Explorer Mikael Strandberg

It was in Beypazarı in where an increased cultural tourism and a rich wildlife. I was waiting for a squirrel in my hide. Then, i saw the snake passed in front of me just directed to the frog which is in its larval period. The larva was standing in a small water and there was no way to run for it.

Baris Koca is Turkeys foremost wildlife photographer and his photography is indeed spectacular, but also very important. He is one of few who has dedicated his life to preserving the unique flora and fauna of this giant of a country, Turkey. It met him during my latest visit to Turkey and we spent a few excellent days together. He is a great guy and a very good human, like me trying to figure out life. Read his great article below:

NATURE’S MY PASSION

I remember i used to watch photos in world atlas when i was a little boy. The images of different geographies and extraordinary creatures have always attracted me much. Maybe this is the reason why i continue my life as a natural life photographer.

During high school and university years, i spent some period of my life away from my visual interests because of my parent’s concern about my future and because i was living in a society which is not so aware of this subject. So that, i found myself seized with the developments in the computer’s world after university. But, after a while during a depression period i’d fallen into, I’d realized that empty values had been directing my life and how i’d been away from inner satisfaction. I started to make many searches to make my life more livable. Fortunately, having gone to the nature was the first of them.

I was wandering in the forest in Yedigöller then i saw the mushroom was lighted by the sun on a steep hill so that I could hardly take the shot.

Whenever i was in nature i was feeling in inner peace, indeed. So, to spend more time in nature i joined trekking groups, in the beginning. İt was feeling good but not satisfying enough. Later, more serious nature sports, like rock climbing, became my next interest. But again i realized that i couldn’t be motivated sufficiently while doing them. İ felt that what i need was something different. In those days photography got into my life in a way. During my development in photography, i chose my subjects so that it was almost the same place as my previous nature experiences. First travelling photos, then nature sports photos. It went on for a while until i’d realized how we really need natural life to be healthy and the dangers it’d involved. When my knowledge about natural life increased, then my interest has just focused on it. We have the richest natural life (flora and fauna) in Europe and Middle East, so I couldn’t spend my time without thinking about how i could be a part of conversation activities. Also, i’ve started to feel an inner satisfaction as i’ve never felt before while i photograph the nature. I didn’t want this feeling to stop what i feel inside me so eventually, i stopped my 10 ten year old career in engineering to become full time nature photographer.

Though conditions are not good in the sector, i feel happy since i could turn my passion to my life style, eventually. It also increased my joy of life to have a chance to pay back my debt to mother nature…

Yerkopru waterfall: A dream like place in south Turkiye (Mut-Mersin). Though its ice cold water swimming feels like heaven.

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Barış Koca

Nature and wildlife photographer

Born in 1975, graduated from electronics engineering dept. in 1998. Between 2004-2008, while he was still working as an engineer, his travelling photo articles published in several magazines and his photographs awarded by several national and international contests. He was chosen as a member of Management Board of a photography association in Ankara, in 2007-2008.

bald ibis: I took photo of these two bald ibis which are the symbol species of conservation in Turkiye, in Şanlıurfa. They live semi-captive. Other breeding colonies are in Syria and Morocco. Bald ibis which have not migrated for years in the colony in Birecik have been let to migrate for last 2 years. Results show that the speices hasn’t lost its migrating instinct.

In 2008, he merged his passion to nature into full time photography and has become professional. Same year, he has been taken over the head of Photography Working Group in TURCEV (Tourism, Environment and Urban Journalists Association). While he started photographing the biodiversity around Lake Mogan, which is one of the most important wetlands in Ankara where he live, one of his photos awarded as highly commended in “Animal behaviours:Birds” category in BBC wildlife Photographer of the Year, the most prestigious wildlife photography contest in the world, and published in 2008 catalogue. Also, some of his photos, from the same work, was published in National Geographic Türkiye July 2009 issue.

In 2009, he volunteerly started photo editoring of Nature Magazine, a periodic publication of Nature Association. His first personal exhibiton that aim conserving and introducing the wildlife in Turkiye, was performed in Harrison Gallery in Seattle/US by “Turkfest” sponsorship. Also, he became the winner of monthly photo contest of Wild Wonders of Europe. Now, he’s been giving a workshop “Introduction to Nature photography” time to time, and preparing a photography project about natural heritage of Anatolia.

See more of his great photos at www.bariskoca.com

white wagtail: Again in Beypazarı in the same hide. They are very common birds can be observed near lakes and streams. You can easily see them shaking their tails while standing.

Life at the souk just outside my flat in Old Sanaa at 3.30 a.m....

A few hours ago I woke when the muezzin called for another day of fasting, accompanied by warplanes heading for the Saada Province and realizing that the Yemeni government under Abdullah Ali Saleh was stepping up their attempt to stamp out the Al Houthi-rebellion in the north. At least 10 of them passed over the legendary Old City of Saana, the city which according to legend was placed here by Sem. After that experience, it is always frightening to hear the sounds of war just outside your own comfort zone, I couldn´t sleep even though I went to bed at 4 a.m, so I read an article about the 100 Yemenis (50% of all) detainees still locked up at Guatanamo Bay accused of terrorism. The rain was pounding down hard on the streets below and I remembered what my new friend A said just a few hours earlier:

A road most of the time, until heavy rains hit the city.......

“I think this is vital for the future of the country” , he said whilst sipping at the hubble-bubble (the water pipe which is called shisha here in Yemen) , “If we can´t destroy them now, in this the 6th war against the Houthis, we will not get any further and the country will probably fall apart. But I think this time we will win.”

A is one of the Yemen’s young brains and the future brain trust, a great fellow, who have been called back from abroad to use his know how to save the country. Ours was a business meeting, the first I have ever had at 1.30 a.m, but than again this is after all Yemen, this amazing country!

Ibn Battuta, the great Moroccan-Persian traveller......

“It is a fantastic feeling being back in Yemen after so many years abroad” , he said sucking the pipe, enjoying his taste of apple, “but it is not easy. I don´t know if you read this article published in Time Magazine just recently? About the Yemenis chewing kat and in that way killing the country? Well, it is true. They start thinking about chewing kat at 1 p.m, and loose their concentration. This is a problem.”

I have noticed this. It is everywhere, the kat chewing. People guarding the school, guarding government buildings, well, everywhere in San’a, but than again, it is part of life here and I guess, when there´s very little hope, a commodity many Yemenis lack right now, one just wants to forget about the negative aspects of life and think about the good ones! Which I did after waking up. I thought about one of the greatest travellers of all time, Ibn Battuta who describes his visit to Yemen in the year of 1329:

“We went on from there to the town of Ta’izz, the capital of the king of Yemen, and one of the finest and largest towns in that country. Its people are overbearing, insolent, and rude, as is generally the case in towns where kings reside.”

Unfriendly? Just chewing kat.....

Ibn Battuta is known amongst pretty much everyone here in Yemen. The same applies to Oman. It is sad that he isn´t better known in the West,where we highlight the travels of Marco Polo, who in comparison to Ibn Battuta is a mere tourist. In short, Ibn Battuta traveled for nearly 30 years, from Morocco to China and back and much more. I have written about him earlier, read more here and no matter to whom I talk about my journey, Ibn Battutas travels always comes up. Amazingly enough, the best scholar on Ibn Battuta is living here in San’a and I have met him once at a kat chew of course, Tim MacKintosh-Smith. He has lived here for as long as Ibn Battuta traveled and is more Yemeni than European. A great and very humble guy who have written two books on Ibn Battuta. And one on Yemen, which is a superb read. In this book he highlights a lot of the positive aspects of the Arab World and its Golden Era, about which I will write more next time!

By the way, Tim Mackintosh-Smith told me a joke, which is probably the oldest joke alive, especially in the Arab world. It is from the 12th Century and goes like this:

“A Christian decides to convert to Islam and is told that to be able to do this he has to say Allah Akbar and Mohamed is his prophet plus he has to get circumcised. Which he does. But after awhile he regrets his conversion and wants to leave the new religion, but is told he will get his head cut off if he does. Very upset he exclaims: What kind off a religion is this where you get your dick cut off when joining and your head  when leaving it!”

Anyway, time for me to go to class and hear Rashads stories from daily life in Yemen. As interesting as Ibn Battutas passage through Yemen! By the way, interesting analysis in the Yemen Times about the situation here!

Sanaa hiding from the heavy rains.