Kadir (Istanbul)
I like to tell myself that I primarily shoot outdoor stuff and that I abstain from portraits to avoid getting sucked into the studio-photographer lifestyle, but I find that some of my favorite images I have taken tend to be portraits. I can see myself increasing focusing on documenting the people of the place I’m in more than the place itself. I think that’s born from some sort of human desire for connection and perhaps more specifically, forming some sort of connection with strangers.
While in Turkey, Sierra and I both were overwhelmed with the hospitality and kindness of the people. I had been repeatedly told before leaving for Turkey by people very very close to me that it’s a dangerous place with dangerous people that hate Americans. Now, to be fair, pretty much every country in the world has a disdain for Americans often for good reason, and that includes the US itself. It’s a very American concept to believe that countries, religions, people, and cultures that are foreign to us are inherently dangerous and something to be feared. I mean just look at any mass media outlet and you can see that. We’re even taught to fear people from different cultures that live in the same fucking town as us just because they look or sound different.
The more I travel and leave the American bubble of thinking, the more I find proof that what we are taught to believe, by mass media and loved ones alike, is just flat out false. In the wise words of my 74 year old neighbor, who has traveled far more in his life than anyone I know and also smokes more weed than anyone I know, “people are people, regardless of culture or religion or the current government in power.” A casual conversation with a stranger in a foreign place will most likely eradicate most of your negative prejudices about that place and its people. This is where Kadir comes in.
On our second day in Turkey, Sierra and I were in Istanbul around the Aya Sofya, looking for somewhere to grab an early dinner. We had a restaurant in mind that we were headed towards but after passing the same guy offering us a table 3 times in search for this restaurant, and then eventually finding it and seeing it didn't live up to the photos on google, we went with that other guy instead. We were the only people in the restaurant, not only because it was during the pandemic but also because it was 5:30pm and Turkish people don't eat dinner until like 8pm. So naturally we spent our time chatting with the owner. His name was Kadir and it turns out the guy is a DJ, an amazing chef, and a pretty decent backgammon player.
We spent a couple hours at Kadir's restaurant and learned about his “covid project” of picking up gardening (which he was very proud of), enjoyed some amazing Turkish food, shared stories, smoked hookah, and were taught how to play backgammon “the right way.” He was funny and extremely welcoming to us and didn’t hesitate to poke fun at the US whenever he got the chance. Rightfully so considering how easy of a target we are at the moment. In fact when a second couple sat down at the restaurant, whom both of which were European, he would constantly crack jokes about America and glance over at me with a smirk and a wink every time knowing that I heard them.
Kadir’s lightheartedness and hospitality is what stood out to us and those same traits carried through to almost every Turkish person we met during our trip. We had such a great experience that I asked to take his portrait and he happily obliged. None of the negative stereotypes I was pestered with before leaving came out to be true. Throughout the trip, Sierra and I were constantly surprised with the kindness and hospitality of Turkish people. Everywhere we went people were welcoming and willing to share stories and make conversation. I’m starting to believe that Americans could learn a thing or two from all these places and people they’re so fearful of.
