BOZCAADA DOORS

Doors from Bozcaada (Tenedos), a small, wine maker Turkish island in Aegean Sea...

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Bağlarla dolu, 2500 nüfuslu küçük adamızdan kapılar... 

LONDON DOORS 4

North London doors.

More London doors here, here and here.

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Londra’nın kuzeyinden birkaç kapı.

Londra kapılarının devamı burada, burada ve burada.

ALAÇATI BLUES

AT THE SAME TIME IN ISTANBUL...

The sun was warming our bodies while the smell of the sea and the voice of the seagulls warming our hearths. 

And something was happening... 

TRAVELLERS' CHILDREN IN LONDON FIELDS

A black and white documentary photography book we bought on Saturday. Clerkenwell born photographer Colin O’Brien which is taking London photos since 1948, captured Irish travellers' children in London fields in 1987. Photos of little ones with a grown up expression on their faces... 

SCOTLAND'S DOORS 2

More Scotland doors here.  

WORLD PRESS PHOTO 2014 PHOTO CONTEST JURY MEMBER: KERIM OKTEN

Today I’m (Aybige) writing the post because I’m proud of Kerim one more time. During his twenty years carrier he always succeed on the assignments he covered. It’s impossible to write here all of them but with few exemples; one of the photos he took during 2011 London riots, was one of the symbol photos of the riots printed in world’s most big newspaper’s covers, also cover photo in all editions worldwide of Time magazine same week. Another photo he took during Istanbul Gezi Park Resistance this summer became another  significative photo and published as cover photo in world’s 25 big newspapers in one day. Do you remember the photoreporters running faster then Usain Bolt after the finish line on 2012 London Olympic Games and taking his photo? Yes, he was one of them.

Today, one of the most prestigious press photo organisations of the world, World Press Photo announced next year’s contest’s jury members and Kerim Okten is the Sports Jury Chair and Final Jury Member of 2014 World Press Photo Contest!

Congratulations Kerim! I’m proud of you, again!

  

LONDON TATTOOS

A beautiful photo book by our photographer collegue Alex MacNaughton. Colorful portraits of Londoners with artful bodies. 

LONDON DOORS 3

North London doors.

More doors here, here, here and here. 

SCOTLAND’S DOORS

Some Scottish doors from Edinburgh and Rosslyn Chapel.

More door photos here and here. 

ANOTHER LONDON

Another good B&W photography book about London city life’s past. The book, contains photos taken during the period between 1930 and 1980 by 41 international photographers such as  Eve Arnold, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sergio Larrain, Marc Riboud.

Another London published by Tate in 2012, is a look from different angles to London’s city life through the lens of foreigner photographers.

TWO LONG DAYS

Yesterday we opened our terrace season and had a short break from our computers. Because since two days, except this little break at the terrace and sleeping a couple of hours after the sun rise this morning, we spent almost all of our time in front of our computers, sharing photos, videos and information about what’s happening in Istanbul.

Normally, we don’t talk about politics in A Cat From London but today we will make an exception and talk about Taksim Gezi Park. Since ten years, the islamist government is doing unbelievable things in Turkey. Lately, they decided to built a shopping mall (Istanbul has around 60 shopping malls and don’t need another one) at the Gezi Park in the main square of Istanbul.

Activists, resisted to save 90 years old (same as the republic) trees. The government sent police forces, thousands of them against their own people. Police used force to pacifist activists (even the animals, lots of dogs lost their lifes in two days)  and at the end, it was not the thing of saving the trees and a park anymore, it was saving the human rights and the democracy. Police used pepper spray directly to the faces, used gas bombs and plastic bullets targeting the faces and vital organs. Hundreds are injured. Turkish media (except three channels) didn’t published any of this and all informed and communicated by social media.

Today, the people, young, elder, turk, kurd, muslim, christian, jewish all are united and occupied Gezi Park in Taksim Istanbul and don’t give up from our trees, our democracy and the human rights. Here are some photos of Istanbul:

Police using pepper spray (Photo by Osman Orsal –injured also by tear gas canister thrown by police - Reuters)

How many for one? (Photo by Yücel Tunca)

Turkey rises (Photo by Burak Akbulut -Anatolian Agency)

These are not clouds, gas bomb in Taksim Square! (Photo by Osman Orsal-Reuters)

Gas bomb canisters yesterday in Istiklal Avenue, in one of the main streets of Istanbul. (photographer unknown)

All the smoke you see is gas bomb not fire. (photographer unknown)

Photo source: Occupy Gezi  

THE MOST PRECIOUS BOOK EVER

This morning, one of us made a big surprise to the other one and gave the most meaningful gift ever: Tatanka Ile (With Tatanka).  A black and white photo book full of the photos of our 20 years old cat son Tatanka which we lost in March. The book also contains cat poems written by poets from all around the world.

Tatanka was our taily son, our little black tiger, the pasha of our home. During twenty years, we grove up with him, we organised all our lives considering his comfort, we loved him more then anything.

Now we miss him, we miss him so much...  

THE LONDONEER

A Londoneer photo which we took last summer during the Olympics.

Doesn’t he look like Mr. Spring with his pot head? 

LONDON’S DOORS 2

Doors from London. Again...

(More London doors)

SEBASTIÃO SALGADO’S GENESIS EXHIBITION

We met with Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado’s works first time in 1993, in his Trabajadores (Workers) exhibition, in Madrid. It was the most impressive photography exhibition ever with his giant size, black and white, magnificent, breathtaking photos. This morning, after 20 years of Trabajadores exhibition, we went to the London Natural History Museum for the preview of Sebastião Salgado’s Genesis exhibition world premiere. And with one word: breathtaking (again).

For us Sebastião Salgado is one of the best photographers in the world (for one of us, is the best). It was a previlege and bliss to see his photos taken all around the world again, to see and listen him personally today and to bring home artist’s Genesis book signed by himself.

Sebastião Salgado’s Genesis exhibition is a must see for photographers and photography enthusiasts specially and is open from tomorrow until 8 September 2013 at the Natural History Museum.  

MY BEST FRIEND : CAT

Economist and photographer Andy Prokh’s black&white photos of his 4 year old daughter Katherine and their cat Lilu.

Pure love!

Photos © Andy Prokh                Source: ntvmsnbc

LONDON 1958-59

London 1958-59 is a good documentary photography book about London life during these years through the lens of a foreigner photographer.

Chilean photographer Sergio Larrain (1931),  who is one of the members of MAGNUM agency and who visited London in 1958-59, documented a black and white portrait of this big city during his visit. The first UK edition of the book published in 1998 by Dewi Lewis Publishing. 

MAN RAY EXHIBITION

Today is another freezing day in our little kingdom but at least is super sunny. The sun is always a good reason to get out of the house in London and thats why we headed today, to the National Portrait Gallery for Man Ray exhibition, buying some tea in Covent Garden and coffee in Soho for home and visiting some bookshops in Charing Cross Road.

Man Ray is one the photographers we adore his works. We had a chance to see his photos first time in 1997 in a Man Ray exhibition opened in Madrid. This time came to the city where we live and we didn’t want to miss the chance.

Man Ray Portraits exhibition is the first major museum retrospective of the artist’s portrait works with over 150 vintage prints from the collections all over the world. The exhibition is a retrospective which brings together artist’s works during the period he lived in America and in Paris between 1916-1968.

Man Ray Portraits exhibition is open in London National Portrait Gallery until 27 May 2013.