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mehmet alci

theodor38

Joined DPC: Jan 28, 2004
Awards
Color Studio Portrait
flirtaceous.
Interview Details
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Interview Listing
A DPChallenge Interview with Mehmet Alci

by Dan Hare (dhare)
Jun 29 2004

Background

Where do you live?

I live in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A small city in the forgotten lands. I doubt there would ever be a community here without the railroad coming through. A desert like environment with a lot of mighty winds and only 9 months of winter :)

Tell us about your family/friends. Have you met anyone from DPC?

My mom and dad lives in Turkey. I keep close touch with them, here I live with my sister. I have not had a chance to meet anyone from dpc in person but I sure would love to.

What is your occupation?

"I would love to pursue a career of a combination of photography and digital art."

Although currently unemployed I have worked as a 3D animator and graphic designer in the past. Every now and then I do freelance photography and graphics work when the duty calls. Also I started selling some stock photos in websites like Istockphoto and Dreamstime. Apart from that, I would love to pursue a career of a combination of photography and digital art.

How long have you been involved in photography?

My involvement with photography has been an on and off engagement in the past. My family had an old 35 mm film camera and I used to love to play around with it and as the years passed by I developed other interests such as graphic design and 3D animation. But recently the photography flame started burning again and I purchased a Fujifilm 3800 3 MP digital camera. And it wasn't long before I reached the limits of that camera and purchased a Nikon D70. Overall, I would say I am actively involved in photography for about a year now.

Have you won any photographic competitions outside of DPC?


"The Hand"

I was a finalist in Picture.com's amateur photography contest, winners hasn't been announced yet as far as I know, but my "The Hand" was suppose to be published in the book called "spirits in the night", I think it is going to be printed in October this year.

What's your favourite movie?

I admire movies that stir up conflicting emotions in me. My top favorites would be "Requiem for a Dream", "Smoke", "Glengary Glen Ross".

What music do you listen to? Do you listen to music while post processing?

I like metal and electronic music along with classical Turkish music. I listen to techno mostly when I am doing work on my computer, constantly engaging beats keep me focused.

Whats your favourite food?

Traditional Turkish food (which is so yummy), sushi, crepes and spaghetti.

Do you have a main source of caffeine? If so, is it Tea, Coffee or Chocolate?

I am a passionate smoker and so I drink at least 10 cups of coffee and hot tea everyday. I don't know what I would do without coffee and cigarettes.

Where does the nick 'theodor38' come from?

Remember the 3 chipmunks that used to sing really funny songs with the high pitch sound. I used to love them when I was a kid and theodor is the name of one of them. 38 is the plate number for my hometown in Turkey. When the combination came together "theodor38" was born.. Even until today I wonder if I should have picked "Alvin" or "Simon" instead :)

Do you have your own website, if so can I list it here?

I don't have my own website but I plan to build one in the near future.

Hardware

Take us through a history of your camera purchases, both film and digital.

I only used film in my school work when I used to develop my own black and white film. I don't remember the camera they let me use but I decided to jump into the digital world and bought a Fujifilm Finepix 3800 3.2 Megapixel camera about a year back and about 2 months ago after debating intensely, I decided on buying a Nikon D70.

You currently use a Nikon D70, are you happy with this camera?

I could not be happier. When I decide to buy a DSLR camera I looked into "Digital Rebel" and "D70" since they were more in my price range. And as my personal opinion I found "D70" to be a no-brainer purchase. It has very close picture quality and noise levels, D70 has much faster shutter speeds available. Plus a autofocus assist lamp. Higher flash sync. Much better buffer and continuous shooting. For me it was a godsend camera. I think it competes right with DSLRs way over its price range.

Since you own an DSLR, it would be great if you would list the lenses you own, what you think of each lens, and how often each one gets used.

Unfortunately, I only own the 18-70 mm kit lens. But my next purchase is going to be a 105 mm Sigma macro lens.

Are you considering another camera purchase in the near future? If so, what?

I am not considering a new camera but I am a fan of Nikon D2H, I only wish it had higher resolution.

Do you still own/use any compact digicams for their ease of use and less weight?

I still have my Fuji, but I am planning on getting a high resolution and ultra compact camera for everyday use. I think Sony has a 5 MP super thin camera that I like.

What size memory cards do you have?

"Luckily nothing got lost. I have 400 pics on the card I need to transfer and my heart stopped for a second."

I have a 512 lexar 40x compact flash card. I plan to buy a Archos Gmini 220 hard drive MP3 player. That is the coolest gadget which is really high on my wish list. It has a built in compact flash slot where you can dump your pictures directly to the hard drive of the MP3 player. On top of that it plays music. Much better deal than stand alone hard drive of that purpose.

Do you shoot in JPG or RAW mode?

I mostly shoot at highest quality jpeg. Although raw format has its advantages, I don't think it is worth the extra space it takes. I try to adjust my white balance with the manual preset white balance option and it works like a charm every time.

Have you ever lost any images on memory cards?

Luckily not. Actually I just dropped my lexar card on the floor trying to see if it was a "Lexar" or "Kingston" to answer the interview question about the brand of CF card I use. Luckily nothing got lost. I have 400 pics on the card I need to transfer and my heart stopped for a second.

What does your home studio consist of, in terms of lighting, backgrounds, etc.

I converted my basement to a really cheap studio. There already are white walls as background and I bought 50 bucks worth of halogen work lights which puts out 2000 watts of light. And I reflect the light off the ceiling and other walls to diffuse it but than I sometimes have problem getting the shutter speeds I need.

Software

Do you use any software for organising your digital pictures?

I use ACDSee and Picaview. Picaview is the most usefull picture viewing software ever created in my opinion. It lets you see a rather large thumbnail when you right click an image. Very useful indeed.

Do you use Photoshop or an alternative? If so what version?

I use Photoshop CS.

What Photoshop skills do you consider to be essential to digital photography?

Most basic ones: levels, curves, color balance and etc. but I also think layer manipulation is an excellent tool and it is like the Aladdin's lamp. You can pretty much edit your images to anything you wish with it.

Out of your own entries on DPC, what photo had the most digital editing?


"Smoke Magazine"

It would probably be "Smoke Magazine"

Do you use any other software in relation to digital photos? If so, what?

I used Corel photopaint in the past. I also try to learn zbrush sometimes. But mostly I stick to photoshop.

On the whole, do you prefer a minimalist approach to post editing, a no rules approach, or somewhere in between?

I don't set any boundaries to myself as far as photography and digital editing is concerned. But sometimes I sit down to create a digital art or set out to create a pure photograph depending on my mood.

Images

"Waiting to let go...." is your highest scoring image on DPC. A surreal, almost fantastic scene in a fairly regular neihbourhood. Why do you think this image seemed to strike a chord in people? How did you come up with the composition? Can you explain the significance of the title?


"Waiting to let go...."

Once I was outside smoking and there was this wonderful light snow going on. And the roads were covered with snow without any thread marks or footprints on them. And immediately I got struck with this idea for the "letting go" challenge. I knew exactly what I wanted to photograph: "a man sitting on a stool in the middle of a street with his suitcase". But just as the idea settled in this car drove by and ruined the snow texture and I decided to go ahead with other ideas, because the exact spot I wanted to take the picture in was contaminated.


"Alternative 1"

But about half an hour into taking photos another car drove by and created a stunning 4 evenly spaced thread marks. And I took advantage of the scenario and went ahead with the original shot but this time with the threads included. I wanted to give it a surreal and fantasy feel and I think I achieved this. Grain was as a result of my old camera's capabilities. I wanted it to provoke a strong emotion in people and I think that is precisely what it did and I think that is why people liked this particular image.


"Alternative 2"

Title I think signifies several different things, first the picture implies a waiting for something that is unknown. And it also signifies death, as the man as well be waiting for his final journey since he is obviously in the middle of the road which resembles a suicide scenario. Also it has a contradictory feel because of the darkness conflicting with the white colored snow and I wanted to also make it look mundane in the middle of this strong compostion by giving it a duotone coloration.

My personal favourite of all your images is "Handscapes'. Were you inspired by kiwiness for this shot? Tell us how you achieved such a wonderful piece. What difficulties did you encounter?


"Handscapes"

Yes in fact I was inspired by kiwiness and from his highly creative art. I knew I could produce comparable results because of my photoshop knowledge and I went on a self imposed challenge to see what I can come up with following images are other results of this particular attempt:

Alternative 1

Alternative 2

Alternative 3

Alternative 4

I basically used several different shots and layered them in photoshop and masked them to only reveal the parts that I wanted them to. Layers and layer mask is capable of miracelous results and every digital artist should add this weapon to their arsenal. I already had a pretty good idea on how to achieve this kind of creations and only hard part of it was the tedious time consuming layer masking.

You have shot a few nude/erotic pieces. What do you feel is important with this type of shot? What was your lighting setup for these shots? What advice can you give for people attempting this type of photography?

I have absolutely no experience with nude photography other than those shots in my portfolio. And I had to experiment and learn by my own mistakes. At the time I shoot those pictures I had no studio setup whatsoever so I had to get creative with regular lights that I could find around the house. I think lighting is the single most important element as I realized in these type of photography. Human shape is intriquing as it is and with good lighting and a relatively good eye for composition nude pictures can be eyecandies. I think what I am trying to say is when you have a good subject for nude photography it is hard to go wrong.

Some of your recent pictures, that have been heavily modified in photoshop, are really some exceptional work. I'm sure a lot of people would like to know how you achieved this, can you share a few secrets?


"Nude Complexity"


"Wood Riding Hood"

Surely I can: let me explain the process I have gone through to create "Nude Complexity" in brief.

There is a nude picture I have taken.. I have started off with that image.. I copied it into a new layer and blended with overlay.. I brought in 4 different high resolution textures I have found.. I have put them in each seperate layer with different blending modes.. mostly color burn and overlay.

I embossed one of the textures and added as a multiply layer and adjusted the layers only to show shadowed areas.. This gives it a nice 3d look in the cracks.. I have layer masked all the layers and only let the parts show that I wanted in each layer.. and adjusted levels curves and hue in each layer.. After that flatened image. Cloned out imperfections and one more levels and curves and hue adjustment. I added a sepia filter as the last touch and sharpened it.. and experimentation with different layer blending options and layer masks is what is necessary to achieve a nice looking effect.

What has been the hardest image to photograph, out of all of your entries on DPC? Why?


"Waiting to let go..."

It has to be "Waiting to let go..."

It was 3 oclock in the morning and it was freezing and as I explained on a previous question the cars kept coming through it, but I did not yield and got it done and I feel very happy with that picture.

Please go through the composition of "Disproportional Strength".


"Disproportional Strength"

It is my hand pushing against my 7 year old niece's hand. It was meant to create a opposition in the picture. Like strong vs weak or old vs young. It was a pain in the neck to get her to pose and that is what I remember most about that picture:)

Where did you get the idea for "Light Bender"? How hard was the lighting to set up in this? Did you have any other difficulties?


"Light Bender"

I always am fascinated with shadows. I just used a candle for lighting and since I used the self timer, timing was the most difficult part of it.

Can you explain the post editing in pictures like "Self-conflict", "Handman", "Birdy" and "Headman"?


"Self Conflict"

I got several different shots of my face and my hands and my back, after analyzing them I picked the best ones and combined them into one using layers and layer masks in photoshop. levels, hue/saturation adjustments were done after flattening the image.


"Handman"

This is done very similarly to the self conflict, different photos were blended in photoshop using layers and layer masks. layer masks allow only a portion of the image on that layer to be visible. and layer mask can be used just as a canvas whch you paint on. black areas block white areas reveal.


"Birdy"

I cropped to get closer to the bird in the frame, I used hue and saturation to make it sephia and dodged, burned and sharpened. and also I used shadow highlights in photoshop cs to bring out some detail in dark areas.


"Headman"

I basically layered 2 photographs on top of another using layer masks. and erased my body in one layer by coloring that part of the picture black in layer mask.

Some of your most expressive work is in your collection of portraits. Do you use a delayed camera time for self portraits? What do you aim for in particular when composing a portrait? What advice would you give to anyone attempting portrait photography?

I absolutely love portraits. I enjoy every second of taking a portrait whether it is a self portrait or not. I usually use timer when taking self portraits. I try to capture a striking expression or a mood in portraits, but I think human face makes for interesting photos in any state it is in. Lighting I think is the key element when taking portraits. And experimentation with lighting should bring the interesting results.

If you would like to explain any more of your images in more depth, please feel free.

I generally like to hear what other people think of my work rather than trying to explain what I feel about it. I think it is one of the most fun parts of being a photographer is to listen to what everyone else has to say about your work. Photography or any art for that matter is for expressing one's self and expression without a recipient is a wasted thing in my opinion. That is why I care what others think about my work and I indulge when they praise and I learn when they critique.

General

Are there any type of photographic styles/techniques that you don't like?

I like to experiment and learn about all techniques surrounding photography and don't want to leave any out.

What is your preferred style of photo? (i.e. macro, landscape, etc)

I truly enjoy taking portraits, also I like to do trials in nude and macro but my macro capabilities are severely limited due to my current lens. Another area I like is stop action especially with water.

Name 5 photos on DPC that inspire you, in order of preference.


"When all has been said and done"
by Jean-Jacques Béguin


"Hard Lives & Stories Untold"
by Jean-Jacques Béguin


"A moment alone"
by Adam Craig


"Drilling Engineer"
by Ola Noest


"Oldtimer"
by Gary K

What are the 3 favourite shots that you have taken, and why?


"Broken Through"

It is hard for me to explain this one but I got this one just right. I almost exactly wanted it to look like this and it did. A lot of tension and expression.


"Letting Go (alt)"

This photo has a lot of sadness in it for me. I love to look at it and it sparks some bitter feelings in me.


"Stubborn"

So sexy!

What do you consider to be important aspects of photography?

Always to try new things while perfecting our old methods.

Who is your favourite photographer on DPC?

DrJOnes

Who is your favourite photographer outside of DPC? (both film and digital, if you like)

Funny thing is that I don't have one.

Do you have any photographic projects outside of DPC?

Most everything I work on I like to display on DPC. DPC is a very diverse community and I like to get opinions from this golden source.

Some critics still don't think photography is a form of art. What is your response to this?

People will always have different ideas and interpretations of things and they are entitled to that. I think it is a form of art and that is where I stand.

Is there a reason you dont have any prints for sale? I'm sure a lot of people would like to purchase some.

I just never got to it. Perhaps in the future I will.

Are you planning any photo trips in the future? If so, where?

I started taking short trips recently for photography purposes but I don't plan on any big ones. There are plenty pictures to be taken around me as it is.

What do you feel is your most underrated shot?


"Got Macho?"

Final Question

Why do you enjoy photography?

When I achieve a great photo or a digital art than I know I have created it and that it will be my creation forever, oh man! Just the thought of that makes me groovy.



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