At the end of a good day of diving, what remains in the memory is sometimes a school of fish, sometimes the light on the rock, sometimes a brief moment captured by a friend's lens. When these moments are documented regularly, a visual archive of a region's underwater culture emerges. The initiative of Sırrı Özşen, who has been working with divers at Çandarlı for years, in 2019 is a concrete example of this perspective.
What was said in the SUFOD announcement?
In its announcement of July 22, 2019, SUFOD shared an invitation from Sırrı Özşen, manager of Derin Dalış Merkezi, to association members who take underwater photographs and video. The proposal focused on sharing images recorded in Çandarlı with local institutions, potentially leading to promotional projects, exhibitions or books.
The announcement also included a periodic support offer that was stated to be valid until October 2019. This offer is part of an invitation issued in the past; It should not be considered as a valid diving, accommodation or organization requirement today.
Why was it important?
When an underwater photographer visits the area for the first time, he encounters many variables such as current, bottom structure, daylight and safe route selection. A guide with strong local knowledge will help plan the dive safely. The photographs that this collaboration can produce make visible not only the beauty of Çandarlı seen on the surface, but also its underwater habitats.
For a photograph to be a scientific observation, it is not enough for it to look good. The photograph's shooting date, location, accuracy of species identification, and comparability over time are important. In other words, instead of presenting every frame as evidence, it is necessary to create a qualified archive with verifiable records.
Why is Sırrı Hoca's guidance mentioned?
A 2013 news report describes underwater photographer Bülent Şelli's photographic experiences on Çandarlı and his positive evaluations of Sırrı Özşen's guidance. Looking at SUFOD's 2019 invitation, it seems that Derin Dalış Merkezi has contacted the diving and imaging community in different years. These two resources are not a list of all the activities that have been done; but it provides a solid basis from which to begin documenting the past.
How can we evaluate it today?
Derin Dalış Merkezi's digital archive can bring together past invitations and news chronologically. If the photographers allow, the stories of selected shots, shooting conditions and location information can be published with original narratives. Such a study would be valuable for education, environmental awareness and local promotional content in the future.
Related pages: Sırrı Hoca · Underwater Art and Community · Gallery
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