“…Photography first helped me see myself, and only then did I begin to truly see the world around me. It gave me a new way of seeing, not just the visible, but the invisible: memory, truth, and presence.”
Among the sweeping highlands of southeastern Turkey, a lone shepherd guides his herd through a corridor of dust.
Shot from a slightly elevated perspective, the winding formation of sheep creates a dynamic leading line that draws the viewer’s gaze deep into the frame, toward the single silhouetted figure on horseback, crook held aloft, an embodiment of command and solitude.
Selected as a finalist in our 2022 Travel Award by legendary photographer Steve McCurry, it is an evocative depiction of rural life—timeless yet increasingly fragile—and one that typifies the work of Turkish photographer F. Dilek Yurdakul, one of the most perceptive and compelling photographic voices working today.
Yurdakul has always been a storyteller. Her earliest narratives were written by hand—pages filled with emotion, detail, and memory—some of which were published. But over time, she says, the process began to “wear her down emotionally.” She longed for a different way to express herself. That’s when photography entered her life.
“Photography found me during a period of personal transformation. After a while it became my language when I couldn’t express myself any other way. It became a way to breathe. I was fascinated by how light alone could hold meaning, emotion, and memory. It allowed me to step outside the noise in my mind and find clarity through silence.”
At the time, she was working as a lawyer, a profession she initially felt passionate about, but which eventually began to feel suffocating: the heavy walls of the courthouse, the endless case files, the layers of formality and institutional masks. Photography offered a new path, one that allowed her to seek truth, connection, and authenticity.
“I believe that someone who is blind to themselves cannot truly see the world. Photography first helped me see myself, and only then did I begin to truly see the world around me. It gave me a new way of seeing, not just the visible, but the invisible: memory, truth, and presence.”
Turkey is a fascinating, complex, and layered place, where history, geography, and cultures collide. For Yurdakul, capturing its essence and telling the stories of its people, land, and past is at the heart of her practice. Her work seeks to preserve what is fading and amplify voices that are rarely heard.
“I believe that to take meaningful photographs, one must first absorb the spirit of a place—its rhythm, its codes, and its culture. That’s why I find myself most connected to stories in my own country: they carry a depth that an outsider might overlook. I’m especially drawn to elements that are on the verge of disappearance—fading traditions, endangered ways of life, or people whose voices are rarely heard. I try to highlight both the issues that deserve visibility and the unseen beauty of my country: untouched villages, overlooked corners, and even well-known places, reframed through my own lens and experience.”
From traditional artisans in Cappadocia to wild horses roaming the central Anatolian plains, or rural villagers maintaining centuries-old customs, her images document the richness and complexity of Turkey’s cultural fabric. But though her photographs are ostensibly, they carry a deeper meaning.
Take, for example, her series on Lake Tuz and the people who live near it. At first glance, the striking pink hues and salt-swept landscapes are mesmerizing, but beneath the surface lies a sobering reality. Once Turkey’s second-largest lake, it now holds just 2% of the water it did five decades ago, due to climate change, water overuse, and poor environmental management.
Rendered with her signature eye for light, color, and composition, the images are painterly in their beauty, yet they speak urgently to the environmental crises reshaping the land and threatening its traditions. Her reverence for the people and places she documents is evident, imbuing the work with both tenderness and a quiet call to action.
More recently, she has begun working internationally, turning her sensitive and perceptive eye toward global stories that resonate with the same themes: environmental degradation, labor conditions, identity, and justice. Though the geographies may differ, the underlying concerns echo those of her homeland, reminding us of their universal significance.
“I’m currently working on a long-term project about seasonal agricultural workers in rural Turkey, focusing on their limited access to clean water. At the same time, I’m drawn to the broader implications of climate change and drought, especially those caused by short-sighted agricultural policies. Sustainability has become central to my work, and one of my current focuses is metal recycling—not just as a process, but as a form of ecological awareness and resistance.”
Over the years, Dilek has received numerous awards and accolades. In addition to being selected multiple times in our Monthly Awards, she won 1st Prize in the Sony World Photography Awards (Open, Street Photography), and has also been recognized by National Geographic, to which she also regularly contributes.
“It’s a great honor to have my work recognized, especially on respected global platforms. Coming from a country where women’s voices are still struggling to be heard, these acknowledgments give me strength.”
Yet for all the recognition, her work remains grounded in sincerity, guided by a ‘need to be honest, empathetic, and to serve something greater than herself’. It is this unwavering commitment that makes her voice so vital, especially now, in an era of misinformation and synthetic imagery, when authenticity feels increasingly rare.
When asked what advice she’d give to emerging photographers, her response serves as both advice and manifesto, reflecting the very values that define her own practice.
“Stay true to your perspective. Let your sensitivity, care, strength, and emotional intelligence guide your lens. Don’t imitate—your identity is your power. In a field where gender bias persists, persistence and authenticity are key. Never compromise your integrity for exposure or validation. The world needs to see through your eyes.”
All images © F. Dilek Yurdakul