Today we’d like to introduce you to Huseyin Karahan
Hi Huseyin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
10 years ago my brother gave me a camera as a gift and I used to take landscapes and street photos with it. In a local Facebook group where I shared these photos, a young man said he liked the photos I took and asked if I could take photos of him for a fee. I liked it very much and accepted. After that young man shared the photo, he saw that he liked it and wanted to take photos of me. My name spread very quickly. I was taking photos of high school students almost every day. They all shared it on Facebook and Instagram as their profile pictures. Of course, I was constantly taking and editing photos and I improved a lot in color correction and retouching. I also started to buy new lenses and upgrade my camera as I took photos and earned money. By the way, in the area where I lived, almost all the profile photos of high school students were photos I took. It had become a standard and high school students started to take photos of me in order to be accepted in their circle of friends.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As I took photos, I became more popular, this attracted the attention of some dangerous types, there were people who tried to take photos from me for free and tried to take the money I earned, so I started working at a studio. I was retouching wedding photos there, taking family and children photos. But while I was working here, it was completely business-oriented and had ceased to be a hobby. I stopped enjoying photography. Meanwhile, I learned that I won the green card lottery from America. I came to America from Turkey in 2022. I found a job at a hospital here and started working as a floor tech. I had brought my old camera with me when I came from Turkey. Even though my camera was old, I could still take good photos. It was a new environment for me, there were many events and different scenarios where I could take photos. I decided to upgrade my old camera, I bought a very good second-hand camera on credit, the lenses I had were of good quality and I could use my new camera with an adapter. I started to go out and make friends by taking photos of people on the streets at events, giving them my card, and sharing the photos I took in photography groups. With all the money I earned, I bought a new lens and a new gear and improved my equipment. I started. Just when I thought I was ready, some of my equipment was stolen from my car. Even though I got most of the debt back, I am still trying to pay off these debts.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Photography ?
I use quality lenses and cameras. I am good at using light and managing light. Since I am not very busy, I edit all my photos to show people a better picture of myself. For me, every photo I take is my advertisement, so I take great care in all my photos.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
It is necessary to be as active as possible on social media and also to attend events and network with people. The most important thing is to do quality work, this always attracts someone’s attention and stands out from the competitors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.photexan.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photexan
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photexan
