Istanbul has something more, a little something hard to define with words. Maybe it's the love I feel for that city that I simply can't define.

I often say that Istanbul is like a man. A man I felt in love with at first sight. Then I discovered aspects I didn't like, some stuffs that annoyed me. But like a man, I knew I couldn't change that city, could I? So, as within a relationship, I had to decide rather I really wanted to be here, to live here. The answer was and is still "yes". 

I'm not going to write anything after the latest events in Turkey. Not the right place. 

For now, I just want to show you pictures I took during the Holy month of Ramazan. Such a special time for Muslims. Such a special time in Istanbul. Enjoy. 
 

In the garden of Süleymaniye mosque

The Blue Mosque, more blue than ever

The Blue mosque under a light show.

Inside of Süleymaniye mosque.

Süleymaniye mosque, from the first floor, on Friday July 1st. A special night for Muslims: Kadir gecesi (the Night of Destiny).

Süleymaniye mosque from Galata bridge.

Corn stand in Eminönü

Istanbul, like most of the megalopolis, is a huge melting-pot. it had been that way for centuries and centuries. Nowadays, people, coming from all over the world, live here. Sometimes, Turkey isn't the first foreign country where those "yabanci" choose to live, and Istanbul may be only a few-years stop. But it seems there will be a "before-Istanbul" and an "after-Istanbul" for those who will keep on their journey in another part of the globe. 

I've met Anna through a common friend. She is Italian, married to an Italian man and they have a beautiful little girl. They did spend many years in Vietnam before coming to Istanbul. 

Like me, they think that it is important to create memories of special moments of our lives. Even if this special "moment" began 3 years ago and there is no plan to leave Istanbul yet. That's what I loved about this session: the simple statement "US being HERE" is a good reason for a photo session".  

I was very happy when Anna got in touch with me for this family photo session, thankful for her trust and for this opportunity to capture their happiness here, in an environment they love. To be honest, the photo session had a special occasion: Anna's birhday :). Thank you again Anna! 

After difficult personal issues, I needed something new to discover, something new to photograph. A small trip out of Istanbul, just for 2 days, not too far, quiet and with a nice photographic potential. 

Edirne…. Yes! Edirne is definitely a destination that fits into a 2 day-getaway with only 2,5 hours of bus from Istanbul. Edirne used to be the Ottoman capitale city and it is very closed to the present Greek boarder. 

Visual treasures are easy to find over there: amazing mosques, ancient wooden houses, green landscapes and rivers. Yes, definitely, Edirne was a perfect destination to have a fresh look on how beautiful Turkey is. 

Here are some of the pictures I took. Enjoy! 

I guess you already looked at your family album pictures, and laughed about your dad’s hair cut when he was 18 or your mom’s outfit in the 80’s. For me, photo albums are part of my life, my past, my family’s history. Like a patrimony, a highly emotional patrimony. 

My mother passed away 3 months ago. Today, exactly 3 months ago. Gosh, we didn’t expect her to end her life in this world so fast. Neither did she, I guess. My sister and I took the time to go through our family photo albums. Four generations on paper. Brown-yellowish old photo paper, discolored images, even some serrated shapes. Paper.... Those are so much more than paper. 

Those are cherished moments. Those are everyday’s life moments. Those are my past, a part of me. As my family history, those are my heritage, the symbol of who I am now. 

There are some pictures I can’t look at now. My mother’s, especially. It hurts so much, it’s unbearable. But I know, for sure I know, that one day, I’ll look at them and smile. I actually can’t wait for that day to come. 

For now, I look at some of them and remember. And numerous memories are coming back. My grandmother’s perfume, the traditional Christmas movies we watched all together, my favorite sweater, the games my sister and I played in the living room. I love to see my parents when they just got married, my grandparents where they were ‘young’, my uncles and aunts when they were my current age. And I love to re-discover the bathroom in the first flat I lived in, the outfits I was wearing when I was 12, the school pictures during primary school. 

I also know that we are lucky my dad was into photography during our childhood. Those moments had been captured and they have travelled through time because they were printed out. Because our « physical » memory cannot hold each and every moment of our lives, those pictures are able to open new doors into our brain. To remember moments we thought were lost, and to learn about your past.

Of course, as I am a photographer, you might think that my point of view is biased. Please, think twice. I'd be very happy if my words make you go and find one of your photo albums, and then smile at your past. Or make you look for digital images from your last summer vacation, kept on your computer and create a photo album. Or you might want to call up a photographer to create those lifetime memories. 

What is gone is gone. And what is captured and printed out becomes a lifetime memory for you and your family.

And the value of this is limitless. 

PS: I chose to only post pictures of me, as a kid, to respect my family's privacy. 

Every month of April, Istanbul gets a bit more magical. "How on earth, is it possible?" you may wonder. It is possible and it's thanks to the "Lale Festivali" (the Tulip festival).

Tulips are often thought to be from Holland. It's still quite unknown that tulips are originally from Turkey. They are, indeed, one of the symbols of Turkey and you can find easily tulips drawn on decorative tiles and ceramic plates.  Some even see a tulip shape in the famous turkish tea glass! 

I love to go to Gülhane, on a weekday, and enjoy colors, shapes and textures of those beautiful flowers. I take my time to walk around, getting used to those incredible bright colors. During the week, the park is "empty" compared to weekend days so I can photograph those flowers quietly. I always have a great time over there, looking for the perfect flower, or the beautiful shadow that a petal creates on another one. I'm on my own world, a world of details and beauty. Have you ever taken a close look at a tulip petal? So thin, so fragile, so delicately textured. And even when they begin to fade a bit, they keep on looking lovely: some almost look like poppies, opened to the sun. 

I just love this time of the year!