At the moment I see so many Instagram sites that take analog photographs and upload their artwork on their Instagram channels. It’s very interesting how everyone uses the medium for themselves to express themselves creatively.
In the wave of full creative expression, I noticed an Instagram account that I really like. Serhat and Ines together form the creative collective @fromanothamind and Serhat is one of my best friends. I have known him for over 15 years. We were both enrolled in the same primary school and live in the same Hood. We grew up together.
His enthusiasm is not only for photography. If you’ve ever seen people half twisting their bodies on the street and pulling expressive moves like headspins, halos and windmills – he is one of those people. To put it in easy words: Serhat is a b-boy, and is head of the Sankofa crew.
Let’s come to the second photographer of @fromanthoamind. Ines Kantarevic is Serhat’s partner. If it weren’t for her, he would not have discovered the art of photography for himself. Together they have travelled the world. On each journey they carried their cameras with them and captured moments that are so far away from our western reality. In an interview they tell us about their career and what photography means to them. They show us their top ten pictures and tell us a story about each one.
1) Serhat, Ines – how are you? The first question I ask you is why you chose this instagram name. Are you really from another world?
I: Thanks Moubsen, we’re fine. I had chosen this name for my former Tumblr account quite intuitively before. Later, when we decided to have a account and create a platform for our photos, which had accumulated through our numerous travels, the name seemed perfect. Serhat shared the same opinion and liked the name right away.
Every person experiences different unique moments on his journey of life. Each place has its own character & spirit: What we want to achieve with our blog is to give an insight into our journey of life and to capture moments, places, people and animals that we experience, and to share the beauty of it. So we are all somehow from a different world, because everybody has his own view on things.
2) How did it come about that you became interested in photography? Was it always like that or did you get inspired by certain things?
S: We have both always been interested in photography. At first only from the point of view of the viewer, and then in 2016, when Ines dug up her parents’ old analogue camera, we really started taking pictures for ourselves. We were inspired by our travel plans and the common interest. Photography made us discover and explore our environment more. To penetrate deeper into nature and culture. This feeling of exploring the environment and what happens around you is one of the things that inspires us the most.
3) What does photography mean to you both? Or is it just a hobby you pursue?
For us photography is a kind of legacy that we leave behind. Everything we capture with the camera during our life are moments for eternity. They allow us to find ourselves in memories, no matter if it is special moments with the closest people, an encounter with an animal in its natural habitat, or a breathtaking landscape that might look different in the future. Everyone likes to leaf through the old photo albums of childhood and marvel at the passage of time. The best thing is to be able to share all these memories! Photography inspires and moves and is therefore more than “just” a hobby. With its help we can draw attention to things and give people insights into unique moments.
4) When did you buy your first camera?
I: In 2016 we both bought an analogue camera from Minolta, which we shared on our first trip: Shortly after that, each of us started to put together his own assortment of photographs.
5) Which places have you already visited? And do you take pictures of every trip?
The bigger trips so far have taken us to Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Borneo, Mexico, Peru, Uzbekistan, USA and Morocco. We have also visited Mexico and Thailand several times. This summer we are planning another trip to Thailand, Laos & Vietnam. Otherwise we are also relatively much on the road in Europe.
Usually we take pictures on every trip, sometimes more, sometimes less. We let ourselves be guided by our feelings and do not want to force ourselves to take pictures.
6) Is there a picture of you where you would say that it is your favorite picture? Or is the choice much too big to really say that you have an “absolute” favourite picture?
We find it hard to choose an absolute favorite picture and compare our pictures with each other. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that we now have an incredibly large selection. On the other hand, it’s simply because each picture reflects a unique moment. Some moments seem unique because of their beauty and aesthetics – others because they evoke a certain feeling in us or awaken memories. Of course, there are certain photos that we think represent or trigger these things particularly well, but the ONE absolute favorite picture does not exist for us.
7) Have you ever had the idea to exhibit your pictures?
In any case, we have already considered it and want to pursue it in the future. But so far it has simply not come to pass.
8) Would you dare to try other styles of photography or do you rather not see it as necessary?
I: I like it most to have the camera with me at all times and to capture a special moment whenever it happens. No matter if you are travelling or here in Munich. In addition, my interest in shootings or photo projects has grown a lot, so I will definitely try this in the future.
S: I would also like to deal more with the other film formats and buy a medium format camera.
Otherwise I actually photograph what is happening around me, but in the future I would like to do more shootings and photo projects myself. Furthermore I would like to deal more with my underwater film camera. One of my dreams is to capture the underwater world and to photograph marine life such as whales.
9) How would you describe your pictures in three words?
Free, Of course, Fresh
10) I’ve been following you for a while now, and I see that you only take analogue photos. What does photographing with an analog camera mean to you?
I: I attribute a much greater value to analogue photography than to digital photography, because you are limited to a limited number of photos and thus learn which moments are the right ones to be photographed. On the other hand, I think it’s great that you can’t see the shot picture directly, but only get to see it after development, which always feels like a surprise egg. It’s also nice to be able to get a little closer to the origin of photography, and to understand it more by experiencing and being responsible for the whole photo process from the insertion of the film to the final developed photo.
11) What would you give to people who want to start taking pictures but are not sure how to start?
S: I think the most important thing is to have fun with it. How to finally achieve this feeling while taking pictures is something that everyone has to explore for themselves. The best way to start is to find out which motives appeal to you. Go to the nearest nature, take portraits of your friends, and have your camera with you at all times. With time you will get a feeling for when you want to capture a moment. If you are interested in analogue photography, check the flea markets in your town or ask your parents for their old cameras. Buy some roll film and just go for it.
