Photographer : CANBERK ÜREGEL

Canberk Üregel is an artist who has been involved in various branches of art since high school, has become professional in photography without completing his high school education, and is now a fashion photographer. We had an interesting conversation with him about the art of photography and fashion photography in specific.

Who is Can Uregel, The Fashion Photographer? Could you briefly introduce yourself a little bit?
While completing my high school education at Galatasaray High School, I discovered analog photography machines at a young age thanks to my father help and decided to combine the art of photography, which became my hobby, with my interest in Fashion. During my college years at Bilgi University and Hogeschool at VanAmsterdam, fashion photography had happened to be my job and found myself constantly working to thrive on in this lane. Later on, I completed my Master’s degree in Radio-TV Cinema at Marmara University and currently I’m about to complete my second master’s degree in Visual Communication Design department.

Would you like to share your style in photography as an artist photographer?
When taking a photo, the frame of the result I always want to achieve is already determined in my head. In the digital processing part of shooting and afterward, I fill the gap inside of this frame. I’ve always thought that “glam” is more magical than other styles. The big brackets of my scenes I am trying to create for now are coming out in this direction. We will see what is going to change in the future.

We will see what is going to change in the future.

Who is Can Uregel, The Fashion Photographer? Could you briefly introduce yourself a little bit?
While completing my high school education at Galatasaray High School, I discoveredanalog photography machines at a young age thanks to my father help and decided to combine the art of photography, which became my hobby, with my interest in Fashion. During my college years at Bilgi University and Hogeschool at VanAmsterdam, fashion photography had happened to be my job and found myself constantly working to thrive on in this lane. Later on, I completed my Master’s degree in Radio-TV Cinema at Marmara University and currently I’m about to complete my second master’s degree in Visual Communication Design department.

I believe this is the greatest inspiration to me.

How would you define the inspirers and creativity in your Photographs?
I believe that one of the most important issues in this job is constantly developing the practicality of the eye. I mean, when you are exposed to see a view, you should be able to see something different from the remainders. For this, at a very young age, like a daily workout, I kept scanning dozens of photos every day just to find out the answers of my questions such as what’s happening in the world, where do we head to, what can be done to take better results. This practice has developed a reflex to look at and analyze everything relevant to the visual, ranging from a billboard to a flyer when you walk through the road. I believe this is the greatest inspiration to me.

How do you define the concept of imagination in Photogprahy? What do you owe your success to?
As the great skillful photo masters have said, there is nothing unfulfilled, or untested in this period, except doing what is the better and more interesting. I mean, there are very few things that have not been tried either in style or technique, this is because both technology and our life are moving very fast. But thanks to this progress, new things that can be done reach out to an unlimited number. Maybe it’s not entirely new, it might have been inspired from somewhere else, but without this cumulativeness, art would not have existed. Once you have designed something that is not in your mind and made it happen, a new horizon opens in your life and it never closes again. After that moment, you are constantly starting to think about where and how I can do it. The ideas keep coming into your mind constantly, and you keep taking notes. Maybe when you travel intercity, or when you see a film scene on TV, something new pops into your mind and all your concentration is shifting afterward and you find yourself producing a project.

I have never seen before and had the chance of shooting.

What are your goals in the field of fashion photography? Who do you want to work with?
My goal is to be an artist who is well-known in Europe and here. Rather than being known to the public eye, I want recognition and appreciation for my works. I especially desire to work with Gucci and Zegna.

What was the project did you savorily work with?
The project I savorily worked with was a magazine shooting we made abroad for the past few years. Although I have been living in Istanbul since I was born, I have had the opportunity to go to unvisited places I have never seen before and had the chance of shooting. People welcomed us so beautifully that everything would not have been so beautiful if things were pre-set or fictionalized before.

What are your opinions about fashion photography in Turkey?
Fashion photography in Turkey, we can say that is in a much smaller circle comparing to other branches of arts. Despite this, there is a pretty tough competition. This competition automatically leads to personnel development and works for everyone. We help and develop each other when appropriate and we think what we can do more for the better, if need be. Of course, this is a balance of professionalism and friendship. Progressing without losing this balance is very important both in the name of the fashion industry in our country and to move beyond ourselves from the remainders in other countries. I don’t know if it is related to my involvement in photography but I know one thing that is being in the most important position in fashion photography in the world.

The reason behind my claim is both our customers overseas continue to choose us and there is very little difference in quality between the work done in here and the work done by the world’s leading brands.