Monday, November 2, 2015
The Whole Story | Maiden's Tower by Halil Yalçin
This is the third Whole Story feature for Halil Yalçin. You can find his first one here and his second one here. I am so pleased that Halil continues to submit images through Instagram using #the_whole_story hashtag because his images have some fascinating tales to tell! As a side note Halil always makes my day a little brighter by adding music to his email for my listening pleasure when he sends me the image details. What a kind person! So nice to meet people like him from across the globe!
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| The Maiden's Tower © Halil Yalçin |
The Whole Story by Halil Yalçin
I want to tell you a moment, a little moment of life. At the same location, you will see two choices made. Depending on your preference, you can be a hero or you can be completely forgotten. I think it's a game of life. Sometimes, really, life plays with us.
During our last trip to Istanbul, my wife and I wanted to go to Maiden's Tower for private dining. The historic monument is one of the romantic symbols of Istanbul. You can easily get there by motor boat from the shore. When the boat left the shore, I started taking photos - the beauty was incredible.
I noticed a young man with a mobile phone in his hand. He was talking in a very distressed manner with someone. I stopped taking photos to listen. He said, "everything is over between us. I am so sad, do you understand? Everything is over..." I think he had spoken to his love. I turned my head and only took one or two photos. I looked to my wife and softly held her hands.
Does he know the story of "Maiden's Tower" which was off in the distance? I think he knew nothing.
The Legend of Maiden's TowerMaiden's Tower is located at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus-Istanbul. Its name comes from many legends. According to one legend, a young man named Leandros falls in love with a woman named Hero who is a priestess of Aphrodite. Hero is living in the tower. Every night, Hero builds a fire in the tower so that Leandros may find his way to her by swimming to the tower.
One night, however, the fire started by Hero is put out by a storm, Leandros loses his way in the cold waters of the Bosphorus and dies. When Hero learns of the fate of Leandros, she cannot endure the pain, she jumps into the water to her death.
This love story has become a legend that will be remembered for centuries. Life is full of sharp contrasts. This young man left his love where an eternal love lived on. I said, "On one side a story of eternal love, the other side leaving a love. C'est la vie!"
Process - I love Hipstamatic. During my trip I tried taking my photos with some of my favorite combinations. This shot was taken using the combination of Florence lens and Blanko BL4 film. Then edited with Oggl using John S Lens, C-Type Plate film for creating a grainy, nostalgic image.
The Photographer
My passion for photography emerged when I was studying at University. My special field of interest is History of the Art of Photography. Especially I like working on the experimental studies of the 19th century photographic technique and I am in preparation for a book about it.
My wife and my daughter surprised me by giving a great present for the celebration of my birthday last year. This was an iPhone 4S. After discovering the amazing works of the iPhone, my approach to the mobile artistry was totally changed. I have started to use Instagram for sharing my photos. It is my greatest passion now.
Find Halil: Instagram
If you would like a chance to be featured, start tagging your mobile images to #the_whole_story hashtag on Instagram.
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