Tell Me About Turkey

Turkey is awesome for photography, there are pictures waiting to be taken in every corner. if you can head into Capadoccia, its awesome.
I went to Turkey for 2 months this year, here is the link of my shots.
safe journey

Turkey Gallery
 
hi
i am living in istanbul. if you need any help please do not hesitate to ask. Also i have a darkroom very close to istiklal street. if you need, again do not hesitate to ask. Istanbul is a great city for street photography.
BTW can we arrange a small RFF meeting in istanbul? :)
 
One thing I would say about Istanbul is to maybe find out about a few restaurants before you go. I was there last year, and found it tricky to find good places to eat, they're certainly there, but I found they were somewhat hidden away. Unless you like kebabs, they are everywhere. I like kebabs, but not every night.

Had a couple of problems with taxi drivers not wanting to use the meter, but other than that had no issues really.
 
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Love Turkey!
 
Better than Greece, in culture, in diversity, in hospitality.

Well I am Greek and sadly I can only concur to this comment. Turks these days seem to do a better job at promoting their culture and are more inclined to look after a foreigner. And they have a better basketball team grrr

Anyway. Istanbul is an awesome city and there's tons of great photography done there, my favourite is Alex Webb's "Istanbul, city of a hundred names". Truly iconic work.

There is also Instanbul's own iconic photographer that I was thoroughly impressed by, with decades of work to show, but I can't for the life of me remember his name right now.... maybe our Turkish friends can help me here?

Αnd the food, oh my GOD! Make sure to ask for "kazan dipi", you're in for a treat!

edit: I remembered his name, it is Ara Guler.
 
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Well I am Greek and sadly I can only concur to this comment. Turks these days seem to do a better job at promoting their culture and are more inclined to look after a foreigner. And they have a better basketball team grrr

Anyway. Istanbul is an awesome city and there's tons of great photography done there, my favourite is Alex Webb's "Istanbul, city of a hundred names". Truly iconic work.

There is also Instanbul's own iconic photographer that I was thoroughly impressed by, with decades of work to show, but I can't for the life of me remember his name right now.... maybe our Turkish friends can help me here?

Αnd the food, oh my GOD! Make sure to ask for "kazan dipi", you're in for a treat!

edit: I remembered his name, it is Ara Guler.

Ara Guler has a cafe in Taksim. I read about it the week after I was back home in the USA from Istanbul. Had I known about it, I would have stopped in for a bit. I also picked up Ara's book called Istanbul. It is filled with amazing photos around Istanbul from mainly the 50 and 60's.
 
Beside Ara Guler there are some very good new generation street photographers. Some of them are:

* Arif Aşçı - http://www.arifasci.com/
especially "istanbul panorama" and "bahtabakan" albums are very impressive

* Merih Akoğul - http://www.merihakogul.com/
his "sanki" work is my favorite. english name of the work is "as if"

* Hüsnü Atasoy
www.husnu-atasoy.com
www.strtdog.blogspot.com
www.kyplr.blogspot.com
http://hsnatasoy.blogspot.com/

he is one of the secret talent of turkey. now he is living in India. he has an album named as "ASSOS", but it is nearly impossible to find.

*Nar Photos - http://www.narphotos.net/
this is a photography agency in the same manner with Magnum. i like the works of "Tolga Sezgin". Also i like the works of "Hüsamettin Bahçe" and "Ilker Maga" in this group.

Also i am a good photographer living in Turkey :), just kidding.
 
If you go to Balat, there's a Bulgarian church there. If I'm not mistaken it's made of cast iron (again if memory serves by an Austrian company, its name was on one of the columns). In Buyukada there's a restaurant adjacent to Aya Yorgi monastry, decent food and homemade wine which might surprise you (both ways!), also Kalpazankaya in Heybeliada is worth seeing.

Be ready for high contrast situations (social and photographic) and enjoy yourself.
 
What are the rules on Turkish Hash these days? I know you don't want to smuggle it out or it's an eternity in a Hellish prison, but isn't it like Amsterdam where you can smoke it openly? Or?
 
What are the rules on Turkish Hash these days? I know you don't want to smuggle it out or it's an eternity in a Hellish prison, but isn't it like Amsterdam where you can smoke it openly? Or?

if you arrested, it will be a bit problem. it has a prison sentence between 1 and 2 years. but firstly they send you a treatment center and they try to cure you. if you do not obey the treatment rules they send you to jail. these are the rules :D.
if you do not arrested, there is no word to say :).
 
I spent two months there two years ago, and then a few weeks last year. Great country, great people, great everything. I never felt anything but welcome.

Second vote for Cappadocia and the Illara valley
 
I was actually about to start a thread on this until I saw this one. I'm registering in a two-week workshop at college as part of my photography degree, we spend 12 days in Turkey in May. Istanbul, Ankara, Capadoccia, as well as some time on the Mediterranean coast near Cyprus, the Black Sea, and the Aegean coast.
 
I was actually about to start a thread on this until I saw this one. I'm registering in a two-week workshop at college as part of my photography degree, we spend 12 days in Turkey in May. Istanbul, Ankara, Capadoccia, as well as some time on the Mediterranean coast near Cyprus, the Black Sea, and the Aegean coast.

too much place for 12 days. it seems you will have busy days.
 
Thanks

Thanks

Hey everyone thanks for the responses and great photos. My daughter has really caught the travel bug and she just returned from Prague and Berlin. We are heading to Turkey at the end of March.

I just gave her my S90. I will be bringing a couple M's and probably 21/35/50/90 but may leave the 50 at home. I am trying to just shoot b&w but this country seems to beg for color so probably Ektar/Porta in one and TriX in the other.

Have been looking for a creative spark for my photography and this trip may do it. Am tempted to get another small digital (hell no). And I would love to meet any RFF members who live in Istambul.
 
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