Within the captivating "Her Mind" series, an abstract triptych unveils the luminescent essence of our inner spirit. Here, the untamed wildness within us dances in harmony with the boundless forces of nature. It is a pure transmutation, where the wild woman rises from the depths, igniting a transcendence that defies convention. In these luminal moments, we are immersed in the untamed resonance that pulses through our souls, evoking an intoxicating sense of authenticity and liberation. Surrender to the call of the wild, and embrace the untamed currents that surge within, for within that wildness lies the transformative power to unleash our true selves.
"As the sky sewed a beautiful sunrise, it colored her skin from violet to tangerine. Her eyes moved from earth to the clouds as her fingers brushed away a ringlet of silky brown away from her sight. Breathing rapidly the beatific air, lively enough to know that she is alive." Owl and the girl, Elif Koyutürk /
We strive for logic and pattern and quantification. We embrace reasons and causes. At other times we value spontaneity, unpredictability, unlimited and unconstrained behavior, complete personal freedom. #AccidentalUniverse
"I´ve been through many obstacles in my life. My youngest sister is in prison and I am the caretaker of my siblings. When I go into the mountains I am able to reconnect with my soul and my being. I pray I see clearly a mirror reflection of myself in another dimension. Nature is my healer and in her, I find no limitations but only love." Ari, 17 years old from Arizona USA. // Ary’s Nature: No limitations but love
I’m happy to share behind the scenes of Ary’s photographs. This film is a short conversation with 17 years old Ary about nature and her thoughts about the world followed by my recent photography work with her.
Nature heals and frees. No limitations but only love.
The most beautiful journey starts where the light falls, souls merge as the radiant light settles between intellect and truth.
And when all that was left was ashes, she would again clothe herself in flame. Rising from the dust of her past to rekindle the spark of her future. She was a Phoenix, her own salvation; rebirthed, renewed, resurrected.
"When winter arrived and star-shaped crystals started to fall from the skies, she fell to an old land from the sky with a glint of moonlight caught in her eyes. Carrying a scent of wilderness from a pearl feathered wisdom; residue from last night. Every step she took felt like the embodiment of a breath. A step towards the idea of being alive." / If you were to sit outside of a moonlit night and were very quiet, you might see an owl fly past, but you probably wouldn’t hear it. Thanks to their special feathers, many owls fly almost silently. The outer edges of their forward wing feathers have a stiff fringe, like the teeth of a comb. The rear wing feathers have a soft, hairlike fringe. These fringed edges soften the flow of air as it moves over the wings. The fine velvety surface of the flight feathers absorbs the noise the feathers make as they slide over one another. / Alan Lightman: One physical experience that governs nature over and over is the "energy principle": nature evolves to minimize energy. Snowflakes have six-sided symmetry because of the angles that two hydrogen atoms make with the oxygen atom in each water molecule. Those angles minimize the total electrical energy of the water molecule. Any other angles would produce greater energy. Large bodies, like the planet Saturn, are round because a spherical shape minimizes the total gravitational energy. If we think of nature as a vast ongoing experiment, constantly trying out different possibilities of design, then those designs that cost the least energy or that require the fewest different parts to come together at the right time will take precedence, just as the principle of natural selection says that organisms with the best ability to survive will dominate over time.
Where, exactly, will we arrive? At one of the least significant specks of rock and metal in the cosmos. Despite its cosmic irrelevancy, Earth is an object of exceptional beauty, a gleaming cosmic jewel contrasting stunningly with the black background of interplanetary space.
"And when all the wars are over, a butterfly will still be beautiful", my life philosophy.
Nature endures despite the circumstances. Goodwill persists and it’s eternal. Share what you have crack it in half and share. This life is meant for that. In Hindi, they say ‘Burai par Acchai ki Jeet.’ (Victory of good over evil).
That’s the true story, that’s where the magic is.
Bold honesty of loving, sharing.
What is the connection between our fingerprints and the rings of a tree?
A source that is shared, a common story that is connected through invisible lines. This short piece is my thoughts and expressions about this elegant connection that I admire so much.
Memories are like a bird’s nest. Like different organisms growing inside each other as they wrap one another. Interconnected yet inseparable. Forming and reforming with every breathe you take, changing you into a different form.
Your character comes from these memories.
Your persona will evolve from that pattern, to create who you are.
“They want to know what you think, they want to know how you feel, they want to know who you are. You’re out of breath.”
As the human body meets a higher evolutionary structure of universal intelligence. Tasting and hearing beyond the invisible with a primal touch.
Light and water carry memories inside and with a simple touch, it can open the doors for us to experience the stories they have seen.
Well, maybe you are there just because you’re the story they have been searching for.
Connect.
Freedom of Flight
The gates that you will pass, when the ship arrives. Perhaps the songs of the wildflowers are echoing behind these doors. The two suns above symbolize her eyes, and the human stance symbolizes the door to be passed. You cannot know without looking. You can't see it without feeling it.
Onun gözünün önünde, geçeceğin kapılar. Belki bu kapıların ardında yaban çiçeklerinin söylediği şarkılar yankılanıyordur. Yukarı da olan İki güneş onun gözlerini, insanın duruşu ise geçilecek kapıyı simgeliyor. Bakmadan bilemezsin. Hissetmeden göremezsin. #metaphorical
(Wood Work) I found some branches that actually made me think deeper about nature´s cycle and made this piece. Inspired by the fragility of the balance in nature, like the body and soul dualities or things that depend on each other to exist even how independent they are like good and bad - yin and yang. All we need is kindness from the heart and some colors with balance.
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Ben bu sade parçayı yaparken doğadaki dengenin kırılganlığından ilham aldım. Beden ve Ruh ikilikleri, ne kadar bağımsız olsalar bile birbirlerine bağlı olan şeyler. Ateş ve su, yin ve yang gibi. Bu aralar en çok dengeye ihtiyacımız var sanırım.
I´ll keep turning the lemons into lemon trees. All I ask in return is that you sing your song. (This photograph was taken in our garden, under the chestnut tree. )
Ben bana gelen limonları limon ağaçlarına çevirmeye devam edeceğim. Karşılığında tek istediğim ise kendi şarkını söylemeyi unutmaman. (Bu fotoğraf, Bahçede ki kestane ağacının altında çekildi.)
Rebirth of you in you. From the flames through the sky. When the sun sets down but you know that there will be moonlight waiting for you at the other side of you. Your heart gives birth to a new you. Expression of the possibility.
Gökyüzündeki alevlerden içindeki yeniden doğuş. Güneş battığında, diğer tarafında seni bekleyen ay ışığı olacağını biliyorsun. Karanlıkta olsa bile kalbin yeni bir seni doğuracak. Olasılığın ifadesi.
"There is something really rare inside. A language that is unspoken, a glimpse of the unseen. To see, to breathe in, and to hear what they have to say. The lands speak to me, and it dresses up with colors whenever I behold them and become one of them."
In this duo of photographs, the essence of becoming takes center stage. It is an exploration of our wild side, long held captive, now yearning to be set free. Each frame captures a moment of profound connection, an invitation to commune with the untamed beauty of nature.
My dialogues with nature have always been about "becoming." It is a circle of transformation that has infused my life with vibrant hues born from experiences. As I gaze into the delicate petals of a flower, I see echoes of my mother, my brother, and my father, who are distant in physical presence yet intimately intertwined within my being. Nature has become my sanctuary, my home for countless years, and within its realms, the wildflowers have emerged as my guiding spirits.
In this series, the rare language of the unspoken unfolds, whispered by the wildflowers themselves. They impart wisdom and share secrets, drawing me closer to their untamed essence. Their vibrant hues dress the lands, painting the world with an intoxicating palette of colors that reflect the journey of becoming.
As I immerse myself in these moments of communion, I become one with the wildflowers, shedding the constraints of captivity. It is a journey of liberation, of embracing the unseen aspects of my own nature and unleashing the dormant wildflower within.
Through these photographs, I invite you to embark on your own exploration of becoming. Listen to the whispers of the lands, breathe in the untamed fragrance, and behold the kaleidoscope of colors that unfurl when you surrender to the wild. Let the wildflowers guide you on a transformative path, where the circle of becoming opens doors to profound self-discovery and a connection to the untamed essence of existence.
“Nigredo, Rubedo, Albedo” // Daybreak, rising light, mysterious dark // Without the rising of hope in our hearts, without the steady light - no matter if a candle or a sun - to tell us this from that in our lives, without a night from which all things can be soothed, from which things can be born, we too would not benefit from our wildish natures. The colors in the tale are precious and it´s always good to remember that black is the color associated with that world between the worlds. Black is a promise that you will soon know something you did not know before. - Women Who Run with the Wolves
Her şey olması gerektiği, doğru yerine düşüyor.
The face of 9000 years: Mother Warriors: ANATOLIA // Anatolia is a land where women have always been respected and important, even glorified with divine powers. Since the ancient times, women have been a primary subject of Anatolian societies and although various civilisations have passed through Anatolia, the cult of powerful woman has survived until today.
For example, the origins of the first woman goddess, "Cybele" (Kibal in Phrygian, Kubaba in Hattic, Sibel or Kibele in Turkish) can be found in the ancient site of Catalhoyuk (near Konya), the most ancient human settlement uncovered on earth. The goddess is said to be the ancestor of Hittite's Kubaba, and one of the main sources of influence to the Anatolian goddess, Ishtar of Hittites. The name and the legends of her still survive in Turkish culture.
The Amazons were the first recorded women warrior in history, who were said to be Hittite women from the Black seashores of Turkey, were equal to men according to Homer and were the guards of sacred Hittite beliefs. They also fought during the fall of Troy against Agamemnon and Achilles. Anatolia women have proved their courageous nature again, during the War of Gallipoli in 1917, when they helped the Turkish soldiers against invader forces, and during the Turkish War of Independence, when armed women gangs of western Anatolia fought bravely against the invading Greek army. The Turkish word for Anatolia (Anadolu), means "land of mothers", or "full of mothers", and this is just one of the millions of examples of how mothers and women play a great role for Turkish culture. (1st: Portrait of Anatolian Nomad Emine, my second mother.)
JED MILLS is a multi-award-winning stage actor. He has also appeared in over a hundred films such as Martin Scorsese's Casino and TV shows including Seinfeld and Twin Peaks, just to name a few. Jed has directed, and acted in scores of stage plays and wrote and performed Choices, his one-man, autobiographical show.
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JED MILLS çok ödüllü bir sahne oyuncusu. Ayrıca Martin Scorsese'nin Casino ve Seinfeld ve Twin Peaks gibi TV şovları gibi yüzlerce filmde rol aldı. Jed yönetmenlik yaptı ve sahne oyunlarının puanlarında rol aldı ve tek kişilik, otobiyografik şovu Choices'i yazdı
Every morning she comes to the garden. She made herself a home on the old chestnut tree. I can smell the wilderness in her sharp turns. I watch her fly, on a rainy day or sunny, she doesn´t care. The freedom of flight is her nature. She knows that whatever stands against that freedom of flight must be set aside, limitation in any form. She has been a great teacher to me.
Onun Keskin Dönüşleri
Her sabah bizim bahçeye geliyor. Kendisine eski kestane ağacında bir ev yaptı. Onun vahşi doğasını keskin ve sert dönüşlerinde koklayabiliyorum.
Yağmurlu veya güneşli bir gün olsun, hep onun uçuşunu izliyorum, hava ne olursa olsun umursamıyor. Uçuşun özgürlüğü, onun doğası çünkü. O ne olursa olsun, herhangi bir biçimde özgürlüğü sınırlamanın, bir kenara bırakmanın yanlış olduğunu biliyor.
On this road, you will find you without me. You will find yourself in every missed turn, stop signs and turn-arounds.
Ben olmadan Sen
Bu yolda seni bensiz bulacaksın. Kendini her cevapsız dönüşte, dur işaretlerinde ve geri dönüşlerde bulacaksın.
There is something really rare inside. A language that is unspoken, A glimpse of the unseen. It feels like every minute I am spending in cities is a sacrifice to be back in there. To see, to breathe in and to hear what they have to say to me. The lands speak to me, and it dresses up with colors whenever I behold them. My flower, my tree.. my family forever.
We all have dreams to chase. When I was a kid, I spent a lot of my time at my grandfather´s mandarin gardens. I was eating, playing, napping, writing there. Now, I´m 24 years old and I wanted to photograph portrait of my childhood. This portrait is all about the moment - when I was looking at the sky and dreaming about my future.
"Commercial aircraft, flying over water, are off course 95 percent of the time. Nevertheless, they still get to where they´re going. The onboard navigational system is continually making infinitesimal course corrections. You can get to your goals this way, too - even if you´re "off course". If your evaluation of the interval between alarms indicates some negativity - don´t be surprised, don´t get upset, just change it." Stay kind. #staykind
Mother Nature´s arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them. *I rephrased Victor Hugo´s quote to my image. I was driving down to my film work in Greece and saw thousands of Starling Birds flying over. I stopped my car, get out and saw her. I took her carefully, made heart massage, didn´t work...She died in my hands, giving the last breath of her life. I placed her carefully on a leaf and then the sunlight hit my Starling´s face. Magical moments in nature.
“Trees and plants always look like the people they live with, somehow.”
Friessner, married once, shot twice, 5.261 birdhouses build in his life.
"When birds look into houses, what impossible worlds they see..” he murmured, soothingly and continued.."I like making things. I have a wood shop at home. I love the idea of creating things. I am a good carpenter, I love doing it. I´ll build you a bird house tomorrow - before you go.” Opa, Villach-Austria, 2017
“... the best way of killing a rose is to force it open when it is still only the promise of a bud. But, also know that, like life, things sometimes must fade, before they can bloom again.”
Humankind resisting to the climatic changes reveals its difference from other beings due to its ability of transforming the nature in its way. Although the human is tended to dominate the nature, one is not able to pass beyond the boundaries determined by the nature. The desire of crossing the limits leads man to embark on a journey nourished by curiosity. Throughout the journey, nature remains the best witness of human pursuit.
The exhibition “Eternity of Nature and Soul” curated by Zeynep Bolat emerges as a journal of the artist Elif Koyutürk. Images gathered from road route sources of a traveling artist lead us to a dichotomy. The works exhibited focus on the one hand to the human and the nature as two distinct realities, and on the other hand to their interaction and dialogue. Finally, it records a transition of human deeply intertwined with nature.
“..and when all the wars are over, a butterfly will still be beautiful.” Dear friends;
Be relentless in your pursuit. Leap fences, build bridges, sing it songs, to seduce it to linger within you. Always know that “..when all the wars are over, a butterfly will still be beautiful.” You are a butterfly and flying does not remain as a dream, you are the dream itself that is breathing.
"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence."
Mother Nature´s arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.
“Time to leave now, get out of this room, go somewhere, anywhere; sharpen this feeling of happiness and freedom, stretch your limbs, fill your eyes, be awake, wider awake, vividly awake in every sense and every pore.”
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
Ted Hayes, a member of the Project 21 black leadership network’s national advisory council, is a long-time Los Angeles-area activist known for his work on issues such as civil rights, homelessness and immigration. He has also run for public office on several occasions.
"Look up. An ivory moon wants to be part of your memory, dangling like a pearl in a violet sky."
"An unseen trilling songbird and I
both wait,
for the crayon colors of sunrise."
William Freeman, C 17 Programme Boeing Engineer, Compton - CA
Leona looked into my eyes and said; "Elif, I love these yellow flowers, I call them little dancing sunflowers, you should find some. It´s good for your health, you can make tea out of it. I feel like your body needs it. Did you get cold on your hike? Let me make you some tea." - Tenderness, love - we need more on this planet.
I met with Luise in 2014 while living in Salzburg. I became her adopted granddaughter very quickly, even though I didn't speak her language, nor she knew Turkish. A warm, collaborative relationship let me into her world in the Austrian Alps. Calm, kind, slow but textured with a path of her well-lived life.
With Good Morning Luise series, you can glimpse Luise's life. I believe the only difference between two people is their stories; by learning the stories of places and people, we create empathy and connection- which the world needs the most.
Luise was born in Omis, a little city in South Croatia on March 20th 1925.
During the Second World War her father decided to move Austria for safety reasons. When she was 24 years old, she fell in love with an Austrian soldier who was fighting against the Russian army. They got married on 1952.
For Luise every flower is a symbol of love and peace that world needs.
Once, half a planet away, my captain friend Kevin told me, "I grew up in this ocean, same as my dad, it's where I belong, there is not even a single thought of which the ocean would not be part of ” and he deeply dived into the endless horizons.
When I was 17 years old, my mom gave me the book "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" and it changed my life. I started to photograph birds, wingsuit pilots, pilots; everything that flies. I started to discover the character of Jonathan in my own photos, over and over again. When I took this photo in Greece, near sunset, I murmured the quote; “Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is the limitation. Look with your understanding."
Steven, Ireland, 74, Baloon Man "I would do kid's parties and entertain and do magic and paint faces and balloon animals. The highlight of my life."
Cinematographer, Field Producer: Elif Koyutürk
I had the honor of photographing legendary Frank Duarte. “Venice, California's Frankie Duarte dreamed about fighting at the Olympic Auditorium. As a kid, he shadowboxed in his bedroom; later his father took him to the Teamsters Gym where he developed his skills. Frankie made his Olympic debut in 1973.”
"I come from the countryside. Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”
Shot, cut and made by me. I used Sony FS700, 35mm/ and Davinci for the colors. The song is from Cinematic Orchestra- Breathe.
“You're too far for my hands to hold you, but too near for my heart to love you.”
― Heraline
“My heart is so small
it's almost invisible.
How can You place
such big sorrows in it?
"Look," He answered,
"your eyes are even smaller,
yet they behold the world.”
― Rumi
