Αyhan was born in 1970 in Giresun. Due to his father’s profession, he spent his early childhood in several towns across Anatolia and Germany. He had to adapt to contrasting lifestyles and cultures at an early age, which gave him the ability to keep an outsider’s perspective and to not get too attached to anything. This has shaped the characteristics of his later photography. Although he graduated from business administration, his real love has been teaching and human interaction. He earned a PhD degree in Organizational Behavior. He currently works as a self employed trainer, also as a part-time lecturer at two prominent universities in Turkey. He spends most of his life interacting, listening, observing and empathizing with people. It's no wonder he prefers people and their psyche as his subjects in my photographs.
How did you start taking pictures? I took my first photos when I was 17. I was mainly interested in people shots, but somehow quit at around 20. But I kept being interested in cinema, photography and fine arts all through these years. 2 years ago I tragically lost both my parents in the same year. Struggling with grief and disorientation, I found myself taking pictures again. The face of death had shown me the impermanence of time and the value of fleeting moments. I felt a strong desire to see and capture those transient moments in a world of constant flux. Instagram provided me with the opportunity to compare my early work with that of other photographers'. I found out that there was a universal aspect in how we viewed the world; but each of us also had a unique perspective that acted almost like a fingerprint. I kept exploring how I could leave my faint fingerprint by capturing moments that many other people had experienced before me, but probably not exactly in my way. This led me to street photography.
What is the meaning of Photography for you? I love the act of taking pictures on the streets. Because nothing is calculated there, every moment is unique and temporary. On a good day, I forget all worries and memories, just fully concentrate on the moment, constantly scan the environment, and let my intuitions lead my feet. When I smell a good picture is coming, I become invisible and wait for the exact moment, and let my finger press the button without asking my mind. I’m interested in freedom (or the lack of it); I usually take pictures of people enjoying a moment of careless freedom, usually accompanied by symbols like birds, wind, hair, horizons, gates etc.. I like creating images with subtexts and stories that contain deep emotions. I believe a good Picture should contain a “twist�, something that triggers a reaction in the viewer. It could be anything that is ambigous, contrasty, funny, or outright tragic. Streets provide an endless opportunity for that, that's why I believe life is on the streets for me.