The magic of light and shadows

I called this photo of mine "an unusual moment in a usual day"..

It was just a normal day.Just a normal park , maybe there were more birds than usual.But especially the sunlight and the shadows created so originally and the birds shadows made the atmosphere so cinematic and enchanting.

It's incredible what light and shadows can do ain't it?

Am I living in a Rembrandt's painting?

Sometimes I really have the feeling, I'm living in a paiting...

Istanbul Voyeurism:)

I shot this one yesterday from the Galata Tower! Had the strange feeling I was controlling all the city:)

Vetmi Urbane/Urban Solitude

Me shume ore pune, me shume mbledhje, me shume axhenda te superfryra.Me shume plane karriere, me shume stres per te ardhmen, me shume xhelozi mes kolegesh.Me shume intriga, me shume pasiguri, me shume merzi. Me shume takime te anulluara, me shume vizita te vonuara.Me shume pagjumesi, me shume plogeshti .
Me pak qetesi,me pak prehje , me pak buzeqeshje.Me pak bisedime, me pak argetim,me pak gjera per te ndare.Me pak shpengim, me pak perkushtim,me pak ngrohtesi.
Me pak kerkesa per hollesira , me shume elemente kalimtare.Me pak vemendje , me shume tubim rreth çdo gjeje te bujshme.Me pak deshire per te degjuar, me shume tendence per tu shmangur.Me pak perhapje, me shume mbyllje ne vetvete.
Simboli i jetes se sotme urbane eshte nje sinteze e izolimit, siperfaqesores dhe indiferences.Te gjitha bashke te çojne ne ate vetmine e pashmangshme.Vetmine urbane...
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Longer working hours,more meetings,more overloaded notebooks.Much more carrier plans,more stress on future,more jeolous collegues.Much more intrigues,much more insecurity,much more boredom.More cancelled programs,more belated visits.
Less calm, less relax,less smiling faces.Less conversations,less entertainment,less things to be shared.Less outgoing manners,less dedication,less warmness.
Less will for details,more demands on transient elements.Less concentration,more rushing on momentary events.Less will to listen , more intention to escape.Less socialising ,more desist to ourselves.
Nowadays urban life is a synthesis of isolation,superfaciality and indiference.All of these ones lead to this unescapable solitude.The urban solitude!

Rhythm in Galata Tower

Last week I had a great time at Galata Tower's Celebrations.Each year different activities are held under this wonderful old building, which used to be the highest building of the old Istanbul.One month ago , fashion festival of different stylists (well known or no-name ones) took place.But this one was really a different one.It was not just a concert place , different stands with antique and authentique goodies were present as well.You could perceive their nostalgic aura much better under Galata Tower.
The festival last 3 days and different programs and musician groups participated (French musicians from Burgogne-Morvan Zone , Indian music accompanied with sahaya yoga , Classical Music , Turkish Folk Music etc).
Also exhibitions with photographs from Galata, mosaic workshops were present.(that was the best part of course:) Also books promotions and diffferent dance groups made this festival even more vivacious.
We even had a tour at Galata and the surrounding places.This zone is very popular now , maybe because all of the artists have their workshops or working places here .It's so different from 10 years before and because of the popularity that has been growing day by day the real estate prices are so unbelieveably high!!
On Sunday , the last day of the festival , we had some great moments under the cool music of the Rhythm Workshop Of Okay Temiz.You could see everybody dancing or shaking their body (including me:))
For more infos on this cool workshop drop a look here: www.ritimatolyesi.com

Oldies but goldies-The party!

Do you love the old songs ?Do you enjoy dancing them?Don't you go crazy singing them while dancing?I do..Is good to live in Istanbul if you are an oldies lover, as partys like these one are often organised.This week on friday we went to " Life Roof"a bar of Istanbul.It was the first time we visited it and I just loved its concept.It was on the 5th floor and we discovered also some other authentic cool cafes on the other floors (soon to be visited:)
I had my close albanian friend Irena (who came last week to Istanbul)and her university pals (all ladies) with me.Yes..we had a girls day:)
You can see the list of the songs and artists from the poster below.We danced and singed non stop.Weirdly , I felt myself like a teenager for some moments:)
We laughed like crazy when Dr Alban's song started .I don't remember the name of the song but I know it has some "no hashash, no heroine" on the text:)This one used to be very popular in Albania:)
The bar was not a close building and it was great to dance ,while the wind blowed your hair..In front we had a flawless panorama of flying doves under a blue sky.The sky was our ceiling and that made it even more memorable.
I'm looking forward for the other "oldies but goldies party" !:)

Permbledhje shqip: ketu jemi me ca shoqe ne mbremjen "oldies but goldies" me kenge nostlagjike nga vitet 60-70-80-90..u kenaqem..

Air Race Istanbul & safari jone i fundit

Me date 2 qershor ne Stamboll u organizua konkursi Air Race nga Red Bull.Ne kete konkurs marrin pjese pilotet me te famshem nga e tere bota , te cilet me nje shpejtesi te paimagjinueshme , bejne kthesa dhe manevra te ndryshme neper korridore shume te ngushta dhe te shkurtra ajrore , ishte vertet kenaqesi te ishe prezente.Ndaj dhe ne e lame kete dite si dite safari dhe thame me kete rast po kapim dhe fotografite e avionave.Pune koti per ne , njerezit me aparate jo profesionale dmth , sepse nuk eshte e mundur ta kapesh nje avion qe ecen me nje shpejtesi te marre.Sa me hynte objekti ne kuadrat te kameras, me dilte keshtu qe pothuajse nuk kapa fare gje.

Si perfundim i dhame dum se nuk vazhdohej me ashtu ne ate vape dhe diell te tmerrshem llamburites dhe ja mbajtem vrapit per ne Balat nje lagje e vjeter e Stambollit (per te cilne do ju flas ndonjehere tjeter) e cila ishte dhe shume afer me zonen ku po behej Air Race dhe mire e beme se u kenaqem duke bere ca foto shtepiash te vjetra dhe vendesh te çuditshme.Kanje nje veçanti lagje te tilla: Ruajne ende me shume naivitet çdo gje nga e kaluara, kur them kete nuk e kam fjalen veç per ndertesat por dhe per sjelljen e njerezve dhe traditat ne pergjithesi.Te duket vetja sikur po ecen ne nje album te vjeter fotosh ku dhe ti je pjese e fotografive qe gjenden ne te.

Patem fatin dhe gjetem nje kafe shume te lezetshme ku u ngopem lehtshem:) dhe ja mbathem serish per ne zonen e Air Race ku ndoqem dhe perfundimin e konkursit.Gjate tere kohes qe shihja avionet qe ktheheshin me nje shpejtesi te habitshme me dukej se do ndodhte ndonje e keqe por çdo gje shkoi si ne vaj.Ne fakt po lexoja me pas ne broshuren e ndeshjes dhe pashe se thuhej se vetem disa sekonda e ndajne mrekulline nga tragjedia dhe i dhashe te drejte panikut tim.

Diten e perfunduam ne Sultanahmet nje lagje tjeter e vjeter e Stambollit (vendi ku ndodhet Hahia Sophia dhe Xhamia Blu etj etj), ku ne fakt do uleshim ne nje kafe shume te veçante autentike por qe per fat te keq qe e mbyllur nga Air Race dhe si dhame e morrem e perfunduam diten ne Qoftexhiun e Sultanahmetit (shume i njohur ky i fundit ketu)...

Si perfundim çdo gje shkoi klas perveç fytyres,kraheve te mi te percelluar qe nuk i beri derman dot as spf 30:( Nuk di ç'ti bej pigmenteve te lekures sime, mbase do marr kos me vete ne safarit e tjera..U pa puna vera sa ka filluar:)

How to make your under-sun safari happier...

Yesterday I had again a great time with my photographer friends .Yesterday's photo concept was "the seaside"..We had a 6-7 hour stroll over the asian seaside part, which is really very interesting.In fact , at the begining we were pesimistic , thinking we hadn't choosen the right path for shoting photos, but soonly we realised how wrong we were..Yesterday it was a great day for candid portraits,independent photos,panoramic,macro and nature shots...I shot a lot of pictures , so much that my battery went off:)
Our safari program was closed , in a cozy coffee , with a huge hookah:))
Everything was great , but when I came home the nightmare began...
It was some hours I was feeling like drunk..My brain was like a ready- to- burst volcano.
But...the worst was yet to come..my face looked like a bright tomato and was hot like hell.And my nouse , was a true disaster , so red , anybody would think it was an ambulance's light...
I had used a 15 spf protector , but if you absorb the whole world's sun in 7 hours , of course this won't help..
I decided to be smarter on the future .So here are some tips for not suffering when you're back home..
1.Use at least 30 spf sun protector.
2.Take a big hat by your side.
3.Have as much drinks a possible.
4.Control your photo mania or , you're gonna end up like a red hot chilli pepper:)

How to be fashionable in Istanbul

Istanbul is an enormous city with more than 18 milion habitants.For that reason it's more than logic , that there is a mosaic of different trends.

It's very amusing and funny as you can predict what kind of life and hobbies do people have , judging them from their dresses:)

E.g , the teenagers love to wear short trousers and short jackets.Minimalist and modern girlies , prefer skinny jeans a lot.

The punks like to act like freaks.I have to say s.t here: the true punks with style have really "gusto" and I like their look.But the ones who pretend being punks , just suck .Their looks are so comic and ordinary and their dresses , not creative at all.I mean you can't pretend to reflect the punk image when you even don't perceive the vision of that concept.

I mostly love the ones that dwell in retros and vintage as their dresses are really stellar.They're mostly well educated girls/boys, with high incomes and a good carriers , mostly doing arts.

Of course like with the fake punkists ,there's their fake wanna-be version , that would stir up your stomachs ...

Anyway if you wanna own a true original wardrobe and of course if you are a style owner:) there're plenty possibilities for you.Especially these last years a lot of private boutiques with cool , special designs have been opened.You can find retro, vintage garment boutiques and the best part is that they mostly produce unique dresses.That saves you from the nightmare of facing hundreds of people wearing the same dress , you've bought and you're dying for:)

Also there are a lot of warehouses where you can find really trendy things with reasonable prices.

Here there are some sites addresses for your reference:

1.www.avandgardeast.com (has really some cool products, look at the first photo pls)

2. www.beyogluatlaspasaji.com (most of the boutiques in here)

3.www.klickistanbul.com (different sites found in this directory)

4.www.modaturkiye.com

and so on... Hope you'll enjoy it!

It's a wonderful life :))

I had another dreamy day yesterday with my photographer friends.It was a long time we hadn't meet (2 months) and I was bored to death:) Luckily we met yesterday.
Our yesterday's safari visit places were some of the best places of Istanbul seaside.(Emirgan, Istinye,Yenikoy respectively, you can search them from google).
What I love most of this group of photographers is that everybody in here is so cool , easygoing,warm hearted,fun lover,good eater , good drinker , cool humble and the last but not the list great photographers with a great eye, each one with his/her own different ideas.
I have more fun taking photos when I'm with this guys, they just make my day:)
Ok , ok let me tell you, how the day passed.
First we had breakfast at a very well know old cafe et Emirgan (Cınaraltı Kafe).Right after it we just walked to the very well know Emirgan Grove.I had just been there one time , 8 years ago and I remember we had visited it with friends from university at a very late hour (24.00 or s.t like that) and I was enchaunted by its beauty.I just don't understand why it took so long to revisit it:)
Anyway, the grove was spectacular , maybe because of the wonderful tulips laying everywhere just like a carpet (and other lovely flowers as well) ...everybody was bursting energy and happines,maybe because of the beauty that surrounded us.There were some beautiful villa- cafes there , but we refused to sit and have a tea/coffe there just like some brainless aristocrats:) ( you see we are rebels as well:)
After some sweet errands in the grove we kept walking up to Istinye another Istanbul district, well known with its beautiful boats,yachts and seascape.We had some cool yachts and boats shots, but right at that moment we heard our poor stomachs screaming like crazy..We had a short stroll and controlled for the best place and found a very cool boat , and would have enjoyed a great lunch upstairs if it wasn't for that dumb of waiter who got on our nerves saying that we should eat apart from each other , by not joining the tables as it would disrupt the balance of the boat.To hell with all of you , we said and left from there..
We just leaped to a restaurant beside and luckily had a great lunch there.
Right after it , we kept walking up our last station : Yenikoy another well known , old Istanbul district and had some nice shots there.We even met a lady with a smaaaaall black dog and we asked her : wow, how sweet , how old is he?
And she said to us : well don't missapprehend his stature , he's had 4 ladies and a lot of puppies:)
Well , he was kinda small for a stallion :))
We finally had our last tea( turkish tea is the symbol of our group , everybody loves it here) and coffe in a small cozy coffe close to the Marmara Sea and so our day was over !
I had a splendid time again and I'm looking forward to our next safari (next week on 29th of April:))
I'm posting some pictures from yesterday.have fun..

Permbledhje shqip:dje dola me miqte e mij fotografe dhe shetitem ne disa lagje mjaft te njohura , buze detit.Ja dhe disa foto...

Back again with tulips:)

Yeah,yeah ,yeah we've got our tulips back!
As I've told yoıu on my previous posts, the Istanbul municipality organised this last year.I was looking forward to see this again , as I was astonished last year.
2 days ago , I was going to Taksim (on of the biggest entertainment places of Istanbul) and I was so happy to discover an eveniment regarding the above subject.
The Istanbul Municipality , has opened a galery with tulips photos and some cool fake wood fancy painted tulips and a lot of true tulips as well.A scene for musicians , dia galery and some stands selling diverse products are available as well.I got this chance to get some photos.
As I heard, these year we'll be so lucky to live in a city with 8 milion 296 thousand tulips!!!
Isn't this a miracle???
I love Istanbul:) (do I have to repeat it?:)