Gizem Karayavuz – Extension of the I – Mobile Photography Interview

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – How did you get started in photography?

Gizem – I am involved with engraving. Besides drawing on plates, I started to get involved with photography upon finding out about a technique called photoengraving. I really liked the idea of using realistic-looking portraits on plates. The idea of capturing a portrait on plate inspired me on my subject of memory. That’s how I began photography.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Who and what are your influences?

Gizem – First and foremost, da Vinci’s drawings, Rembrandt’s paintings and de Ribera’s engravings always inspire me. I can’t help but turn to them all the time; they make me feel peace and love of art time after time. The wonderful artist, Jaya Suberg, stirs me up, too: the energetic mood, the power of pain and passion in her works cleanses my soul! She is a stunning artist who blends photography and painting quite well.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – What draws you to the subjects you seek?

Gizem – I ascribe different ‘meanings’ to faces which I choose out of pure instinct. Then I do some research on those ‘meanings’ and form my subjects.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – What is it about these subjects that you want to capture/communicate and ultimately convey in your images?

Gizem – I aim to form images that instigate feelings regarding psychoses, especially regarding memory and memory loss… Maybe an image that you will never forget or an image that will bring you back a moment that you never could forget. Besides good, joyful and nice, I intend to provoke feelings that are inexplicable and that stir something different in you.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – How did you settle on this subject?

Gizem – Art has the power to influence the hearts and minds of people. The real artist artist uses this power for the benefit of humanity. I took this as my motto and aim to use my art along that vein.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Is there another area/subject that you would like to explore, if so, what and why?

Gizem – I would love to be able to work in art used as therapy. I picture the lifespan of a human as the combination of moments he did live through and the moments he/she wanted to live through. The correlation between the moments you lived through and your psychology is pretty direct, just like the relation between your psychology and the life you lead. The way you express your psychology could move mountains. This is what I want to be able to do.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “The painter of my life” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Which photographers (not necessarily mobile photographers) do you most admire and why?

Gizem -;

– Noel S. Osvald, simple and strong expressions with human body and nature and animals! So so attractive and full of emotion…

– Jaya Suberg, energy of pan and desire! Feel strong enough to against your feelings in her art! …also so so kind and hospitable with her great heart! Great artist!

– Liliana Hakhverdyan is my watercolor master and great photographer! Really love her and her world full of different feelings, natural and strong!

– Gretchka Ramos Pujols s a another artist I met in Picsart! She is such a precious artist I can feel  and see in her art! She has such an amazing world as Liliana! I love very much to see their work n my daily life. Their art with their supportive words and great heart makes me happy to do my art!

– Pirmin Föllmi! I have just discovered and really take a deep breathe with these photographs!so so successful and peaceful colors!

I have lots of names and photographers in my mind. Even if I don’t like some images I can feel different precious things in my mind or even if I don’t like the artist’s collections, can love and feel different details in his or her photos…

Also want to add a detail! I never give up watching movies for my muse… Darren Aronofsky and Christopher Nolan are my favorites about my muse.. I believe cinema is like whole alive photography! And there are great photographers in her scenes and in my mind..

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Henri Cartier-Bresson is in many ways, the Godfather of street photography, even in the 1930’s he enjoyed using a small camera for discretion in order to capture people and tell a story – do you feel this way regarding mobile photography?

Gizem – Just like the ability to push a button on a mobile phone and call someone you love is an amazing advantage, the same can be said for pushing a button and immortalizing a moment. The greatest power a person has is himself/herself. It is really valuable to be able to express our own feelings, our inclinations and immortalize important moments with the push of a button. We are inspired to change our lives after watching a two-hour movie… What if the same can be said for a two-minute video? Especially these days when we can achieve greater quality so amazingly fast! Definitely!

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Tell us about your photographic technique – do you rely on intuition or do you believe in a more formal/trained approach?

Gizem – I use both but rely on my intuition mostly. I try to utilize the effects according to my knowledge. I do take risks but it is supposed to impress me in a way of its own. Any face or detail that attracts my attention can become a part of my work.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – How has your photography evolved?

Gizem – I stopped painting for a long time. I always had things in my mind, though. A second did not pass without my thinking of the subjects I wanted to paint. However, I did not think of picking up a camera either. I owned two mobile phones, of which I dropped the first one into the sea, while the second one broke down one morning. So I had to buy a new one and I think I made the right choice. That is how I came to be acquainted with so many apps. I introduced myself to a technology that is fast, full of surprises and reminiscent of the art of engraving. That is how those ideas in my mind came to life as these new works.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Many of the great photographers, Jacques Henri Lartigue, Robert Frank , Henri Cartier-Bresson described only shooting images for themselves, do you see this attitude with mobile photographers?

Gizem – I believe that mobile photographers hold that attitude even more, since their process of creating is much faster and more private. Without having to buy any extra equipment, your freedom is much more profound – with only a mobile phone. Without any pre-conditioning, you can take photos of any incidental moment.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Do you take risks with photographs, push boundaries? If yes, please give examples, if no, why not, would you like to?

Gizem – Of course I do! It would be a great loss not to push those boundaries when we can manipulate an image any way we want according to our taste. When you are painting and your equipment are paper, dye etc., takings risks could have absolutely different consequences. Levels of paint that have no ‘rewind’ prevent you from giving up your work before bettering it to perfection. Who wouldn’t take risks when technology gives us the opportunity to do so?

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – What is your favorite picture, of your own and why?

Gizem – I could say all or none. I ascribe a lot of meaning to my works and I do have moments when I say this is exactly what I wanted in this image… Until I get to the next one. I discover new details with every new piece of work and try to incorporate them into what I do. However, there is one work that is pretty significant for me: the photograph of my art teacher in high school, Sevil Enyurt. She was the one who opened for me the doors of creation. That photo will always be important.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Do you get emotionally involved with your photography?

Gizem – Absolutely! I ‘feel’ every detail and I never produce any picture that I did not wish to call ‘mine’; Every new picture relates to my soul more and more while they become a part of me, too. I feel alive when I paint or work on my photos. The faces I choose, the details of water and my subjects are a part of me.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Does your life become entwined with your subjects?

Gizem – Painting relaxes me… Though I did not come across so many frightening faces in my life. However, that uncanny feeling which they convey helps me face my own fears and unpleasant feelings. I discover new parts of me and my life when I focus on my subjects. Recently, I began to add little, uncanny details to faces that I find more attractive, as I found out that I could provoke more feelings that way, compared to working on a face that is only there to merely ‘scare’. This way, I invoke mysterious, inexplicable feelings, while also pleasant and nice.

© Gizem Karayavuz -“Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Do you have a special post-processing style?

Gizem – There is no manipulation in any of my works that are not digital. However, I do plan to integrate them into my painting style.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania2 , Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Do you have any tips for post-processing?

Gizem – One should listen to his/her instincts. That is the only way you can develop your own style.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – Do you have a digital workflow system to sort your images, if so what is it?

Gizem – My style is quite complicated; I even edit two pictures at the same time. I have no workflow.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – How do you think photography has changed over the years?

Gizem – I think it provides a huge convenience technologically. It helps you relate an image without to a feeling within. I believe that more artists will arrive in the scene with the growing of more opportunities.

© Gizem Karayavuz – A scene from the movie “pi” by Darren Aronfsky. I took a shot and edited with neurons and some effects – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Picfx

Joanne – As a mobile photographer you’re at the cutting edge of technology, do you ever hanker for the 35mm film days?

Gizem – I believe that ‘firsts’ are always more precious and significant. Technology is an amazing tool but it seems to me that every new step has a different taste and feel to it.

© Gizem Karayavuz – “Untitled” – Apps Used: Picsart, Filtermania 2, Fmexpress, Noir, Snapseed, XNView fx, Wow FX, iPhoto, Pic Fx

Picsart
Filtermania 2
Fmexpress
Noir
Snapseed
XNView FX
Wow FX
iPhoto
Picfx