Ara Güler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ara Güler
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| Արա ԿիւլԷր | |
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| Born | 16 August 1928 Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey
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| Died | 17 October 2018 (aged 90) Şişli, Istanbul, Turkey
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| Citizenship | Turkish |
| Occupation | Photojournalist |
| Spouse(s) |
Suna Güler
(m. 1984; died 2010) |
| Awards |
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Ara Güler (Armenian: Արա ԿիւլԷր) was a famous Armenian-Turkish photojournalist. He was born on August 16, 1928, and passed away on October 17, 2018. People called him "the Eye of Istanbul" or "the Photographer of Istanbul". He was one of Turkey's most well-known photographers around the world.
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Early Life
Ara Güler was born in 1928 in Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey. His parents were Armenian. Before a special law about surnames, his family's name was Derderian. He went to the local Getronagan Armenian High School.
His father owned a pharmacy on Istiklal Avenue. He knew many artists, which inspired young Ara. During high school, Ara worked in movie studios. He also took acting classes from Muhsin Ertuğrul, a founder of modern Turkish theater.
However, Ara decided to focus on journalism instead of movies. In 1950, he started working as a photojournalist for the newspaper Yeni Istanbul. At the same time, he studied economics at the University of Istanbul. Later, he moved to another newspaper called Hürriyet.
Photography Career
In 1958, an American magazine company called Time–Life opened an office in Turkey. Ara Güler became their first reporter for the Near East region. Soon, he also got jobs from famous magazines like Paris Match, Stern, and The Sunday Times.
After finishing his military service in 1961, Güler became the head of the photography department at the Turkish magazine Hayat. Around this time, he met famous photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson and Marc Riboud. They invited him to join the Magnum Photos agency, a group of top photographers. He was also featured in the British 1961 Photography Yearbook. In the same year, he became the only Turkish member of the American Society of Magazine Photographers (ASMP). A Swiss magazine called Camera dedicated a special issue to his work.
In the 1960s, Ara Güler's photos were used in many books by famous writers. His work was also shown in exhibitions worldwide. In 1968, his photos were part of an exhibition called 10 Masters of Color Photography at the New York Museum of Modern Art. They were also shown at the Photokina Fair in Cologne, Germany. His book Türkei was published in Germany in 1970. His pictures about art and history appeared in magazines like Time, Life, Horizon, and Newsweek.
Güler traveled a lot for his work. He visited countries like Iran, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Kenya, New Guinea, and Borneo. He also photographed all parts of Turkey. In the 1970s, he took pictures of important people. These included politicians like Indira Gandhi and Willy Brandt. He also photographed artists like Maria Callas, Alfred Hitchcock, Ansel Adams, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso. Many people think his best photos are the black and white ones he took in Istanbul. These pictures, often taken with a Leica camera, show a thoughtful side of the city in the 1950s and 1960s.
He continued to have many exhibitions and his work was published in special magazines. Publishers around the world featured his photographs.
Ara Güler's work is kept in important collections. These include the National Library of France in Paris. His photos are also at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York. Other places include the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and the Museum Ludwig Köln in Cologne, Germany.
In the 1970s, Güler also worked in film. He directed a documentary called The End of the Hero (1975). This film was about taking apart an old World War I warship, the TCG Yavuz.
Ara Güler's collection has about 800,000 photographic slides.
Güler's Ideas About Photography
Ara Güler believed that people were the most important part of his photos. He called himself a "visual historian." He once said, "When I'm taking a picture of Aya Sofia, what counts is the person passing by who stands for life."
He thought that photos should help us remember people. They should show their lives and especially their struggles. He believed that art can sometimes trick us, but photography can only show what is real. He liked being a photojournalist because he didn't think photography was an "art" in the same way. To him, photography was about capturing reality, not creating art.
Death
Ara Güler passed away on October 17, 2018, from a heart attack. He had been sick with kidney problems and was getting dialysis treatment.
Legacy
Ara Güler's photographs are kept in an archive. They are shown at the Ara Güler Museum. This museum was opened in the Şişli district of Istanbul on August 16, 2018.
Awards
- 1962: Master of Leica
- Légion d'honneur, France
- 1999: "Photographer of the Century", Turkey
- 2004: Honorary doctorate, Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul
- 2005: Grand Prize of Culture and Arts, Turkey
- 2009: Lucie Award for Lifetime Achievement, New York
- 2016: Leica Hall of Fame Award
Images for kids
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Ara Güler
See Also
In Spanish: Ara Güler para niños
