📸 Photo series #8: Electoral campaign in Istanbul
The complexity of democracy through street photography.
Hello to everyone! 👋
A warm welcome to this week’s new subscribers. Today we’ll be showcasing the work of a photographer part of the very active and well established community based in Istanbul. Definitely a must go place for all street photographers out there.
This edition is particularly meaningful to our core values at StoryDrops as we are convinced that street and documentary photography have the power to inform about events, places and people. The lens becomes an observer of the fleeting moments that define our ever-changing society. Engaging and thought-provoking, today’s photo series invites you to explore the complexity of the political systems created by human kind.
Make yourself comfortable with a good coffee and enjoy the photos! ☕️
Electoral campaign by Ventura Formicone
⏱️ Reading time: 3 min
These photos were taken during the last few days of the electoral campaign in Turkey. The general election and Presidential election took place on the 14th of May. Turkish society has been very polarized in this election, split in half between the strong base of voters of Erdogan and his AKP party and the opposition parties that merged together in a coalition of six parties, in order to attempt to end the 20 years in power of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The frontrunner for the opposition coalition was Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the CHP party founded in 1919 by Kemal Ataturk who’s the first president and founder of the modern Turkish Republic.
Written and shot by Ventura Formicone.
Who’s behind the lens?
Describe yourself as a photographer and where you are based
I am Ventura Formicone, my home town is Notaresco, a small village in the center of Italy. I’ve started to get interested in photography while I was still studying in Bologna. From there I moved to Madrid where I started to work as a photographer, then I moved to Jerusalem where I’ve worked with several NGO’s, UN Agencies and as a photojournalist in the Middle East. In the last few years I developed an interest in street photography as a way to describe in an immediate and direct way the reality that passes by in front of my eyes. At the moment I’m based in Istanbul.
Your favorite camera and lens
I think that it is difficult for me to describe a favorite camera, I think that there are several ones that I love. It depends on what I need them for, budget…etc. Lately for my street photography I’m using my Fujifilm X-PRO3 with a 27mm lens which, in a full frame is equivalent to a 40.5mm.
Your favorite moment of the day to shoot
Late afternoon, evening.
Your favorite photographers and where you get inspired.
There are lots of photographers that I love, but if I need to choose one now on the spot, who come to my mind is W. Eugene Smith. Years ago, when I was living in Spain, Photoespaña did a retrospective of his work, and visiting the exhibition was a full immersion into his legacy, it was an amazing experience. Throughout his reportages from the most famous like the Country Doctor, until the last photo essay in Minamata. I could feel that he was committed to the subject, and he knew how to tell a story.
Other photographers that I love are: Saul Leiter, Cristina Garcia Rodero, Mario Giacomelli, Daido Moriyama, Robert Frank just to mention a few of them.
Portfolio and/or social media links
Website: venturaformicone.com
Instagram : @venturaformicone
Features: Lens Culture, Life Framer
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