In conversation with

Eylül Aslan

Vienna, Austria

Hi Eylül, please introduce yourself.

I was born in Istanbul and lived there for 22 years until I moved to Berlin in 2012 and started to work there as a photographer. I call Vienna home since 2019. I actually started with the camera my mother gave me when I was 17. I started sharing my “experiments” online on flickr and then found myself surrounded by others who are into photography who supported me to take it more seriously so I became a photography assistant in Istanbul. Worked mostly in fashion and then also did some portraits. I am self taught. Tried to study very briefly at Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie in Berlin but realised it was not at all for me so I quit after less than a year.

What does analog photography mean to you? What excites / fascinates you about it?

I really love to wait for the results actually. I get so excited when I am finally about to see the results. Sometimes it takes so long for me to finish an entire roll and I even forget about the photos I had made, so finally to see them is the best feeling in the world.

In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of analogue photography?

I think the fact that it is expensive is the only disadvantage. I also love the approach of taking my time (because I cannot possibly take 100 photos and decide later on which is best) so I try to make the best of the actual moment and then I feel like the photos actually end up having an even higher quality to them.

Do you concentrate on a certain topic in your work?

I do not really consciously focus on anything. It is more like a visual diary I guess, whatever gets my attention ends up being a photograph for me. But I guess it is mostly portrait and still life.

Are there (analogue) photographers who have influenced your aesthetic and approach?

Not really. I was not interested when I took up photography in actually becoming a photographer. It is something that simply happened to me. I did not really research or study art or anything like that. I do that now though,and really enjoy it but I cannot honestly say someone influenced my work. People may find it similar to some others, but I actually did not even know who they were until much much later.

Do you have certain cameras and films that you prefer to work with?

I am a Nikon person I guess 🙂

Speaking of films: What does your workflow look like?

I would absolutely love to have my own studio and dark room and do everything on my own but I do not have the resources or the time (unfortunately) to do any of that. So I mostly have to pay for the service.