Interview With A Photographer
Rengim Mutevellioglu
Rengim Mutevellioglu is a Moscow-born Turkish photographer who started taking photos at the age of 11. She studied Visual Arts at Sorbonne in Paris and currently works as a freelance photographer.
We first spoke several years ago when I interviewed her for another blog and recently reached out again to do a follow up.
All photographs below are copyright Rengim Mutevellioglu and are used here with permission.
The Viewfinder Steemzine is a spontaneously published e-zine available exclusively here on Steemit featuring articles and photographs by Steemians, and as of today, the occasional interview with people that have inspired me and who, I think, will inspire you as well.
Without further delay, let’s get this interview started!
It’s nice to hear from you again, what have you been up to since we last spoke 7 years ago?
Graduating from Sorbonne! Getting bored with a graduate program! Depressing (hello existential twenties)! Getting better! Traveling! Moving moving.
I’ve moved through a total of 5 times in 4 countries and currently packing bags for a move to New York.
For those for whom this is the first time hearing of you, tell us a bit more about yourself.
I’m a Turkish photographer who’s been taking pictures since she was 11. Currently working as a photographer specializing in people oriented fields, portraits, documentaries, editorials, etc.
What was your first camera and what are you currently using?
My first camera was a Nikon Coolpix and I’m currently using a Canon 5d mark III and a fujifilm X-T2 for everyday use.
Who has influenced your photography the most, and how?
It’s hard answering this question, cause I’ve found that pinpointing when I'm being inspired seems to be easier than knowing when I’m being influenced. It’s easy for me to start off by being inspired by something I see but then completely losing the thread and some kind of weird instinctual actions take over me. I can never consciously emulate a specific style even when I try. So I don’t necessarily like my photography actually, there’s always some weird disconnect happening between what I want and what I end up creating.
What was it like to study in Paris? What was your major lesson there?
It was ok. I learned the absolute crucial importance of networking. You can’t always control how people see your art but networking allows you to be proactive and control how people see you.
Also how to correctly stage a show. I think the importance of being aware of a particular space in the context of an exhibition was never something I thought about. It seems like it’s not something most people actually think about but the impact of the way an exhibition is set up in a particular space is so important for the viewer. Seeing art in a dark windowless basement versus in a large sunny exhibition hall will have different visual and emotional impacts. Being conscious of this helps give you power in situations you might not have much control in, you can make a dark windowless basement work if you want. Basically not every piece will work everywhere and you can sway the way viewers read your exhibitions through the knowledge of the space you have.
Why do you take photos?
Cause I have horrible memory and it's a way to keep my experiences, ideas and feelings alive. I also love to create, just seeing something you make be something concrete, out in the world is magnificent. Having the chance to share the with people in a language that is understandable is a huge bonus.
Do you prefer booked studio sessions or spontaneous travel photos?
It’s hard cause I'm usually happy as long as I’m taking pictures. Booked sessions depend so much on the collaboration of a team working together but they offer a level of creative energy incomparable. Spontaneous shooting is kind of my default setting, it’s something I always do, whether I’m traveling, with friends, walking on the street, even shooting events, it’s very visceral.
Do you ask permission or have conversations with the people you photograph while traveling?
Depends on what I’m aiming for! If it’s for an assignment, yes definitely but otherwise unless I’m portraying a person specifically, I don’t. It’s not that I won’t, the exact opposite actually, I love talking to strangers but there’s a lot of people in the world, I gotta prioritize.
Tell us about an interesting episode while traveling
The Darvaza crater, also known as the Gates of Hell, in Turkmenistan is simultaneously an underwhelming and a singular experience. It’s just a huge crater in the middle of the dessert with spotty fires inside. But it looks cool from afar at night and the heat coming off of it when you’re near the edge makes “Gates of Hell” a very accurate epithet.
What is your best post processing tip?
Going with the flow and not overthinking things, just doing what feels right and looks good to you. Knowing where to stop!! Crucial. Asking for help, sometimes I’m too close to the picture so I need a second, or third, or fourth, opinion.
What was your scariest moment as a photographer?
As a solo female traveler I’m quite used to daily casual street harassments (I can make a rating grid of the worst places I’ve personally experienced it!) and you learn to tune out cat calls and compartmentalize groping but there’s something about being followed that never gets easier.
What has been your favourite trip for photography, which place was the best?
Georgia! Always Georgia. I just went back there for the first time in ten years and two weeks was nowhere near enough. It’s an amazing country both to experience and to photograph.
If you could go anywhere in the world with your camera, where would you go and why?
I have a list of regions and communities in the world I would like to tell the story of but I guess nowadays, I would really love to do a tour of Ireland and an in-depth look into life over there.
Are there any contemporary photographers that inspire you today?
So many! I love keeping up to date with the current trends and checking out competition finalists to see what’s being created. Browsing different areas of photography keeps me from being bored by the same style which is something that usually puts me off and why it’s hard for me to name a single photographer. I prefer to absorb in bulk and look around. Can Dagarslani, Jeff Hahn, Daro Sulakauri, Toby Coulson!
Thanks to Rengim for the interview. I'd also like to extend an invitation on behalf of the Steemit photography community to join us on Steemit if she so desires! I'm sure that her work will be appreciated and rewarded!
You can follow Rengim on Instagram or through her website
Seeking submissions for Volume 3 — Portraiture.
Looking for articles (listicles, howto/DIY, tips, tricks, etc) and photographs. The content depends on submissions. There's no real shortage of photos, but I need good writing as well. I'd like AT LEAST: How To/DIY, Gear Review, Behind The Photo, and a Featured Article. You may submit more than once for different things.
Send to jamtaylor@protonmail.com - include your username in the message body.
All submissions are checked for plagiarism. By submitting to this zine you acknowledge that you own the rights to the photographs and articles and agree to allow me to repost them in exchange for agreed upon compensation.
