Ömer F Kuranli describes Istanbul’s Levent-Nispetiye district as a “skyscraper-filled business hub with an enclave of detached properties, home to various vibrant startups”.
He says that the day he took this shot had got off to a dull start. “I had been immersed in my usual routine, but around midday I headed out with a friend to meet some company executives and discuss a project we were working on. It’s not uncommon for people here to step away from the office grind for a while and find solace in lunchtime sports. Where we were meeting, a startup company had set up a basketball and tennis court to bring their employees together and encourage a social spark.”
Kuranli says that when he first picked up a camera in 2013, he was regularly dissatisfied with the results. “I was eager to capture everything in my path until one day I asked myself: what truly excites me?” Over time, this exploration naturally led him towards minimalism. “What captivated me,” he says, “crystallised around geometry, colour and abstract forms defined by repetition. Now my eye is always tuned to find these things.”
On this sunny afternoon, something intriguing caught his eye: “A perfect harmony of commanding geometry, contrasting colours, human presence and the dance of shadows.”
