Photo Club

Since arriving in Istanbul I have joined some clubs….I am a member of Lale (International Women of Istanbul) and receive a glossy magazine every month with interesting events to choose from.

Within Lale I joined Art Lovers of Istanbul, International Professional Women of Istanbul Network & a photo club. I also joined Corona (which is a smaller group for English speakers). I must admit I haven’t participated in as many events as I thought I might, but I have enjoyed the photo club very much… so much so I have committed to a group exhibition in November 2009.

My first photo club event was a photo trek to the small fishing village of Kuzguncuk, situated on the Asian side of Istanbul. Kuzguncuk has a multiethnic minority history, home to Greeks, Jews and Armenians. It is now home to many artists and writers and there is an enclave of galleries and studios. We visited an Armenian Orthodox Church, then a mosque, saw some restored Ottoman houses painted in bright colours, a Jewish & Greek cemetery as well as a few artist’s studios. On the trek there were twenty five women armed with different sizes of cameras and equipment. Members of the club come from all over the world, but the majority are Dutch, American & British.

We strolled around the village, chatting, admiring the scenery and snapping away. We finished off the trek with a delicious lunch on a bustling street corner.

Since that first photography trek I have participated in quite a few similar events, a highlight recently included a two day trek with overnight stay in Iznik near the famous town of Bursa. I particularly enjoyed the experience of getting off the beaten track and observing Turkish rural life. We visited some isolated mountain villages. The scenery was stunning, combined with extremely friendly villagers mostly happy to be photographed going about their daily lives. Their lives at times I’m sure must be hard, however in the sunny climes it looked idyllic & a welcome change of tempo. Activities included baking bread, herding goats, horse-men, women in groups preparing food and picking fruits. Villagers constantly asked me what I was doing there & with my limited Turkish I explained I was from Scotland, lived in Istanbul and was an artist!. It was quite exhausting as every local wanted to stop and chat, but with humour (from both sides) I was able to suffice their curiosity well enough. I was bestowed with wild flowers and cherries by some local women, which was very touching.

In June we had our end of year photo club lunch. Twelve of us gathered in summer attire on Kurucesme quay before embarking onto a private boat which would deliver us to our stunning destination ~Sumahan On the Water. Later sitting on the terrace, enjoying the delicious food, gentle lapping of water & reflections made by the sun I thought how lucky I am… & how pleased I joined this club. It has been a source of knowledge, friendship & encouragement as well as an opportunity to enjoy and explore this amazing city with like-minded people.