A native of Denizli, Turkey, Tolga Ulutas has been dedicated to photography for over a decade. For Tolga, the strength of photography lies in its ability to convey messages with just a few words. Although a photograph can be taken in a fraction of a second, it can make the viewer think about it for a long time. We interviewed Tolga in the context of his exhibition with CREO Gallery.
Can you tell us a bit about your artistic career and how you came to create NFT art?
I have been taking photographs for over 10 years. During my university years, I finally purchased the camera that I had dreamed of and my photography journey began. I entered the NFT space in 2022.
What type of artwork do you most enjoy creating?
Photography has the ability to convey a message that speaks volumes. This is where the power of photography lies. A photograph may have been captured in a split second, yet it can make you contemplate for a long time. I primarily take documentary and street photographs. I enjoy using graphical elements, shadow-light contrasts, and silhouettes in my work.
What is typical for your photographs? Are there any particular techniques you use?
Due to my busy work life, I try to do short-term photography projects. This photo is part of my series on YOGA.
By using the backlight technique, I made the body lines of the model more prominent. I increased the graphic effect of the photograph by positioning the model between the columns in an ancient city.
Title: Nature of Yoga
Can you tell us a bit about your artistic career and how you came to create NFT art?
I have been taking photographs for over 10 years. During my university years, I finally purchased the camera that I had dreamed of and my photography journey began.
I entered the NFT space in 2022.
What type of artwork do you most enjoy creating?
Photography has the ability to convey a message that speaks volumes. This is where the power of photography lies. A photograph may have been captured in a split second, yet it can make you contemplate for a long time.
I primarily take documentary and street photographs. I enjoy using graphical elements, shadow-light contrasts, and silhouettes in my work.
Can you share with us a special project or piece of art that inspired you or that you recently created?
This photograph was awarded the FIAP Gold Medal in the Mental Health 2020 International Exhibition of Photography competition, under the patronage of FIAP.
Title: Birthday in Quarantine
COVID-19, which has caused a global pandemic, has severely threatened our lives and altered many of our habits.
In September 2020, I tested positive for COVID-19. Following the rules, my wife, daughter, and I had to go into home quarantine. To avoid infecting my family, I isolated myself in a separate room at home. My wife would place my meals outside the door during mealtime, and we were unable to see our family members. On the fifth day of quarantine, it was my daughter's birthday, which was an extremely emotional time. You wanted to hug and touch, but you couldn't. My daughter and wife celebrated her birthday, but I was unable to join them.
In the framework of your exhibition with us we will show Horse Love. Can you tell us a about the photo?
This photo won the 4th Prize in the Equestrian Sports and Equestrian Shows Category of the 2022 Ethnosport Culture Festival.
Title: Horse Love A traditional sports festival is held in Istanbul every year with the participation of athletes from Turkey and various countries of the world. A photography contest is also organized within the scope of this Festival. Equestrian sport is one of these sports that affects me a lot.
Because horses are special creatures. They are majestic, strong and can display a broad range of emotions. The relationship between humans and horses has a long history. Horses are also communicative and expressive, much like people. They can display different attitudes and emotions, which makes them relatable to humans.
The woman and her horse in the photo came from Azerbaijan. They showed their skills with acrobatic movements on the horse. I saw this emotional moment during the post-show rest. This emotional moment between horse and owner showing the strong relationship between them.
What role does success play for you as an NFT artist?
Community development is crucial to success, as it makes my work more visible.
Success will bring financial freedom for my future projects. Investing the income from NFTs into new projects will help develop my art.
How do you assess the value of your works, and how do you set pricing?
I set slightly higher prices than others for my photographs that have won awards in the competitions I have participated in.
How did you sell your first NFT artwork, and how did you establish yourself in the NFT market?
I sold my first NFT two months after minting it on Opensea.
Title: Love My passion for photography is a reason for me to travel. It is a great feeling to see new places, discover and take photos of them.
This place is Kasımiye Madrasa in Mardin, Turkey. Its construction was completed in the 15th century. Madrasa was the university of that period. The place in the photo is the windows of the madrasa. The windows are about 6 meters high and overlook the Mesopotamian Plain. Wonderful shadows are formed according to the position of the sun's rays.
The man and woman in two separate windows reminded me of two lovers who could not be reunited. As W. Shakespeare said, “Love is seen not with the eyes, but with the soul.”
It is also a special photograph for me as it is the first photograph I sold in the NFT space.
Do you collect art/NFT art as well?
Yes, I have collected some works on Objkt.
Twitter: @tolgaulutas
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