Ayşegül Ekin Odabaşı, who brought her photo exhibition titled “Colorful Colorless” to art enthusiasts by drawing inspiration from various points of Istanbul, from its streets witnessing the city’s history to its mysterious corners, met with Istanbulities at the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM).

In a statement to Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent regarding the exhibition inviting art enthusiasts to explore the soul of Istanbul through the contrast of colors and black and white, Odabaşı expressed that she aims to depict how the contrasts of Istanbul coexist in balance within her works.

She explained that in the photographs, some black and white and some colorful, she attempts to express the vibrancy of colors and the depth of black and white. Odabaşı stated that besides providing a visual experience, her goal is to encourage the audience to think, feel, and see from a different perspective.

Odabaşı emphasized that the starting point of the “Colorful Colorless” exhibition stemmed from her profound interest in the rich texture of Istanbul, its influence on individuals, and its unique dilemmas.

“This exhibition is a product of the desire to explore the contrasts experienced by the city and its inhabitants, where colors and colorless moments intertwine, aiming to delve into depths beyond what meets the eye. Istanbul, with its historical and modern, chaotic and serene aspects, has been an endless source of inspiration for this exhibition. The coexistence of opposing emotions and Istanbul’s ability to maintain this balance perfectly actually represent a sociological reality. The exhibition aims to facilitate the discovery of this reality and to understand how the city’s unique balance and contrasts coexist harmoniously. Throughout its history, Istanbul has embraced various cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles, shaping its social fabric and forming a rich cultural heritage. The ‘Colorful Colorless’ exhibition aims to showcase to the audience the sociological diversity of Istanbul, the contrasts it offers, and how these contrasts coexist,” Odabaşı explained.

“I love wandering around the streets, avenues, old buildings, and hidden corners of Istanbul. My style revolves around the boundaries of reality and imagination, light and shadow, color and colorlessness. My photographs often strive to tell visual stories that highlight the dramatic and emotional aspects of the moment. By using shadows and reflections, I aim to go beyond the visible, change the viewers’ perspectives, and encourage them to contemplate the deeper meanings of what they see.”

Ayşegül Ekin Odabaşı also mentioned organizing an exhibition themed on migration titled “Migration with Contemporary Works” in 2017, featuring her black and white artistic photographs, sculptures, and collages, saying, “Migration was a significant agenda at that time in terms of sensitivity. I wished for the human stories dimension of this issue to come to the forefront.”

Stating that she continues to work on new projects, Odabaşı added, “In my next exhibition, I plan to bring a new perspective to the details of Istanbul by blending oil paintings, collages, and contemporary art techniques. Special areas for me such as Karaköy, Tomtom, Tarlabaşı, Balat, Galata and Çukurcuma in Istanbul will have a significant place in this new project. I desire the unique atmosphere, streets, and people of these areas to come to life in my oil paintings and other artistic works. I also want to produce oil paintings that increase sensitivity and awareness about the human tragedy in Palestine. I will continue to work in a versatile manner.”

The exhibition, featuring photographs from the historical peninsula, Beyoğlu, Balat and Sarıyer, will be open to visitors at the AKM until March 4.

Common People are excited to announce the launch of Common Image, a brand new photo division representing a diverse collective of contemporary image makers.

As an artist management agency, Common Image will offer tailored strategy and management, with an emphasis on nurturing emerging talent spanning across documentary, lifestyle, fashion and still-life photography, helping them establish their presence in the commercial space.

The new division will be based in London and sit equally alongside Common People Films, utilising its in-house production capabilities as well as its extensive external network to facilitate any production needs related to photography commissions.

The division will be led by head of photo Tom Burns. Tom, who joined CMN PPL last November, began his creative career in art production at BBH where he set up the Unsigned platform; a talent network championing diverse, global artists across photography, film and illustration, which has since evolved into Unsigned Union. Tom also has experience working on the photo agency side, having held roles at At Trayler and Object & Animal. 

For the past two years he has also been a guest lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, where he launched a photography mentorship scheme giving students access to on-set experience.

As head of photo, Tom will be responsible for acting as the artists’ agent, and working closely with them in the pitching phase, managing their portfolio of work and setting out a detailed strategy for each artist. 

“I particularly love working with underrepresented, and less ‘established’ names, helping them hone in on their creative practice and establish their identity within the photography space,” Tom said. “For me, it’s not just about the work, but also the personality of the artist. They don’t need to be the finished product – sometimes it’s about working backwards.” 

The agency will encourage a more fluid and updated approach to working with photographers, ensuring they feel empowered to collaborate with brands and partners independently if they wish, promoting a more trusting and flexible way of working between agent and photographer. 

Common Image launches with nine photographers including Unsigned alumni Christina Poku, Poppy Thorpe and Lou Jasmine, as well as Holly-Marie Cato, Seb Barros, Olivia Richardson, Charlie Birch, Julian Buchan and Ezekiel. Tom said the plan is to encompass ‘image’ as a wider concept as the brand evolves, going beyond the realms of only representing photographers, particularly in such a multifaceted creative era.

While the majority of its roster is UK-based, Common Image also represents talent in the US and has an off-book roster of artists in places including Amsterdam, Cape Town, New York and Germany. Whilst Common Image will predominantly act as a modern-day photo agency and consultancy, Burns also hopes to offer art buying services by tapping into this global network of talent. The agency has already begun working with big brands such as Adidas, Apple, Tanqueray, Belmond and Matches Fashion.

Tom Burns commented, “Joining the team at Common People has been so great already. They have fully entrusted me and my vision with Common Image, and I’m excited to not only bring it to life, but work with photographers I have been collaborating with and watching grow in their practice over the years – some since Unsigned – which feels like a very serendipitous moment.”

“With Common Image, I want to create an agency that spotlights talent from all walks of life, spanning different levels of capability and styles. Common Image will encompass photography amongst other ways of image making, rolling with the times, and growing with the talent it has onboards.”

Tony Roberts and Ramy Dance, founders added, “We always envisaged adding a photographer roster to our director roster as we’re a talent-led business but finding the right person to head it up was one of the most important factors. Tom has all the attributes we were looking for to work alongside us; passion, a brilliant eye for talent and tonnes of ambition and we’re very happy we’re finally up and running. 2024 is a very exciting year.”

Not even a week ago, Alessia Glaviano – Head of Global PhotoVogue – a guest on our Spigola podcast, reminded us that it no longer matters whether you shoot with a camera or a smartphone. What matters is the intention behind the shot, not the means. We pondered deeply on this statement, and although there was initially some skepticism, we concluded that to take a true stance on the matter, we had to try it ourselves: capturing moments solely with a smartphone, but with the same attitude we would have had with a professional camera. Xiaomi provided us with the opportunity and the means.

Almost by chance, Xiaomi presented us with a challenge: to visit a distant place and attempt to capture its uniqueness using the brand-new Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G. And so began our journey, short but very intense, in Bangkok.

All the promises of this new device – which, along with four others, forms the new Redmi Note 13 Series, further enriching the brand’s Redmi Note lineup – were substantial. Starting from the battery, rechargeable to 100% in just 19 minutes with a lasting capacity of days (not hours), and of course, the camera system consisting of 3 cameras, including a main 200 MP camera, an ultra-wide-angle camera, and a macro camera.

We decided to put Xiaomi to the test in every moment spent in the Thai capital. The first stop was at the Royal Palace and the Wat Pho temple, where the goal was to capture the colors of the mosaics and decorations.

Being one of the most touristy places in the city, we encountered many people who, like us, were fascinated by the architecture of these sacred places. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G came to our aid in this moment as well. The smartphone is equipped with AI-based editing tools that, among other things, allow us to remove people who accidentally end up in our shots. You know those photos you see on Instagram of tourist spots always empty? Now you can have them too, effortlessly!

But a city is not only visited during the day; often, it comes to life at night, illuminated by a myriad of different lights. In our case, the lights were those of the legendary tuk-tuks, indispensable in a trip to Bangkok. In this case, the challenge was formidable: darkness, colored lights, movement. All the ingredients for a challenging shot were present.

Not content with just the shot, we continued to play with AI tools and added a bit more movement, some stars, many stars.

When traveling, we know very well that we are not only captivated by architecture, landscape, and glimpses, but we also focus on the faces we encounter on the streets. However, we often don’t have much time to photograph them, sometimes because they move, other times because we are the ones on the move. That’s exactly what happened to us in the characteristic Thai markets, first and foremost the Floating Market.

Reviewing the photos on the return flight and at home with friends was like reliving the journey once again, leaving no detail behind.

In Bangkok, on the occasion of the launch of the new Redmi Note 13 Series, the brand also introduced the brand-new Redmi Watch 4 and Redmi Buds 5 Pro. Visit Xiaomi’s website to discover all the features of these devices.

Photos shot on Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G

Go to a museum for a photo exhibit, and you’ll see lots of old photographs. This might be necessary because of what the image is of, the time it was shot, or other reasons. Greener photographers might find these images boring. That could be because they’re not interactive for them to scroll through — in which case, they probably need to learn to appreciate the silence it can give their brain. Others might not find the images to be all that incredible to begin with. And there’s a reason for this — they’re probably not a thinking photographer

Words from a Thinking Photographer

Many new photographers aren’t taught to think more critically about the images that they’re looking at. Critical thinking about art and photography is something that you typically can only get in a more educational setting, like in classrooms or in photo meetups where we look at prints. And even that has to come from someone who understands the difference between looking and seeing. These people are who you’d call a thinking photographer.

How Old Photographs Change Generations of Photographers

From the original old photograph, you can trace the evolution of how these images have changed culture. Here’s an example, so stick with us.

• Robert Capa was one of the founding members of Magnum Photos and shot some of history’s most important photography.
• Robert Capa influenced Bruce Gilden. Gilden quite literally states, “When I first picked up a camera, I made Robert Capa’s sentence my mantra.” Capa has also influenced the work of other photographers like David Gleave.

Of those two photographers influenced by Robert Capa, Bruce Gilden has been an incredible force in the world of photography. His work has influenced several other photographers. Here are direct quotes in interviews that we’d done referencing Gilden as an influence

“Bruce Gilden and Robert Capa were some of the first photographers who instilled in me the philosophy of pushing the visual hierarchy of a scene to an extreme,” says photographer Daniel Anez. “I began playing the game of “how close can I get to my subjects,” so I think I developed that skill somewhat early in my photographic journey.”

“In general, I love raw, candid street photos by people like Martin Parr, Bruce Gilden, Daniel Arnold, and a million more,” says Josh Ethan Johnson in our interview. “However, I’m not always in the mind frame to get those shots. My empathy takes over and I miss lots of shots because of it.” Both of these people can be labelled as a thinking photographer.

You can also see influences of Gilden in the work of Salvatore Matarazzo and Cam Crossland. One could also say that they see influences of Weegee in Gilden’s work.

More specifically, Robert Capa was a war photographer. Bruce Gilden photographs people that he considers to be characters, but he took Capa’s teachings and applied them to his own style.

All of this has happened through Robert Capa. If he didn’t influence photographers, then others wouldn’t have been able to put a modern take on the work that was made. All of these photographers have put their own original take on this style of documentary photography. If someone is influenced by Bruce Gilden, then they’re indirectly influenced by Robert Capa. This shows how all the older images are so important. They’re the predecessor from what all other things were made from. Would someone else have done the work? Possibly, but they wouldn’t have done it in the same way.

The lead image in this article was shot by me, and wouldn’t have happened at least in some way if it weren’t for Bruce Gilden. The same goes for the image above.

Ultimately, by studying the originals, we can see how others interpret their work. And from there, we can find ways to intepret it and use it within our own photographic identity. This helps you shape your own creative vision by taking what ws done before and applying it to your own thought process.

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• A Tibetan man with his son, holding a picture of the Dalai Lama

The head monk at the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, assured Patrick Leahy that, despite the signs everywhere prohibiting photography, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said it was fine for the Democratic senator from Vermont to take all the photos he liked. After all, they were friends. During that visit in 1988, Leahy recalled in a recent interview, nearby members of the Chinese secret police were told that their cameras would be seized if they took their own photos. They pointed at Leahy and said, “But he’s doing it.” The monk just smiled and said, “No, he’s not.”

The exceptional position of a deeply respected U.S. senator — who, as he insists, is not a professional photographer but always happens to have a camera with him — has yielded Leahy a vast archive of photographs from his 48 years in office. Fifty-three of them are currently on view in the exhibition “The Eye of Senator Patrick Leahy: Photographs of a Witness to History” at the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery in Montpelier.

The exhibition is neither chronological nor grouped by subject matter. Portraits of presidents and U.S. Supreme Court justices mingle with those of ordinary people. A photo of then-president Bill Clinton’s jacket draped over the back of his chair on Air Force One is formally quite beautiful, an arrangement of blocks of color and line. A picture of kids flying a kite off the edge of a cliff in Afghanistan is breathtaking in its sense of vertigo, lightness and joy.

Only one person could have been in a position to take all these images.

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• A Vietnamese land mine victim

Perhaps the most direct evidence of Leahy’s unique perspective is his photographs of bill signings, taken from over the presidents’ shoulders. While media shots framing these ceremonies from the front are standard, Leahy’s images show the president’s hand (Ronald Reagan, righty; Clinton and Barack Obama, lefties), along with the signatures on the bill. The latter often included Leahy’s, when he was (twice) president pro tempore of the Senate.

Leahy’s iconic, color-saturated photo of Reagan’s second inauguration looks like a history painting. Because of bitterly cold weather that day in January 1985, White House staff moved the ceremony indoors to the Capitol Rotunda at the last minute. In the shuffle, Leahy found himself standing directly in front.

“That particular photograph went all over the world,” Vermont state curator David Schutz said, “and became the image of Ronald Reagan’s second inaugural that was most commonly printed.”

Other images in the exhibition let us into the room where it happens. In a series labeled “2010, Washington, DC,” we see then-senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut explain, to then-president Obama and a closed-door conference of senators, why he was withdrawing crucial support for the Affordable Care Act bill. The images, taken seconds apart, leave no doubt as to Obama’s reaction. The last image cuts to then-vice president Joe Biden giving Leahy a knowing look; he had caught the Vermont lawmaker out as the source of the clicking shutter.

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• President Barack Obama on Air Force One

Though many of Leahy’s photographs have been exhibited and published before, this show comes at a consequential time for both the recently retired politician and the community.

Leahy is “wonderfully reflective right now,” Schutz said. He’s able to spend time looking at his trove of photographs and remembering the circumstances of each one. Schutz is working with archivists at the University of Vermont to document Leahy’s stories, ideally in his own voice, for future exhibitions.

Former Vermont Supreme Court justice Marilyn Skoglund, who has long curated exhibitions in the court’s lobby gallery, said she planned this one as a welcome return since Montpelier’s devastating flood last July. “I just thought it was a great person to start with for the reopening of the gallery,” she said, “and that people would be excited about the opportunity to come in and see his work.”

Leahy uses his photos not only to tell stories — and they all have stories — but also to serve as touchstones for the causes he has promoted over a long legislative career. He kept one image of a refugee from El Salvador over the desk in his Washington, D.C., office, he said, calling it his “conscience photo.” The arresting portrait confronts the viewer, asking, as Leahy put it, “What have you done for poor and powerless people today?”

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• Leahy’s “conscience photo” of a man at a refugee camp in El Salvador

Sharing the image has helped the former senator strengthen support for refugees around the world. U2 vocalist Bono, who is also a human rights activist, was deeply moved by the picture, Leahy said, so he gave him a copy. The two have maintained a friendship ever since.

Both Obama and former Cuban president Raúl Castro received copies of the photograph Leahy took in 2014 of Alan Gross and his wife following the activist’s release from imprisonment in Cuba — which Leahy helped secure. The image is a testament to the impact of fostering cooperation between the two countries.

Overall, “The Eye of Senator Patrick Leahy” conveys the significance of participation as well as observation, and underscores the idea that photography itself can be a form of action.

Asked what he’d like viewers to take away from his exhibition, Leahy offered this advice: “Take your time when you see something. What does it mean to you? Don’t worry about getting yourself in the picture; take things that might mean something to you.”