I haven't shared in the Photography Lovers community in a long time. Actually, I kept taking pictures, but sometimes people take a break from writing. This time I wanted to come back to a good topic. I want to share with you the graffiti photos I took while walking in the side streets of Istanbul.
When it comes to Istanbul, most people think of crowded streets, historical buildings, sea, ferries and people rushing. All of this is true. Istanbul is a really lively city. But I also like the quieter side of this city. It is very good for me to walk around the side streets, especially in the morning. Because the streets are not very crowded at that time. Most of the shops are closed, people haven't fully started their rush to get to work, and the city seems to breathe more slowly.
I also love walking and taking pictures at times like this. Sometimes I just look at an old building. Sometimes I notice the light falling on the wall in a narrow street. Sometimes I come across colorful graffiti on a shutter, a wall or an old building. These photos are left over from such a walk.
While walking on these streets, I see a different side of Istanbul. This is not just a city of historical buildings. It is also a city that lives, changes, leaves its own voice on the streets. Graffiti is one of those sounds for me. Of course, not every drawing has to be beautiful. Not every article looks aesthetic. But I still think there's a mood behind it all. Someone wanted to leave a mark there. Someone described himself with colors. Maybe someone just conveyed the feeling inside him to the wall.
I don't see graffiti as direct vandalism. Of course, I don't think it's right what's done to historical buildings, private properties or places that shouldn't be damaged. The rules of the city, people's labor and respect for common spaces are very important. But I think graffiti adds color to the city when it is done in the right places, on permit walls and with better quality. In fact, some streets become more vivid, more eye-catching and more photography thanks to these colors.
Some of the graffiti you see in the photos is on the shutters. Some are on old walls, some are in quiet corners between buildings. When shops open during the day, maybe most of these images disappear. But these drawings are more visible when the shutters are closed in the morning. This also seems very interesting to me. It's like the city shows another face in the morning.
Especially the fact that old buildings and graffiti stand side by side catches my attention. On one side, there are stones bearing the traces of the years, wooden windows, old facades. On the other side are bright colors, capital letters, modern lines and street art. This contrast reminds me of Istanbul. Because Istanbul is already a bit of a city. It is a place where the old and the new stand side by side by the mess, calmly and the crowd.
There is a large and colorful mural in a photo. This kind of work seems much more impressive to me. Because it carries not only writing, but also a story. When people look, they want to stop and think. Colors, facial expressions, symbols and the size of the wall add a strong vibe to the photo. I would like there to be more such studies. Some empty and gray walls of Istanbul may look more beautiful with such works of art.
In another photo, there is an old street, closed shutters and graffiti on them. Normally, maybe it's a place we'll pass quickly. But when you take a photo, you look more carefully. When the texture of the wall, the direction of the light, the silence on the street and the colors come together, a different city story emerges. That's what I like about the photo. It shows us again what we normally do without seeing.
For me, this walk wasn't just taking pictures. It was also like rediscovering Istanbul. Each street presented a different image. Each wall carried another trace. Some places were old, some were unkempt, some were very colorful. But they all had a real sense of the city.
What I want to show in this post is not just graffiti. At the same time, small details hidden in the side streets of Istanbul. Because sometimes the most beautiful photos are not in the most famous places, but on the streets where no one pays much attention.
It made me happy to return to this community with such a colorful topic after a long time. I hope you feel like you took a short walk in the streets of Istanbul while looking at these photos. The city is sometimes tired with its crowds, but it makes itself loved again when you walk in the quiet hours of the morning, in the narrow streets, among the colorful walls.