One of the biggest damages of modern life to the world and human life is that nature has begun to lose its ability to renew itself. Our daily life, which is rapidly becoming covered in concrete, leads to the growth of generations that have become alienated from nature and almost have not seen any beauty that is not made by men. Species endangered by the intervention of human beings and disastrous lives of living creatures surrendered to chaos created by environmental pollution will undoubtedly pose a great threat to the human race in the end. Preserving the remaining “Untamed” areas now has to become a debt to nature and a social responsibility for all mankind. Nevertheless, the existence of untouched areas on earth gives hope for the future to flourish. I photographed natural areas where there is no human disturbance in Turkey's Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts from the air by flying in my paramotor. These wide areas where water meets land are either protected or just left alone. They are constantly threatened with extinction under the influence of human population and greed. The unspoilt wealth created by nature when left in peace was the material of my photography series.
The series won an award at the Prix de la Photographie Paris Px3 2019 competition.
Let me tell you about how the series developed.
I have been flying with my friends on the shores of Istanbul with my paramotor since the year 2003. We prefer the Black Sea coast because the wind usually blows from the northeast. There is a long coastal area which we often fly over. Every time I pass I am surprised that we have not yet seen people and vehicles even though it is close to Istanbul and I think “It means it is a region forbidden or difficult to get at.” All of the places outside of that region are occupied by mines, constructions and residential areas and have already lost their natural conditions. Sometimes we land on that untouched beach, swim and take off again during summer. In February of 2016 after taking an impressive photograph of the area from the air, I wondered “What other areas are there like this one in this paradise country of ours?" and began researching. I focused on coastal areas since Turkey is surrounded by seas on three sides. As a result of my research and on-the-spot surveys over two years, I found the regions that I was looking for in the Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. I couldn't fly every time I went because of weather conditions, so I went back at different times and I shot some of them again one year apart. I made risky flights in areas unreachable by land or sea by taking a chance to land in spots where rescue would be very difficult in case of an engine out. After a period of perseverance and difficulties, I flew in every region that I had identified and got the images I wished for. I hope you too are as impressed as I am by the beauty of our few natural areas which need to be left “untamed” and view the world in this perspective.
I have been flying with my friends on the shores of Istanbul with my paramotor since the year 2003. We prefer the Black Sea coast because the wind usually blows from the northeast. There is a long coastal area which we often fly over. Every time I pass I am surprised that we have not yet seen people and vehicles even though it is close to Istanbul and I think “It means it is a region forbidden or difficult to get at.” All of the places outside of that region are occupied by mines, constructions and residential areas and have already lost their natural conditions. Sometimes we land on that untouched beach, swim and take off again during summer. In February of 2016 after taking an impressive photograph of the area from the air, I wondered “What other areas are there like this one in this paradise country of ours?" and began researching. I focused on coastal areas since Turkey is surrounded by seas on three sides. As a result of my research and on-the-spot surveys over two years, I found the regions that I was looking for in the Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. I couldn't fly every time I went because of weather conditions, so I went back at different times and I shot some of them again one year apart. I made risky flights in areas unreachable by land or sea by taking a chance to land in spots where rescue would be very difficult in case of an engine out. After a period of perseverance and difficulties, I flew in every region that I had identified and got the images I wished for. I hope you too are as impressed as I am by the beauty of our few natural areas which need to be left “untamed” and view the world in this perspective.
Watch me fly over "Sand to Water": Zen in the Air
Behind-the-scenes footage of "Shades of Salda": Flying at Lake Salda
Series footage: "Untamed" series behind-the-scenes footage
Behind-the-scenes footage of "Shades of Salda": Flying at Lake Salda
Series footage: "Untamed" series behind-the-scenes footage
"Sand to Water" - This is the image that I talk about in the gallery's intro text and which started the series. It is of an untouched Black Sea coastal area in Istanbul. A rare location find indeed.
"Flow" - This image reminds me of color oil paint freely flowing on blue water. Nature is the ultimate artist!
"Oasis" - Part of an Aegean river delta, this scene has everything! Blue sea, green foliage, winding streams, flying flamingos, and it's not even tropical! I learned that flamingos fly in a V pattern, too!
"Ripple" - I felt that the best way to show the size of this ten mile beach with its sand dunes and foliage was to fly high and compress it with my telephoto lens. The resulting ripples on the sea and the sand gave this image its name. The tiny couple in the foreground and the person way back help us see the scale of this immense natural beach where sea turtles regularly nest.
"Matching Colors" - Bringing matching colors together is nature's way of pleasing our eyes. No wonder green, blue and brown look good when they are next to each other. It’s because we see them in nature.
"Migration" - A flock of flamingos spending the summer in Anatolia is a sight one rarely sees in the country. It is as if once they cross the bend in the river they would keep on flying all the way to another continent to spend the winter.
"Hidden Forest" - Mysterious lines in the water surrounded by wild plants, different shades of color, and the presence of large black and white birds give this image a mystical quality.
"Gold Leaf" - Golden water plants covering the blue sea look like gold leaf.
"Lace" - Lacy delicate lines and patches of water plants growing in shallow water show me how fragilely beautiful nature can be.
"Expanse" - This vast area where land meets water reminds me of fertility and hope.
"Shades of Salda" - This photograph is my take on Lake Salda. The crater lake in southwestern Turkey has been the center of controversy regarding its protection status. It is unique due to the hydromagnesite mineral found in its coastal waters. I hope the area stays in its natural state without being further trampled by people.
"Lonely Planet" - There is a giant wetland system between the mouth of the Ceyhan River and the Yumurtalık Gulf, consisting of lagoons, salt marshes, mud flats, reeds, wet meadows, sand dunes and a pine forest. I decided to shoot the salt marshes in Yumurtalık backlit. It took a long and bumpy flight against the wind to finally get into the right position and capture the high-contrast graphic shot I wanted.
"A Light in the Dark" - This very long and wide rough Black Sea sandy coast with wild plants growing all over it was a perfect candidate for the Untamed series. As I was photographing it on a dusk flight, suddenly a hole appeared in the cloud cover and the coppery golden sunlight shone briefly on a small part of the beach. Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
"Shimmer" - Many islets made up of water plants in this wetland look like a map from the air. I photographed the area twice, each tour a year apart. I chose to include this special graphic silhouette image in the series from among many great photographs of the area.
"Natural Order" - Plants growing in a curved line, perfect ripples in the sand are nature's way of saying it can create order and harmony.
"Velvet" - Multiple shades of color cascading on the lush greenery surrounding pools of water look like waving velvet.
"Brush Strokes" - The organic pattern created by water and land turns into horizontal brush strokes. One can visualize the scale of the area by the tiny looking cows in the upper right and the large migrating birds in the middle.
"Dark Island" - The interaction of different elements; tones of blue, light and dark, reflection, shapes and textures; tells me a mysterious and otherworldly story.
"Mirage" - The deserted WWII concrete bunker sunken and atilt on the sand tells me that nature always wins in the end.
"1-1-2-3-5..." - Sometimes in my photographic compositions I find time tested mathematical patterns that I capture instinctively. The heights of the blue horizontal lines from the bottom up that are made by the islands and the flying flamingos show me the Fibonacci series 1-1-2-3-5... which occur in nature.
"Path to Salvation" - When I saw the grayish white texture curving like a road on a marshy passage, it made me think that leaving nature alone is the path to saving our planet from destruction.
"Harsh" - Nature can look and be harsh sometimes. Only suitable animals and water birds can feel at home in this place. It's my wish that it stays that way.
"Lifeblood" - A shiny stream cuts straight through this forest shaded from blue-green to green. I shot it from the air from far away with my telephoto lens like I did all of the images in the series.
"Intertwined" - Flock of flamingos walking in water at the Aegean coast. The intertwined colors and texture of the water bring to mind abstract oil paintings.
Behind-the-scenes:
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