Press photographer Ara Güler

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Beral Madra

“For me, as a

journalist and press

photographer, the

significance of an event

comes first”

Press Photographer Ara (¡filer

O

The apartment is around a small street behind the big bank

building In this busy center of Beyogiu. From the front windows of the top floor apartment one sees the crowded istiklal Caddesi. The walls of the study are black. A comfortable sofa, a medium sized desk, book

shelves full of books, magazines and souvenirs from all over the world are some of the items which first catch the eye. The flat contains a darkroom, since Guler is fastidious about the development and printing of his photographs. Part of his archives consisting of 400,000 colored transparencies are neatly classified. On the wall next to the desk there is a photograph showing him as a young boy

handling a 35mm cine-projector, a present from his father. The picture was taken by him in 1943. On the wall hangs a painting by Fikret Mualla and a drawing by Picasso, both presents of the artists. Also a recent and a very realistic photograph of his wife Suna, intelligent and smiling, hangs there.

Born in Istanbul in 1928, Ara Guler studied economics and

was interested in literature and theater. He owned his first camera, a Leica, when he was twenty years old and

photography was his main interest from then on. In 1950, he started work as a journalist at Yeni Istanbul newspaper. Later he worked for the weekly magazine, Hayat, until 1961. In the meantime he met Cartier Bresson and other Magnum associates like Ernst Haas, Eric

Lessign and Brian Blake, and his photograps were distributed by Magnum. Later American Heritage’s Horizon Publications, Life, Paris Match and Der Stern selected him as their

correspondent and reporter for the Near East. In 1961, the London Photographic Yearbook elected him one of the seven best photographers in the world. Some of his other achievements in the following years are:

Membership of ASMP (American Society of Magazine

Photographers); a title in Germany "Master of Leica”, a special issue of the Swiss Photography Magazine

“Camera", entirely dedicated to Ara Guler. In 1964 his book “Young Turkey" was published in the USA. In 1966 he participated in a photography exhibition in the USA, at the Gallery of Modern Art, called “Ten Masters of Color

Photography”. In 1970 his book “Türkei" was published in Germany. And in 1971, the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris organized an exhibition for him. His archive contains portraits of many famous people such as Churchill, Bertrand Russell, Picasso, de Gaulle, Chagall, Pope Paul IV and many others. Over the past five years he has travelled in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sudan, Eritrea, Somali, USA, USSR and Mongolia for special reports on these countries.Although the public has no detailed knowledge about Ara GCiler's personality, life style, achievements, aims and thoughts, they have a strong feeling that he is the most famous photographer in Turkey. Ara Güler is aware of this. And he started the interview with the following remarks:

“Everybody knows me as a photographer and Jhey connect photography with art. But I am not a photographer. I am a journalist, a press photographer. These two things are confused. The difference between them is not appreciated. The photographer approaches his subject

from his personal point of view, giving more weight to aesthetics than anything else.

“For me, as a journalist and press photographer, the significance of an event comes first. Let me give you an example. For the past three months, the municipality of Istanbul has been demolishing buildings on both sides of the Golden Horn. That means that future generations will never remember or know how the Golden Horn used to look. Every day I go there to observe the demolition and record it with my camera. This event is of major importance at this moment.

“Time" magazine commissioned a report, which was published recently, but I still continue recording it. My aim is to capture a disappearing life-style,

architecture and art in this city. One day, I may publish a book. “Recently a new weekly newspaper asked me for a photograph of a tram (once the main transport in this city.) I had several at hand, and one was given a front page spread that week, providing visual information for the young generation about the trams in BeyoQlu.

“These concepts and obsessions give an impetus and dramatizing effect to my photographs, and people think that I am a photographic artist. But for me photography is far more important than art. Photography contains pure reality, insight and art; and with all these components a medium is created that will last forever. That means that in the

year 3000,people will learn about us through photography in this context. Photography for the sake of aesthetics is eclecticism. Historians used to record events in writing, leaving vital documents for us. Today the press

photographer writes the visual history of our times. He depicts the famine in Ethiopia, the civil war in Nicaragua, the elections in the Philippines etc. How would you know Atatürk unless you had seen his photographs? The

photographer of this century has great responsibility towards the coming generations. Photography is beyond art; it is reality itself.” Such wide spectrum of experience in his media has brought Ara Güler to this concrete concept of photography. For 38 years, Ara Güler has been involved in the active and up-to-date world of journalism —an immense accumulation of information on social, economic, cultural and other events. I could not resist asking him about his more impressive memories. - “ Interviews with people like Picasso and Bertrand Russell left very lasting impressions on me. Before these interviews I was quite well-informed about them. However, my live observations on their life styles and inspirations were final touches and quite authentic experiences. Such people have always interested me more than politicians. Politicians did not excite me, except for ismet İnönü for whom I had deep respect."

While his assistant, Sarkis, was preparing lights and camera to take his photograph for my interview, he lit another cigarette. I looked at the "No Smoking" notice behind his desk. He laughed and said, “That sign is only to remind me not to smoke!" His sharp glance followed Sarkis and he gave teasing instrucitions about how to take his photograph. The soft sparkle in his eyes and a half smile on his face were signs of his ability to enjoy the moment. I

asked my last questions about his recent and future plans.

- “ "The Smithsonian ”, one of the most renowned magazines in the world, published my photographs of Istanbul and Topkapi Saray in the February 1968 issue. As worldwide advertisement this would have cost millions. My features published over the past 25 years should be appreciated as voluntary promotion of Turkey's fame and magnificence. There are only a few countries that I

have yet to see; South America, especially Peru; the North and South Poles; some remote islands in the Pacific Ocean. The most interesting place for me was India. It seems that I am more in tune with the Orient, because of its deep and still genuine culture." Ara Guler will continue his travels around the world, recording events and signing his

photographic work with his unique and lasting interpretations. □

Taha Toros Arşivi