There’s an undeniable magic that possesses Evrim Icoz’ photography. It is transfixing. You feel the quiet shock of witnessing an intimate story unfold. You feel privileged to discover a host of lives depicted: all the momentum and the complexity of people who stand alone in their world, and yet are inseparable from their setting and each other. You are struck by the profound romance and mystery of his work.
Perhaps it’s the influence of his Mediterranean homeland that drenches Evrim’s photography in the warmth of human stories. Profound sensitivity toward the communal nature of relationships saturate his art with complexity and depth. His artistic vision is great enough to include diverse elements: the background, the secondary stories, and, of course, the leading cast. These elements weave together to form vital, breathtaking shots. By juxtaposing what is intentional against what is unusual, he often reveals the great humor of lives accidentally intertwined through his lens.
He sees more than just the heroes of the moment, and courageously includes the stories of surrounding characters. A rushing groom, late to change into his tux, bursts in on a hotel cleaning lady. A mother waits in the room with children while the bride gets ready next door. A pair of locals loiter on the street corner while the new couple kisses for the camera. These moments are unscripted, and irreplaceable for their charming honesty.
Perhaps it’s Evrim’s cultural roots that infuse him with passion: he’s willing to sacrifice it all to capture a single moment of human experience.In Istanbul, on the border between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, ancient paths converge. From time before memory, it has been the place where all the rich mystique of the East commingles with all the ambitious motion of the West. And Evrim embodies the best qualities of his homeland. At the top of his classes in the most prestigious Turkish schools, he was awarded a scholarship to Duke, where he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Engineering. He bought his first camera in 1999, and left a career at Intel to pursue photography as an independent full time photographer in 2004.
His artistic ability is only surpassed by his commitment to excellence: though entirely self-taught, he became virtually an overnight success story in the world of photojournalistic competition. In 2004, the first year he entered the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) competition, he won first place. In 2006, he took home first-place trophies in the Wedding Photojournalist Association’s 4 of the 10 categories, and won the runner-up position for worldwide Photographer of the Year. He won first place again at WPPI in 2007.
Every shot appears to drip with light and motion. As each element blends into the whole scene, a powerful and dramatic fluidity characterizes his work. He has an eye that appreciates the added interest of setting. He captures the line of a bare back as it sweeps toward a tuft of windblown seagrass. He notes the silent wedding party reflected in a lily-strewn koi pond. He catches the exuberance of a bridesmaid swinging the flower girl off her feet in a dance.
Using traditional film, digital, infrared techniques, and the possibilities available through technology, he is as savvy as he is passionate. He can maintain the integrity of a moment and simultaneously wash it with a serene and idyllic romance.
Perhaps it’s his experience as an award-winning social dancer that gives him such authoritative command over motion, form, and poise.
Close to action is where Evrim feels most comfortable with his work, and the vitality of every shot is striking. His ability to capture motion is daring and warm all at once. The brilliance of his accomplished photojournalistic eye is that he anticipates the exact moment of raw, unchoreographed story.
He mingles, he dances, he laughs and moves and becomes one with the crowd. His goal is always to be non-obstrusive, and he knows that part of his role is to put people at ease with his presence. The result is an unparalleled study in candor. He is able, through his own relaxed nature, to reveal what is beautifully genuine in the people around him.
Whatever the reason, against Evrim’s lens, color, line, light, and human connection all melt together. Effortlessly, it seems that each element is no longer separate from another, but all work together as one unified creation. Revealed is a world rich with the multiplicity of human stories and settings. Yet, amidst this abundant convergence, he maintains the serenity and intimacy of a moment where two people feel themselves to be alone with one another in their world.
Please visit his website at www.evrimgallery.com
You can see his most recent work at evrimgallery.com/Portland-Wedding-Blog/
Check Evrim Icoz’s availability!
With 20 of Portland’s finest photographers on 1 blog, finding the perfect photographer for your wedding couldn’t be easier. See who’s available for your day and let us share our passion for weddings with you.
RSS Feed