Come See Turkey, Day 3: Balat Neighborhood
On the morning of my third day on my Come See Turkey trip, we left the hotel in Karaköy, crossed the Galata Bridge, and explored the Balat neighborhood in Istanbul. I'd say this area is best described as colorful, beautiful decay. Every nook and corner provides another great photo opportunity. I could have stayed there all day, but of course many other adventures awaited...
Mari Stenger, More from Willamette Mission State Park, Oregon
Model Mari Stenger and I worked together in July 2017 at Willamette Mission State Park to do a portrait session based around a Lana Del Rey vibe. Mari totally nailed it, as she has that same classic Hollywood look about her, and is a real natural at modeling.
Museum of Glass, Tacoma
I visited the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, in June 2017. It not only has exhibits of gorgeous glass art, but it also has a very large glassblowing studio where you can watch world-class artists in residence...
Come See Turkey, Day 3: Topkapİ Palace
In the middle of day three of my Come See Turkey trip, we visited the Topkapi Palace. When the Ottomans conquered the city 500 years ago, they rebuilt the ruined Roman imperial palace and administration complex into what would eventually become called Topkapi. Though renovated over the centuries, much of the original complex remains. And to my delight, they grow many, many tulips...
Come See Turkey, Day 3: Sultan Ahmet Mosque
On my third day in Istanbul for my Come See Turkey trip, we stopped by for a quick visit to the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, often called the Blue Mosque because of the bright turquoise tilework in the building's interior. So lovely...
Come See Turkey, Day 3: Hagia Sophia
In the middle of the third day of my Come See Turkey trip, we explored the magnificent Hagia Sophia, aka the Ayasofya. What was once the Romans' first Christian cathedral and then a mosque under the Ottomans, it is now a very popular museum (and deservedly so). And though it stands as an astonishing testament to Roman architecture, it would not be standing at all if not for Ottoman architects maintaining it...
Come See Turkey, Day 2: Istanbul
The trip kicked into high gear here on day two. We started off the day with a press conference with reporters from across the area. Many of us were interviewed individually after the conference. (Additionally a crew from Turkish television accompanied us on nearly the whole trip.)
Come See Turkey, Day 1: Istanbul
The first day of the trip was stretched out to over 36 hours with traveling across the globe from my house in Oregon to Istanbul. On arrival, I was driven to the Karaköy district to the Hotel Gradiva (now I believe named the Purl) to catch my breath. As the sun set, we then had an orientation meeting at Mustafa's studio a short walk away...
Mari Stenger, Expired Film
I found some expired 400 film from the 1990s and shot model Mari Stenger with my trusty Canon AE-1. We were in the Willamette Mission State Park near Salem, Oregon, and attempting a Lana Del Rey vibe...
Mari Stenger, Willamette Mission State Park, Oregon
Model Mari Stenger and I worked together at Willamette Mission State Park to do a portrait session based around a Lana Del Rey vibe. Mari totally nailed it, as she has that same classic Hollywood look about her, and is a real natural at modeling. A joy to shoot together...