We recently connected with Elif Karakoc and have shared our conversation below.

Elif, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

Honestly, I am my favorite boss! I love working freelance, making my own rules and leading the projects I work on. I love keeping my clients and co-workers content during shoots and I am always thrilled when they say they love the final product!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started photography when I was 14 years old. It sure did start as a hobby but the enthusiasm and happiness I felt while creating images was immeasurable and there was no stopping since then.

During that time, I was creating daily and consistently, and sharing them on websites like Flickr and DeviantArt.
I remember creating the scenes for my photos was always fun and chaotic. Because it was difficult to get my hands on a tripod, I used to use a stack of books to shoot self-portraits in my tiny room.

My career started to take off after a surprise solo exhibition offer from Finland when I was 16, followed by commissioning my works for book covers for publishers like Penguin Books, Harper Collins, and Mondadori.

I grew up with the arts. Going to exhibitions and museums was a fun family activity. I spent lots of time in my father’s studio where I drew and painted for hours, and browsed at all the art books and photography magazines he had.

I find it very inspiring that my career started similarly to my illustrator father’s career.

Similarly, many years ago before he became an established artist, he was illustrating covers for Stephen King novels, and movie posters such as The Evil Dead, probably at the same age as I was.

I am so proud to be following my father’s footsteps in fine art after he taught me so much and educated my eyes from day 1. Without any help or networking from the people in the industry, he created all that for himself with his hard work, talent, and dedication with such limited resources.

Coming from Istanbul, Turkey to Los Angeles and starting a new life from scratch, I find my journey quite exciting full of new experiences, making strangers to friends, and adapting to the culture and lifestyle. I believe my style differs because of the geography and culture I grew up in and I love showing that difference with my photography.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

At the university, I had the privilege to meet and learn from professors. I learned about the darkroom, practiced with cyanotypes, photograms, and read about the history of photography.

Even though it was a precious time to develop a style in art, create bodies of work, build a network of artists, and see emerging art in all corridors and hanging on every wall, I later found out that the university tends to try and mold its students into one specific type of artist. An artist that won’t rebel. An artist that accepts the critique and never makes ‘that mistake’ again.

One of the philosophies we’ve learned in the traditional art school was to ‘give up’, because sometimes a photo shouldn’t be taken. You must know it will already be ‘bad’.

That stuck with me for a while and it was challenging to even take pictures of my friends. It killed my motivation and frightened me that I won’t be creative ever again.

After graduation, I needed my own rules and I had to unlearn all the rules of composition, the necessities of good photography, and ignore the idea ‘to give up a photograph’, in order to free my eyes, free myself from that mold they built around me and all their students and see beyond ‘the necessities of fine art’. Just imagine, get excited, and create!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Since my childhood, I’ve always loved book covers and poster graphics, but especially the photography series shot for musicians and their albums. On cassette inserts, album covers, and posters… Always struck me how cohesive and conceptual they created them!

How perfectly they capture the mood of the songs, even when sometimes there’s nothing obvious to symbolize the lyrics and the songs. Some don’t even show the artists themselves!

Looking at them has inspired me to think deeper about imagery and conceptuality.

Music is such a strong, emotional, and evocative medium that can support any visual experience in an incredible way.

Combining photography and music to create a body of work is beautiful, a collaboration between two artists is heavenly.
Building something unique for everyone to experience on their own terms is immensely rewarding and fulfilling.

In this journey of fine art photography, my goal is to shoot for my favorite artists. Deciding the visuals together by listening, and help turning their music into enhancing stills.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elifkarakoc.us
• Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/elifsanemkarakoc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElifSanemKarakoc/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elif-sanem-karakoc

Image Credits
Elif Sanem Karakoc