Hi my name is Umit and I am an app developer and a professional photographer. I studied economics but started my career as web security expert and worked for companies to help them to secure their websites. Now I enjoy creating visual content and I design apps to help people create their own content.
1. Tell us about your background and journey?
Hi my name is Umit and I am an app developer and a professional photographer. I studied economics but started my career as web security expert and worked for companies to help them to secure their websites. Now I enjoy creating visual content and I design apps to help people create their own content.
2. What inspired you to pursue photography and start your own blog?
It was back in 2011 and I felt like sitting in front of computers all day long was not for me, so I was already looking for new working ideas. One day, I installed a new app called Instagram on my iPhone 3gs and after that I fully stepped into travel photography, thank you Instagram. My instagram account is my micro blog.
3. What was the idea behind "DeluxeFX app" and what is it all about?
It was early 2012, I was new to Instagram and there were not so many photo editing apps around in those days. Your choices were limited and I needed to go to my desktop computer a lot to create filters for my photos. I wanted to be able to edit them on my iPhone so I decided to create my own app. That’s how DeluxeFX app has born.
4. Why do you call yourself a visual storyteller?
Because a picture is worth a thousand words. We are living in a time where people focus on mobile devices, where people prefer looking at visuals rather than reading words on their relatively small screens.
So, creating visual stories is logical to me. I enjoy to create visual stories, it is relaxing, challenging but most importantly rewarding as I earn money doing it.
5. What impact do you want to create through your photographs & stories?
I want to create short-cuts for people. For example, in a city there are a lot of places to visit but we don’t have unlimited time, right? We should use our time wisely. So basically, I want to show to people the most beautiful and interesting spots so that they may make better travel plans.
6. How did you build an audience for yourself?
I registered on Instagram in 2011 and I’ve been posting regularly ever since, almost every day. I always try to answer questions and try to improve my content all the time. If I need to find a keyword for Instagram success, it would be “consistency”.
7. What do you think resonates about you and your content with people?
I believe it is the appetite for traveling and discovering new people and places. I travel from Middle East to Europe, very diverse places but with one aim, how to enjoy those places, what to eat..etc. I believe this is the reason people follow me.
8. What are your future plans?
I have a lot of plans for the future. First, I want to change my photography a bit, I want to take portraits and get into street photography too. Let's see how this will collide in these pandemic times.
9. Which is your favourite book and why?
A Promised Land, by Barack Obama, a true master piece and it was really nice to see what a deeply caring person he is. It is not only about politics, he tries to teach us what he learnt from his experiences.
Interviewed By - Prashansa Maurya
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