Since I love photography, light and dealing with it, all of them are actually enjoyable... I love discovering the limits of light and what its power is. Advertising photography is of course not something I do with enthusiasm, but I can't say I don't like it.
What about abroad… Have you had a campaign? Is such an offer coming?
I do mostly documentation work abroad, not advertising. I do documentary work, I have not shot any commercials abroad.
Names whose photography you like and follow...
Of course there is! I really like our photojournalists. We have talented photojournalists. They are all my colleagues, we have worked together for 17-18 years. Working with them teaches you strange things. Of course, there are also names abroad whose work I follow and enjoy with great pleasure...
Do you like black and white better?
Yes… 90 percent of my work is black and white. I'm not counting commercials again...
So is it more aesthetic or emotional?
Frankly, I feel better. It might be related to my spiritual world!
What does black and white technically help you convey?
I think it makes the story stand out more. Color is the power of change and transformation given by the digital world. I don't like it when colors are presented in an overly exaggerated manner. And sometimes it ends up being used as a trap so much that it even gets in the way of the story. So, in my opinion, if your story is strong, true, and well told, color doesn't matter. I think that a black and white, color-free photograph increases the power of the story, and therefore this is important in my own photographic language. I also love the feeling of timelessness and I think black and white is stronger in that sense.
You have exhibitions once or a few times a year… Do we have such a plan ahead?
I held 3 exhibitions in 2016, so it was a busy year. There is also in 2017, I held the first exhibition in Tehran, it will be in Baku in April. There is a subject I am working on if I can complete it. I plan to have it in Istanbul around October-November.
What do you like about photography in Turkey?
I think photography is a powerful language of communication. I think it is the most powerful communication tool in the world. I think it should be used more dominantly in our country, more festivals should be held. I think more photos need to hit the streets. I want academics or people who produce ideas to have more say, to tell us about the flow of daily life through photography, and to open a window for us. Because personally, I have never been someone who put forward a discipline on the philosophy of photography. But there are brothers I know in photography who know how to read photography very well. I think they need to give more guidance to people like us.
Are you curious about the video?
I'm more curious about the short film than the video. I have been looking for a script to shoot a short film for more than a year. If it is a simple project that does not require production, I will consider it. But of course, I think the video will become even stronger.
Is there a place in Turkey or in the world that you like to photograph or that you would like to visit?
I want to do a very long route covering the Latin American region. I could only go to Argentina in that region. But I have no idea when I can spare for this. It's something I really desire. Apart from that, Istanbul of course! This is where I feel best for photography! I can show my presence best here! I think I know the streets and people here well. I also love Paris and New York very much.
