A Director at the Core of Nature

We interviewed director and photographer Elif Koyutürk before her exhibition which will be held on 27 April.

[photograph] © Carlo Diliberti

Mustafa Demirtaş 7 April 2017

1993 born Elif Koyutürk is a very talented photographer, besides she is an awarded director with short movies. Currently she is becoming popular with her nature photographs and she will be holding an exhibition in Consulate General of Austria in April. The title of the exhibition is “Eternity of Nature and Soul”, and she says “My exhibition is examining human and nature as two separate realities and in the meanwhile it is focusing on their interaction and their dialogues. We can say that it records the modifications of people who are in touch with nature”.

Before the exhibition, we asked the young artist what we wonder about her.

[photograph] Elif, preparing for “that moment” © Aurelia Albrecht

I used to look after 11 dogs in our house; I grew up nested with animals and nature. My mother never ran to me when I fell down, saying “oh my darling are you okay?”; I always stood up myself and moved on. The style that I was raised affected my career and my lifestyle.

Elif Koyutürk

When did you start to be interested in photography and directing? Was this your dream since you were a child or did you realize your talent and creativity later?  Do you remember saying “Yes, this must be my way!”?

When I was a kid I used to have cameras around me because of my family. Cameras, hand-held cameras… At that age you don’t usually plan your future. My family used to shoot films and photos all the time, at our vacations and adventures… After I grew up a little bit, I started to take the cameras from my mother and father and I started to film things around me. I used to look after 11 dogs in our house; I grew up nested with animals and nature. My mother never ran to me when I fell down, saying “oh my darling are you okay?”; I always stood up myself and moved on. The style that I was raised affected my career and my lifestyle.

It is priceless to grow up in nature. I realized that I was going to do this as my career when I was living in Sicily. “That moment” happened for me when I was shooting in Levanzo Island, Sicily I guess.  A woman was walking towards her house, her face expression was too emotional and different, and I can’t explain it with words. I took my camera off and started to film her from a distance. At that moment, you become “one” with that place, everything around you stop but meanwhile they act as well. As of that day my adventure telling human stories and nature started. In fact, “that moment”s are quite often, they still happen!

[photograph] Human is among Elif’s favorite themes © Elif Koyutürk

[photograph] “I grew up nested with animals and nature” © Elif Koyutürk

You shoot short movies except for photography. You have awards from different areas. Which one of your achievements impresses you more and why?

I got an award from Sony Photography Awards with my “that moment” story in Levanzo that I just told you. The reason it impressed me was the story behind it. Nothing was told to me but I could feel it the moment I saw the face of that woman…

Apart from this, one other character that excited me the most was my “Louise” character. My dear Louise, who was living downstairs when I was living in Austria, the character in my short movie. While she was watering her flowers, she was telling me her World War II memories, then suddenly she stopped and asked me “Elif, do you know what a flower mean?”. At that moment I was only concentrated on Louise. She moved on: “Every flower and every seed to be grown is actually a sign of hope that we can live in peace in this world. Don’t worry about what’s happening around you, there is always hope!” When I heard that, I took my camera and shot that short movie. I thought about the situation of the world and I just stared at Louise. For me, this is among the most impressive stories ever.

[photograph]  “Thank you for this shot” © Elif Koyutürk

I guess your nature passion plays a big role in your success at nature photography. Do you think you have an adventurous soul? If so, how do you reflect that soul to your work?

I became one with nature after growing up in it. When I enter into a forest, I can close my eyes and dig into that moment. As if I am in a movie, quivering leafs, footsteps of the geek behind me, warbles of birds, wet soil that I set my foot in, and the clouds informing the upcoming rain… When you feel these, you become one with nature. After you feel this, you can picture it anyway you want and I’m sure that it would be quite good. Because I’m neither aiming to take the perfect picture nor the golden proportion; I only try to shoot the feeling there. The feeling that I “feel”.

If you had a chance to go back to any moment that you shot, what would that be?

There are many. I might want to go back to the moment that I faced a wolf in Austria when it was raining crazy. It was raining so heavily that I could barely see my ahead. Then I faced a wolf. I saw him and he saw me, then he slowly climbed upon a high rock and he stared at the sky. And I shot that moment. I put my camera back into my backpack and I thanked.

[photograph]  Two different realities... © Elif Koyutürk

I believe that I will find new characters, and new nature fabric in America. I want to shoot a film in Sicily. A true human story which the scenario is already prepared! I will do this in 10 years!

Elif Koyutürk

You are 23 years old. We are sure that you set lots of goals. Can we ask you about the most essential one?

All of my goals are essential for me. I prepare to-do lists for every month and every year. I have an everlasting energy that being 23 years old gave. I’m going to open a brand new page at my career; I believe that I will find new characters, and new nature fabric in America. I want to shoot a film in Sicily, it’s essential. A true human story which the scenario is already prepared! I will do this in 10 years! Of course no one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, but as long as I live, I’m going to have my own absolute musts, which change and improve along me.

Can you tell us a little bit about your exhibition titled Eternity of Nature and Soul which will be held on April?

You are going to see the Elif that I told about at this interview. Things that I see and feel. The steps that I take with my soul and self, the people that I run into... It shows the photographs and films from my roadmap and binary oppositions. My exhibited works are examining human and nature as two separate realities and in the meanwhile focusing on their interaction and their dialogues. It records the modifications of people who are in touch with nature.

My fellow friend Zeynep Bolat who has a way with me the most stood as the curator for the exhibition. I think it will be fantastic!