My story as a photographer

I started showing interest in photographing when I was about 13-14 years old. This skill always helped me throughout my careers as a National alpinist and tattooist.

Although I was a photographer student, I got my hooks into my dear professor of photography Zeki Ceyhan at Anadolu University of fine Arts. As his ‘young friend’ we spend a lot of time together discussing dark room matters, composition and design and digital photographing. We had a special master- apprentice relationship where I could but the parts of knowledge together to a whole.

For two years he criticised every single 36’er shot I took and dragged my through the mud. I hated him. I couldn’t stand the fact that he disgraced and criticised every frame I took and presented to him proudly. But I insisted on presenting every piece of frame I took.

One day… yes, one day; ‘Now you’re ready! And you are good!’

I was surprised. ‘How? What?’ I responded.

‘Dear Fatih, stop taking photos of waste and debris, get to choose yourself a theme. You took photos anyway; you were just a stone who needed to be shaped. Now take turn to shine bright like a diamond. Didn’t you start to publish some of your pictures and writings and even start to earn some money through copyrights?’

‘Yes, sure but don’t leave me down, I’m not good enough!’,

‘As a young photographer friend of mine, you need to go out and choose a theme, and specialize on it. Don’t waste your time and exposures!’

After that I didn’t touch my analogue camera for years just because I couldn’t find a theme! Until, Elif got pregnant. One day I said, got it!!! I would record my family.

I didn’t waste one single frame. I printed some chosen ones. I documented my whole life through my objective, and I’m still documenting it.

In between some beautiful, short films and videos.

We believe we leave our kids and everyone after us very beautiful memories….