I was out with friends. A friend wanted to go out and smoke a cigarette and I accompanied him. It was a clod night and people were gathering around, they did not seem to bother with the cold. They just stood there talking with friends, watching the Bosphorus and making the night a little warmer. The baloons arrieved just on time…
Siting near the sea at a pub, watching the sunset in Istanbul and dreaming of other things. The never solving riddle Hagia Sophia sits beautifully on the top of the hill, watching the earthly Istanbul and smiles in understanding. Every one of us trying so hard every day and in the end many answers lies in front of our eyes and noone but ourselves stops us from seeing. And there was I, after a hard days work, watching the old city and dreaming of other things.
This was taken in an alley in Taksim. This man without paying any attention to his surroundings was sitting there with the cat besides his feet and just solving puzzles in the newspaper. People were getting ready for saturday night fun and I was just on the way to get together with some old friends. This was the moment and this is the picture worth some words, I have mine, hope you have yours…
When asked to pick a place for your mother, everyone would pick a palace. This one from Germany, came to my mind first. This is a place for a mother, although not enough good.
Why a palace ? They give you freedom and love. As it is understood, it is a hard thing to give both at the same time but they resemble to nature in that sense, always by your side even in conflict. They are our way to undertand the world in a better way.
They always cheer you up like a never ending parade of baloons filled with smiles.
So they should be given flowers daily but specially this day.
Happy mother’s day for all mothers, here by your side, or up there in heaven smiling to us.
How many stories can you come up when you are watching a city like Istanbul ? A few ? Million ? How many genres? Such a mystical beauty which never belongs to you. Even if you are a resident in Istanbul, there is nothing about you resides in the city, you are just a passenger for the city. The city smiles at you and tells you one of the stories which you can come up with. All you can do is just to stand there watch a great rendering of your story. And that is if you are lucky. That’s it…
Tired and sleepy returning home, this boat was crossing the Bosphorus. The city was getting ready to go to bed and dream the night away. The mystical city never revealing its secrets rather gives little clues in dreams and riddles. Never truly understanding the whole picture, you always can enjoy little brush strokes in this never ending picture.
This little guy was sleeping on the side of the road on a clear and really cold day. Sleeping so sound and peacefully, ignoring all the noises of the city and the cold, it was impossible to ignore him and just walk past him. His dreams was filling the air with a little breeze and wind was coming from the sea behind me and seewps his dreams into the city as he continued to create more visions for us. It was a peaceful walk thanks to this guy.
It is a wierd thing growing up. You always realize that you grow up when you suffer. You see your past sufferings bring you higher and closer to sky unless they made you lose your way and there is no single way up. Your’s may be different than the others but the thing is you should never lose your direction. Freedom awaits…
Taken a little after the first one. The little tower on sea seen here has some ancient sad stories tied to it, which is almost always about two lovers. Being so close to the main land and so far away at the same time, it still represents the stories told about it and it may be that the tower talks about them espacially powerful when sunset. Istanbul is a mystical city, always beautiful and ugly, good and also bad and like the tower so close and also a life time away. The city always smiles in an understanding and gentle manner when sunsets.
After a long day and also a long week, sat down with a friend, talking about life and etc. while watching the sunset over Istanbul. Altough there is always a riddle, there are always moments in which you realize that everything may be ok afterall. A gentle reminder by Hagia Sophia, while where are moving restlessly through the city.
There comes a time, when one thinks everything is dark. You feel there cannot be any way out of the dark and the world is full of pain. Then there comes an idea in the shape of a friend, a gesture or anything you do not expect. It does not make all the darkness go away but only shows you that there is also light and make you smile and take you higher. Taken at Ortakoy Istanbul close to midnight when the night was black this baloon was flying with its own light.
Reading in silence in Ortakoy Istanbul past midnight. Just before going back home to lay my unnecessarily overused head to sleep, I saw this guy. He was just sitting there, reading in silence, just like the tree observing him. With so many books behind him, I envied both the tree and the book seller as they get mixed together mystically in my weary head.
When it was time to get out of IFA and walk though the Berlin, this church was a beautiful sight. I tried to capture the architecture I missed almost every time a part. So I decided to capture the parts with their powerful meanings. This side view was powerful and also mysterious for me. I tried to capture that feeling and Black&White seemed appropriate. Still all that contrast I try to put into cannot show the contrast I experienced when I got out of a Electronics show/exhibition and walked right into this view.
If you are already up when the city wakes, there are some dreams of people left hanging in the air. You can see that they can change the city in a magical manner. You feel people are waking up but they are also still dreaming. You look at the city as you are seeing a Monet painting. It is not the reality, but just a glimpse of a genius’ mind in color which shapes the reality.
This is the scene that I get to see when I leave the work to go home. This always feels good with a little of newly felt freedom. It also reminds me that there is always more heavenly things besides our daily routine and these things are always there waiting for us just to look up. That is a soothing idea to have after work.
We all live in a fiber-connected ultimate speed world. Still there is always a little slow-motion idea in all of us. Just take a little time off your really fast urban life style, you can always return, just take a second off.
See your life from a little further away in new year. You may never believe how your surrounding has become. And if you think that the problems gathered around you like a storm waiting to happen, you may see a little light coming through.
Sun shines on everything no matter how small and fragile things are and the rays of light give life.
The stormy waters can also become one of the most beautiful things you ever see, once you overcome the storm. In the new year, may your problems all disappear.
With some reminder of joy of life may your life become a new born flower smiling towards the sun.
Always believe in nearly surreal beautiful things, you can never know what life may bring. Never lose your dreams and see your dreams turn to reality in the new year.
Eat slow and great food. Try new things. It is a joy of life and no one should be without it.
Travel well and far, see new things and have great ideas. Live the history of foreign lands as an adventure. May new year bring you great places.
Have your freedom and never lose it. Feel the wind and have the freedom of choice.
And most importantly have someone to share all these things. If you already have, may you never lose him/her and appreciate the time you have with them because it is never certain how much more time you have.
So… Have a happy and wonderful new year…
Having seen Miss Maria Sharapova in WTA İstanbul, I was really impressed. I was impressed not only with her beauty and grace but also with the power within her. The idea that power and beauty can be found in one being is impressive.
While she is one of the best tennis player in the world is is also a great idea that being powerful doesn’t mean that you have to be uncurteous. You can be powerful and beautiful/graceful.
After she won the match she was polite, kind and independent of all the people who were in awe surrounding her. She just smiled and left the court leaving many people with a great idea that power/independence and beauty/grace must be together to mean something.
Taken at Berlin Museum, almost all these statues are away from their home. Looking to the eyes of some of the people lived ages ago, there was a mortal feeling. You can feel time in a different way. Looking to his eyes, you can see the “past time” and past “the time” and see humanity as a universal idea. So I smiled and walked away…
The religious buildings… They are always impress me. Built with great feeling of space and freedom. The silence always screams and you can feel the history walking right next to you. The Berlin Cathedral is no exception. This great ceiling is there tens of meter above you, and you can’t help but standing there and watch for minutes. Such a beauty man can create…
This detail may show a little better what i am talking about.
Eren Somcag
