Near the Border of Syria
Harran, Turkey, 2008
We got to Harran just when the sun was too high. One of our group, who made money with her photography was incensed and began to complain loudly that there was no way we would get any shots worth having as the sun was directly overhead. But we shot anyway as we always do.
I must have a hundred shots of this man posing by the beehive houses (which were my main interest). He had a rather soft chin for a young man. He was a shopkeeper, not a man of the desert despite his flowing robes. I tried to make him a man of the desert, though. Light is everything as our complaining woman emphasized. She used film and she was stuck with the situation. But we digital photographers can resort to Photoshop and we can make a silk purse from a sow’s ear if we are so inclined. I emphasized the shadow and light on this man’s face to give him a sculpted look. And I couldn’t resist turning my photo into a poster.
The ruins of Ulu Camii
I had to do some Photoshop work on this image as well. The ruins are on a slope near the village of Harran and the sun obliterated the shape-giving shadows here as well except for the square minaret on the right. Without that minaret, the picture would be unfixable. I have my Kurdish man as well. He gives that needed spark of life.
We didn’t walk up to Ulu Camii…too hot, don’t you know. The ruins contain the remains of an ancient temple to the moon god built 4000 years ago and a mosque, the first built in Turkey. It dates from the 8th century. We got the “wide-shot” of the complex and I think it’s the right one. Then we entered a beehive house and drank thick, molasses-like coffee in thimble sized cups. It’s called ‘murrah‘ and it didn’t taste like coffee to me. I can’t describe the taste for you except to say it reminded me of molasses and drinking my thimble-full took fortitude.
I recommend Mehmet Ozbalci as a guide to Turkey, both eastern and western. (It wasn’t Mehmet who got us to Harran late!)
http://fantasticphototours.com/-/fantasticphototours/