Ara GULER – Istanbul
“Photographer should be sapient; she/he should understand the picture, music, theater, read a lot and swift to decision… thus, she/he should be sagacious…” ARA GULER
Mr. Ara GULER – won an award from Lucie Award for Lifetime Achievement, New York in October 19, 2009 – born in Istanbul in 1928 and since then, he is one of the greater lover of Istanbul… Being one of the most famous Turkish photojournalist, he is also famous with his cosy Ara Café in Beyoglu…
In his successful life, for me, the most important success is the discovering the Aphrodisias antique city by chance…. In 1964 while was working as a journalist, he travel to Aydın for a news about new dam and on the way back, he lost his way and end up in a small village after sunset… When he find the local coffeehouse he entered and chat with people and suddenly he recognized that the tables were stone and they are real capitals of columns… When he walked around the village he discover that village set on the top of antique city and ruins were in everywhere.. On the walls of houses, or the corner of houses… He took tens of photographs and when he turned back to Istanbul he started research about that ruins but couldn’t find any info… But he didn’t give up and send the photographs to Times Magazine and ask if they know anything about it… Times published those pictures and suddenly this small village become an important issue for scholars. After American Archeologists researches, they reported that this is the city named after Beauty Goddess Aphrodite as Aphrodisias and founded in 500 BC… Today, it is one of the favorite place close to Pamukkale…
From Wikipedia;
“Beauty is hidden in details…” World known photographer, Ara GULER’s picture-book named “Ara GULER” published by Eczacibasi “photographer series no:2” reminds this sentence. While you will look into the pictures of Ara GULER, you will start to keep saying “how I didn’t see this beautiful door or window or just fragment of the door. He is like a guide of different dimension where the beauties unveil themselves and he pointed out for us to see…
If you are travel in Turkey and want to buy special gift for your friends, his books can be great option with Ara GULER’s unique perspective…
Ara Güler – Aphrodisias
Ara Güler – Aphrodisas