DOGO: Hello Nural can you tell us about yourself a little?
NURAL: Hello, I’m a 34 year old photographer who have been running Lomography Turkey for the past 8 years. I also have my own blog where I write about photography, travel and motherhood. I’m originally from Istanbul, Turkey, but I currently live in Turku, Finland.
DOGO: As I know, you just moved to Turku, Finland. Can you tell us about the town, best and weird traditions, special dishes, festival times?
NURAL: Everyone thinks that Finnish people are cold and distant, but I disagree. The older they get, the more friendly they become! They love sauna, usually every apartment has a shared one. I actually have one in my house! The weirdest thing I ate was probably this desert called Mämmi. It looks like black tar, but tastes like molasses, and I started to like it after a few tries. They also love anything with Salmiakki, which is like a salty licorice. As far as festivals go, there is usually an event every few weeks, but the biggest is Ruisrock Festival! It is a music festival in Ruissalo Island. The main stage is located right next to the beach and a lot of international artists have concerts during the 3 day festival. Unfortunately I was way too pregnant last year , so I can’t wait to go this year!
DOGO: If we have 24 hours in Turku, what do you suggest us to do?
NURAL: A walk around the Aura River is a must! You get to see so much when you are walking around. The main tourist sites for me are Turku Castle, the Cathedral and Museum of History and Contemporary Art. Also I’d definitely suggest taking a walk in Kauppahalli, which is a market hall. It gives a great sense of Finnish foods and culture, I just love spending time there.
DOGO: How did you meet with DOGO?
NURAL: I met DOGO years ago when I was surfing the Internet for shoes and came across a few of DOGO designs. I love asymmetry and different designs for the right and left shoe, ook so cool:) We were actually neighbors in Galata when the Lomography store was still open!
DOGO: 3 words that explains DOGO?
NURAL: Funky, crazy, colorful
DOGO: What’s your favorite DOGO design and why?
NURAL: I LOVE the Meow Meow and Happy Forever lines, they are both so cute 🙂 I also love the Istanbul designs, they remind me of home, now that I’m living in Finland.
DOGO: I know you are a Lomo Fan and photographer. How did you become a photographer?
NURAL: I always loved taking photos, but it became more of a passion when I took a Black and White photography class in high school. After a while, everyone started moving to digital photography but for me, the passion of analog film never ended. I still use analog cameras and develop my own films at home.
DOGO: Please send us some of your favorite photos and tell us their stories, how did you take them, what was the story behind them?
NURAL: I love taking photos in cemeteries,like the one with the statue of a boy, where I used a special effects film called Tesla 2, from the Revolog brand.
I also love doing double exposures, so I sometimes keep a used roll of film from a vacation to use again at a different place, such as this one where I shot a photo of buildings in Rome, and then reused it underwater in Bozcaada.
Another one of my favorites is this panoramic night shot of New York City, during a trip from 2012.
DOGO: What’s your biggest dream?
NURAL: That is a big question! I guess everyone dreams about traveling more, but currently I can’t wait to go on my next trip! I also want to have a successful blog! It was more like a new year resolution to open it, so it’s still a work in progress. However I do enjoy writing and sharing my experiences 🙂
