Image © Helin Bereket

In Focus is Archinect's recurring series dedicated to profiling the photographers who help capture architecture and who make the work of architects look that much better. In this series, we ask: What is their relationship to architecture? How do they work? What are their goals when capturing buildings?

For this installment, Archinect chats with Berlin-based architectural photographer Helin Bereket. After receiving her bachelor's degree in architecture from Yildiz Technical University, Bereket realized that she could unify her passion for composition, form, and color through architectural photography. Now recognized for her keen eye toward visual content curation, Bereket uses the skills she learned in architecture school to blend the distinction between architecture and art. Showcasing photographs that are both beautifully isolating and visually provocative, Bereket's oeuvre is fueled by her spontaneity and ability to capture genuinely immersive images.

What is your relationship to architecture? What drew you to architecture as a photographer?

I have a bachelor’s degree in architecture, which gives me this obsession with clear compositions, geometric shapes, and colors. 

Where did you study architecture and why did you decide to major in it?

I studied at Yildiz Technical University in Istanbul. To be honest, it wasn't a very conscious decision. I was 17 and had to decide what to study. I was in the "math and science" group, which wasn't a conscious decision either. Architecture was the most “artistic” course among all the engineering, math, and medical-related programs, so I decided to study that. I think I wouldn't study architecture if I had a chance to study again. But I definitely don't regret my experience. I'm happy with the perspective and skills I gained during my time in the program. 

Do you remember the first photograph you took? 

I started taking photos in 2013 in Iceland, when I got my first camera. I don’t remember which one came first. I'm not sure if I would call the first one a photograph, but one of my all-time favorites is one of my very first photos, "Fifty shades of Green and Blue."

Could you describe your work process? 

Actually, it’s different every time. My photos are a mixture of things that are on my bucket list to photograph and things that I stumble upon spontaneously. Sometimes I like a photo at the moment I take it, sometimes I see an interesting detail when I review it later, so post-production is also an important step in my work. 

When I collaborate with a brand, I usually develop a concept first and then I transform it into a photo or series of photos. 

I think a photo of a building can be as emotional as a photo of a person. Just like a photo of a person can be as abstract as architecture. 

What are your goals when capturing buildings in photographs?

I don’t have a conscious goal or message, I just see things and interpret them through my photos. Describing myself visually is much easier for me, and photography has been the best way to do this. 

I try to see and convey the beauty in architecture, no matter whether it's an ordinary building that I stumble upon or a masterpiece.

What's the main difference between capturing buildings versus capturing people in your photographs? 

For me, both are about seeing and sharing something. It doesn’t matter if it's a person, a building, or a tree. I think a photo of a building can be as emotional as a photo of a person, just like a photo of a person can be as abstract as architecture. 

What are your thoughts about including people in your photos of buildings? Is it important to photograph a building in use, or by itself?

It depends. I love to capture natural, spontaneous moments, but I also have an obsession with clear compositions and geometrical shapes. I enjoy combining these two things the most, which is what I can do when I include people in my photos of buildings. It’s also a great way to show the scale. 

But, I think, architecture stands for itself sometimes, and doesn’t need another element. 

Your photographs have this beautiful isolating feeling with the architecture. Is this something you intentionally seek out, or does it come naturally when you photograph?

A bit of what I shared earlier, my photos are a mixture of things on my bucket list and things that I stumble upon. When I travel, I usually have a rough plan, but I always leave room for the things that I could experience spontaneously. 

The feeling I have and try to convey when I take a photo depends on what I experience. Some architecture photos are full of emotions, some are beautiful but emotionally empty. 

Some architecture photos are full of emotions, some are beautiful but emotionally empty. 

The way you capture space and accentuate color within each frame is really distinct. Is this something you learned as you progressed as a photographer? 

The artistic part of architecture has always been more interesting to me than the technical part. That’s why I moved to Berlin in 2008 to do my Masters in Art at the Berlin Weissensee School of Art, which opened up new dimensions between architecture and art for me. Playing with spaces and colors has been a part of my life for over 15 years now, but of course photography developed it a lot as well.

Did you have any photographers that you looked up to? Any female photographers?

Of course, there are many artists and photographers whose work I admire and enjoy. But to be honest, there is no artist that influences my style. I try to follow my own path. 

What's the best piece of advice you've been given and what would you say to young photographers who are interested in pursuing photography as a career?

The society and system we live in mostly gives you advice that holds you back. I would have a 9 to 6 job at an office if I had listened to advice. I didn’t, and now I live a life that I could only dream of a few years ago. It doesn’t mean that it’s terrible to have a 9 to 6 job, it’s just not the only way you can take. So, I advise everyone not to listen to advice. Everybody should follow their own journey.

Helin Bereket is a freelance photographer and content creator based in Berlin. After completing her bachelor studies in Architecture in Istanbul, she decided to move to Berlin to do her masters in Arts at The Berlin Weissensee School of Art, which enabled her to work in a more interdisciplinary way with media such as video and photography. Both during and after her studies, she participated in many group exhibitions, including the 6th European Month of Photography Berlin in 2014. She created her Instagram account in 2015 and, ultimately, her newfound craft became her job. She loves traveling and capturing new places and moments with her camera and sharing them on her Instagram feed.