Erdal Kinaci was born in Malatya in 1966. He graduated from Cerrahpasa Medical School of Istanbul University and lives in Anamur since 1990. He works as an administrator in healthcare services.

Photography is a purpose in my life. You know, there is a saying " do you eat to live or live to eat? " if I project this question on photography, I am one of those who live for photography. Photography is a top priority (of course excluding my family) in my life, I can easily leave my job or the place I live, for the sake of photography, as to roaming around.. I already do.

I started to look at photography as "photography" during college years. I came to see things I knew to be true were actually wrong while attending basic photography courses at IFSAK (Istanbul Amateur Photographers and Cinematographers Association). Later on, we started Cerrahpasa Photography Club, during this period my point of view changed as a whole.

Yet photography is such a thing that you need to keep changing/improving your point of view. To illustrate, some photograph which left you in awe only three days ago, now looks no special at all and makes you grumble how people need to change their point of view.

I only attended IFSAK's basic photography course but I assume I know a lot about photography. I instructed composition of photography in several clubs and organizations. I am a member of MFD (Mersin Photographic Society).

It was about 10 years ago. An advertisement agency contacted me about their wish to use my photography in their calendar. I was so happy that I was about to give my photographs for free. I have been preparing articles and photographs for three different periodicals nowadays yet I can't quite say I earn from photography.

I don't take shots for commission, for example I won't accept an offer to shot a party or such organization but if I am asked to shot historical places in Aleppo or Damascus I would hit the road before the talk is over.

The users Hokosto and Creeps (Kadir and İbrahim) suggested deviantART to me. I decided to become a member as soon as they said "It is such a joyful community plus there are lots of chicks". I am happy to be a part of this community. deviantART is quite dynamic and to be honest it is nice to be free.

Hand me the list of my admirers and then I will answer. There is no such thing as admiration between photographers. There can only be envy or jealousy. Sometimes one understands that there is no way to reach the other's level, then he exalts the other to be god, which is not nice.

I like what I do, I do my very best to get good shots. As the situation is clear, why would I admire a photographer whose photography is better than mine.. I envy him!

I think this question suits conceptual photographers better. Apart from photographs I take for a project, I usually don't interfere.

I walk with my camera in hand and try to shoot what I see as I see it. I am more of a documentary photographer or a street photographer.

I was carrying a huge backpack back in time nowadays I take 2 cameras and 2 lenses with me. One of the cameras is mounted with wide angle lens and the other is mounted with tele-zoom lens. Whatever I shoot, I use these two for it and it's enough.

Anything photographic about humans is within my interest but I usually try to focus on a specified subject.

I photographed disabled people for a charity for Engelsiz Yasam Society (Non-disabled Life Society). I focused on brothels, trucker stops some pensions.

Nowadays I try to shoot naked portraits of disabled people and military related photographs.

I did not share my photographs with almost noone untill photo-sharing sites appeared on the Internet. I did not even share them in the societies I were a member of. Naturally, I had a period of self-repetition and recession. This, I consider as a mistake.

Back when there were no digital cameras, I used to work with dia-positives. Since I couldn't preserve them in the right conditions, almost three quarters of them ended up ruined. And that is my other huge mistake..

I pretty much exploit any source I can reach. There are photography and geography-travel periodicals that I am subscribed to. Also my photographer friends send me their portfolios. Internet is another huge source.

I believe beginners can find anything they want/need from the web.

I am a part of three periodicals with my articles and photography. I am also trying to make books of Engelsiz Yasam Society photo-interview project and Brothels Project.

Other than those major ones, I had seven personal exhibitions and were a part of countless mixed exhibitions. I had places over forty in national competitions and nearly twenty in international competitions. I photographed cultural wealth of the Mediterranean region of Turkey for the benefit of some foundations. Nearly twenty of my photographs are used as book covers.

I just came back from Kars, where I went for a photography trip. Horse pull sledges over the lake Cildir which was frozen, and the ice break fishing were photographically tasty. I also shook hands with a travel company which organizes international tours. I am going to be a photography instructor-guide for them.

I am also part of a team, working on a new photography web site named fotoiz. There is a famous war photographer along founding members. Fotoiz will bring a new expansion to photography sharing. If we do not face any problems, it will soon be online.

I used to paint until quite recent times but unfortunately I don't have time anymore.

As you might know, photography's state of being art or not is still at debate.

In every branch of art, the artist creates something or modifies what is to be something totally different. A sculptor takes a piece of rock and carves a statue out of it, in music or in painting there is something artists add in, whilst photography is sort of a photocopy of what there is. We save the existing thing to show others with help of an electronic device. The photographer does not interfere with the subject. It is enough for the photographer to use the device properly to have his photograph. He does not need to interfere with the thing he photographs. Since there is no creation period or some kind of interference with subject, situation comes to a point which states photography is not art. Hence photographers are not artists.

While I believe the above statement to be right, there is a point where Photoshop and such photo editing programs come in the picture. When the photographer fixes the scene before shooting and/or alters the image by image processing programs afterwards, in other words adding from himself, the process of creation -which makes art what it is- starts, therefore the ending processed image can be called a work of art, and the person making it an artist.

Of course we must leave documentary and news photography out of this concept. These two are records and must never be altered.

The technology of our day lets us fiddle with photographs with almost no limit. While this lowers the documental value of photographs, it lets them become pieces of art.

When it is decided that photography is a form of art or not, we will discuss for what and whom we create it.