Please welcome our week 12 featured photographer, Zeynep Kanra
1) Where are you from and where do you live now?
I am from Turkey and live in Istanbul. This is where I was born and where I have lived all my life ( already 32 years! )
Turkey is really a colorful country full of history and consists of many cultures which have acted as bridge between the continents for many years.
2) How does your location influence your photography?
I love people, no matter to which religion or history they belong...Istanbul is a present given to life and it opens new doors every time, keeps secrets, tells many tales and yes, Istanbul is gifted, so as the photographer living in this city of soul.
3) You seem to choose a lot of really old and really young people to photograph, what is about those age groups that attracts you to them?
I do not especially choose an age group to photograph. I am addicted to stories hidden behind the eyes and children reflect their stories easily..I love faces. I love to share the stories of the faces and souls, this is why I have portraits in my stream other than anything. I do no like to shoot landscapes etc.
4) Do you ask permission for those street portraits?
I do not usually ask for permission, but I love to talk to them before or after I take the photos. Sometimes only a look acts as permission. This is something you feel looking in the eye.
5) What's your favorite lens/camera for taking portraits?
For portraits, I love my Canon 35 mm f 1.4 ...
6) Do you have any favorite photographers on flickr?
I have many favorite photographers on flickr. I love people sharing the moments here. Flickr is a treasure!
7) If you could spend one week all expenses paid anywhere just doing photography, where would it be?
I would go back to Varanasi / India..
8) Where do your photography to take you in the future?
I am not earning money from photography. That is why I think I am collecting stories in my archive..Stories to tell to my children, moments to look after many years pass...I feel like I’m collecting ‘ special moments ‘ in a ‘ special box ‘.
9) Tell us something about your favorite portrait of the one's chosen for Spotlight Seven.
I have named a set of photos as “faces”
in my flickr stream and I am in love with all these portraits. I love what the others feel when they look at my portrait photos . I receive many e-mails in which people all around the world tell me what they feel looking at my photos..This is magical. This is what ‘ to share ‘ means. We are living in the same world, but most of the people act as if we are different than each other, some have priorities than the others etc..No, no, no....I want people understand that all we need is love and it is not that hard to understand this. ‘ Looking in the eye and smiling ‘...this is the magical solution.. I do not want to tell separate words for my photos, they are part of stories and they each tell themselves..if you look with the heart.
10) Show us a photograph you wish you took on flickr.
When I first started taking photos, it was my dream to go to Tibet, India and to other parts of the world and now, I am glad to make most of it come true. Therefore, I have special interest in far away lands... Eric Lafforgue travels and sees a lot and I would like to see the places he went. There are no significant photos I can tell you, but I want to travel the world, I want to learn other stories, too...I want the magic to continue till I die.
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