Photo Therapy
Application Form- Date
- 6 and 8 October, Tuesday and Thursday
- Time
- Both evenings 7 - 10 PM
- Capacity
- 10 people
- Fee
- 30,000 TL (VAT included)
What makes a good photograph “good”? What does a photographer really look at, what does he see, what does he knowingly leave out of the frame? What silent decisions are made in his mind just before pressing the shutter?
Most people interested in photography get stuck at the same point. The number of frames grows and memory cards fill up. But it remains unclear which photograph is good and why, and how to create the same effect in the next shot. More often than not, what is missing is not technical knowledge but knowing what you are looking for.
Photo Therapy follows this question over two evenings. It looks not only at the visible surface of the photograph, but at the gaze that makes that surface possible, the way of seeing and the thought process at the moment of decision.
Third-generation photography artist Mehmet Turgut reveals the invisible decisions behind his photographs, starting from his own production process. He shares the perspective he has developed over the years, both in theory and in practice.
The perspective gained here does not stay in the workshop. Afterwards it changes not only the frames you look at, but how you look at them.
Moments from the first workshop
The first Photo Therapy workshop took place in September 2026 with a group of ten. Over two evenings four topics were covered, from portrait to staged photography and from mobile photography to artificial intelligence, and the participants brought their own frames to the table. The assignments given after the workshop were reviewed together at an online photo reading meeting.
Program
First evening
Portrait Photography
A portrait is the record of a brief relationship with the person in front of you. A good portrait shows not the face but what that face carries. In this block we work on how light, distance and background change an expression, how to lower the other person's guard and how to wait for the right moment.
In the portrait session Mehmet Turgut photographs each participant and explains how a portrait is built through the person's own photograph.
Staged Photography
Some photographs are found, others are built. Staged photography is about turning an idea into a scene, what emerges when model, location, costume, light and frame serve the same story. In this block we follow the path from idea to set and from set to finished work step by step.
Second evening
Mobile Photography
The phone is not a compromise but a tool with its own rules. A good frame usually comes not from the best equipment but from being there at the right moment. In this block we talk about where the device shines, where it stumbles and how to build the frame accordingly. The street has no script, so the real skill is knowing how to wait and how to edit.
AI Photography
Generating images has become easy, but artificial intelligence does not remove the question of who builds a frame; it makes it more visible. In this block we discuss building light with words, the difference between taking a reference and copying, how to intervene in a generated image properly and where the photographer still stands in this process.
Photo Therapy is not therapy or clinical work in the classical sense. The aim is to open a meaningful space where people can confront their own gaze and look beyond what they see.
The Exhibition
Photo Therapy does not end with the workshop.
After the training, participants are given assignments. Mehmet Turgut reviews every photograph submitted and selects one work from each participant that he finds worthy of exhibition.
Once a certain number of workshop groups have been completed, a joint exhibition of the selected photographs is organized in one of Istanbul's renowned art venues. The venue and dates are announced as the exhibition approaches. If your photograph is selected, the exhibition terms and conditions of participation are shared with you separately.
Who is it for?
For anyone interested in photography. No experience or equipment is required.
What matters in Photo Therapy is not the participant's level but their interest in photography. If you want to grow as a photographer and gain a new perspective, you are in the right place.
What's included
- Four hours of training spread over two evenings and the experience of working with Mehmet Turgut in a private group of ten
- A digital copy of your portrait taken by Mehmet Turgut during the portrait session
- Refreshments throughout the workshop
- An online photo reading meeting where the assignments are reviewed
- The right to submit a photograph to the exhibition selection created after the workshop
How can you participate?
Fill in the application form. Once your application has been reviewed, you will be contacted shortly. After approval you can confirm your registration by making the payment.
Mehmet Turgut reserves the right to change the workshop dates in extraordinary circumstances. In that case your right to participate is preserved and your registration is transferred to the next available date.