Hi! My name is Ayşe and I’m a second-generation Turkish Immigrant to Turtle Island, currently living in Portland, Oregon on the unceded territories of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, and Clackamas peoples, as well as Oakland, California, on the unceded territory of the Chochenyo Muwekma Ohlone.

As a photographer, cinematographer, and communications strategist, my work thematically focuses on the protection of Mother Earth, human rights, and revolutionary futurisms.

I believe that with grassroots and Indigenous-led movements, coupled with powerful storytelling, we can meet the scale of our global crises by resourcing frontline solutions.

“Visual storytelling is one of the most powerful and engaging tools of our time to build – beyond walls and limiting beliefs – a thriving world where the rights and dignity of all communities and of the world’s biodiversity are respected and protected.”

I’m a member of Diversify Photo and one of the five 2022 Revolutionary Storytellers for Photographers Without Borders.

As a visual storyteller, I strive to build authentic relationships that move at the speed of trust for meaningful collaboration. My dedication to social justice has taken me from the newsroom of Al Jazeera's AJ+, where I produced Real Time News stories; to a yurt at Standing Rock, where I was invited to support the launch of an Indigenous-led media platform, Indigenous Rising Media; to today, where I continue to partner with organizations and initiatives that are taking bold action to address the biggest issues of our time.

I have directed social impact content for brands like La Mer, that put the spotlight on Indigenous-led solutions for ocean remediation, and contributed cinematography to the critically acclaimed Alice Street Film, a documentary that explores how art can work as a tool for grassroots activism and how the power of coalition-building can disrupt the displacing forces of privilege.

As a member of Diversify Photo, my portrait and photojournalism work has been featured on STAT, High Country News, The Progressive, and Time. An activist at heart, my visual storytelling work has also supported climate justice campaigns from Native Conservancy, Rainforest Action Network, Earth Justice, Indigenous Environmental Network, Amazon Watch, and others.