Interview: Eylül Ezik, photographer

April 10, 2020 0 Comment

Born in Bursa (Turkey) in 1987, Eylül Ezik is a fashion photographer based in Istanbul(Turkey). She is graduated from Istanbul university, English Literature and then having a passion for photography she educated in Istanbul fashion academy, fashion photography. From literature to photography she creates a visual language in fashion area, specifically editorial photography. Story- telling is the main thing in her works and her source of inspirations are movies, narrations, cultures and daily life itself.

You can find her here:

Website: www.eylulezik.com

E-mail: eylulkaroglu@gmail.com

Instagram: @eylulezik

Twitter: @eylulezik

Facebook: @EylülEzik

LinkedIn: @eylulezik

Hi Eylül, how long have you been working as a photographer now?

I have been working as a fashion photographer since 2016.

What inspired you to become a photographer? What were your first steps?

It was a long process to find out the real thing inside of me. Because from the beginning, my only idea was doing something related with literature, but after that I realised I wanted to tell stories as a visual.

When i was a student at the university, I was a member of the photography club. This was my first step to learn the photography basically. It was just an exciting hobby for me at first. I did not think i could do it as a job at those years. After i graduated, my main concern was to earn money. I got a job as an English teacher, but it was not my dream exactly, i knew it. The only thing I knew that i had to do something different to express myself. After couple of years, I took a short course in fashion photography. Then I said yes, this was really i wanted to do. But, the course was not enough by itself clearly. I quitted my job and concentrated on fashion photography. I did many test shoots with models and made collaborations with some designers both in Turkey and Europe and then it went on. Moreover, I worked too hard, learned and experienced a lot, imagined and believed myself. So i am here.

Are you a professional or an amateur photographer?

I am a professional in an amateur soul.

What is your favorite subject to photograph?

I do like mainly editorial photography as a fashion photographer. I enjoy telling a story in a specific mood with models. I create the story in my mind and make the models pose accordingly.

Hekayat ss’19. Eylül Ezik

What kit do you shoot with?

I use Canon 5D MarkIV with 24-70mm Canon lens but in most of my shootings i also use analogue cameras, especially Rolleiflex which is my favourite.

How would you define your photographic style?

Actually it is difficult for me as a photographer to define my style but I can say it is dramatic, instinctual and makes you feel like in a movie in carefully selected locations.

Which editing software do you usually use?

I generally use Capture One Pro and Adobe Photoshop.

John Wanamaker said: Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I do not know which half. Do you gain your clients by advertising or in another way?

Most of the photographers can gain clients thanks to social media, i am one of those. When I post my works, especially on Instagram, this makes me visible to my potential clients. Sometimes i pay sponsored ads on instagram. This is also really effective.

Amor gariboviç ss’20. Eylül Ezik

How does your typical working day look like? What do you do when you are not working? How many hours/days per week are you working? What do you do in your free time?

As a fashion photographer i have to work with a team that basically consists of a stylist, a make up artist, a hair stylist, assistants and models. So, we are doing a collective work.The set dates are generally programmed at least a week ago and i only work on those days. We usually work all day long, for example 8-10 hours for a day. My busiest working periods are beginning of the seasons of the fall/winter or spring summer collections in the fashion industry.

In my free times i mostly watching movies, travelling , reading to feed myself and doing sport at least 3 days a week.

What would you do differently if you would start again?

I wish i could do it a little bit earlier.

A professional photographer is also an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs have many things in common. They read a lot. What about you? What are your favorite books?

I have many many favourites but these are the first ones coming to my mind:

Brave New World/ Aldous Huxley
The Time Regulation Institute/Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar
The Trial/ Franz Kafka
The Waves/ Virgina Woolf
Notes From Underground/ Fyodor Dostoevsky
Talented Mr. Ripley/ Patricia Highsmith
Las Babas Del Diablo(The Devil’s Drool)/ Julio Cortazar

What was the best advice you have ever received as a photographer? Do you have any advice for other photographers?

Take your steps according as how you want to see yourself after ten years. This was the best advice i have ever received. I am totally agreed with this advice. Besides, I can say to the other photographers that they should fully believe themselves and never give up.