Gökhan Arer, On The Pursuit Of Illusions Through Clever Street Photography Compositions
When talking about Henri Cartier-Bresson’s concept of the Decisive Moment, many street photographers tend to simplify it as a perfectly timed capture of a spontaneous event. However, there’s more to it than simply being a poignant moment frozen in time.
In his 1952 book of the same title, Cartier-Bresson describes it as “one moment at which the elements in motion are in balance. Photography must seize upon this moment and hold immobile the equilibrium of it.” For this, composition is key not only to capturing this fleeting yet natural alignment of moving elements in a frame but also enriching our view of everyday life.
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
For Istanbul-based street photographer Gökhan Arer, this means using street photography and clever composition to reveal illusions that we often dismiss as we go about our days. “Daily life has a lot of surprising moments in it that we generally don’t see and notice through the flow,” he noted. “I like to observe what is going on around me and try to find illusion-like scenes which we rarely see.”
Street photography as a gate to a world of wonder
Outside his street photography life, 54-year-old Gökhan is a Chemical Engineer, dutiful husband, and father of a 21-year-old son. He began taking photos in 2015 and eventually focused on candid street photography, with a special interest in juxtapositions. “I think the most challenging part of my photography style is capturing scenes which cannot be copied or imitated.”
As with most of us, life is just as hectic and challenging for him. But as a keen observer of everyday life, he has found comfort in the world of wonder that street photography opens.
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
“Nowadays, life is very hard and stressful as we all know and we try to find a way out of this chaotic world. I use photography as a special gate to a wonderful world. The shutter button is serving me like an antidepressant. When I make funny and illusion-like photos, I feel happy. At the same time, I want the audience to be happy and also think about how I make such compositions.
“I prefer to look at the happy and funny side of life with my camera. I am sure that anyone who looks at my photos will put a smile on their face with stunned eyes. This is my style.“
Through Gökhan’s lens, nothing is ordinary in a typical day in the city. Streets are transformed into canvases for his collection of visual humor, oddities, and illusions most of us fail to notice. Perfect timing is just one part of it — the eye for playful composition is another.
A perfect example is one of his favorite photos, which he regards as his best shot so far. “The illusion in it is very strong in my opinion. When I first looked, I saw like there was a hole in his body which you can see the other side. I took 2-3 shots to make the story seen from my point of view.”
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
As for the story behind this shot, Above, he shares:
“I was traveling in a ferry through the Bosphorus. I was staying inside and there was a window glass between. The reflection on the window showed the European side while the front side of the man was the Asian part of Istanbul. The only thing I had to do was to put the horizon in the same order as the parapet. The ferry was moving fast and I had to shoot very quickly. It was not so easy but I successfully captured it.”
Readiness to capture the Decisive Moment
Like all street photographers, Gökhan seeks to embody the Decisive Moment in his work. Readiness for this very short period of time, he said, is key to capturing the elements when they fortuitously come together.
“For me, the state of being ready for any circumstance is the key point for the Decisive Moment. I always keep my camera settings ready for candid moments. This helps me to focus on composition and I never lose time pressing the shutter button. We are talking about moments, which surely will not wait or give several chances for us to shoot them.”
Practice — even too much of it, he says — is crucial to developing this readiness and eye for composition. Having his camera on hand all the time ensures that he never misses the chance to practice.
“I use my camera as if it is a part of my body. I prefer to shoot manually. Generally, I use zone focus. This helps me to shoot without any delay and timing is mostly good in my shots.”
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Of influences and preferences
Every creative mind seeks inspiration in everything. Sometimes, it comes from encounters with fellow creative minds. As a street photographer, Gökhan is no stranger to this, as he finds himself inspired by many other photographers and the magic that their photos bring. However, he doesn’t feel the need to name his street photography heroes in the classical sense.
“I do not prefer to give names or at least I will not say ‘heroes’ to give a classical answer. Of course, there are so many photographers which I am inspired by. But I am always after the photos which make a magic effect on me; all photographers who capture these magical photos are my heroes. The only critical point for me is that a candid street photograph must not be set up. It has to be unposed. Heroes do it like that,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Gökhan said shooting in color or black and white is just a matter of personal preference. While many street photographers may argue that black and white highlights the composition better, he believes that real life cannot be completely defined or captured this way. He adds that for him street photography, should be able to tell visual stories unaltered and undisturbed.
“First of all, I don’t think most street photographers prefer black and white. I take photos in the streets and I freeze scenes from the flow of real life. Life has multiple colors to express itself and in my opinion, it cannot completely be defined with only black and white. Street photography should tell its stories as they are, and without any intervention. This is why I take all the photos in color. To shoot in black and white or color is a personal choice, and my choice is to keep them in their original color form.”
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Copyright ⓒ Gökhan Arer
Make sure to follow Gökhan Arer on Instagram and check out his website to stay updated with his clever and hilarious Street Photography.
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