To tour us through Miami, we sat down with international photographer, and former New York finance refuge, Cengiz Ozelsel of Adagion. Three words Cengiz uses to describe Miami – Hot, Sexy, and Fun, are what we would use to describe him.
Galavante: You have a very interesting background; where are you from?
Cengiz: I’m originally from Germany, but I’ve lived, worked, and pursued my studies in Turkey, France, the U.S., Singapore, and Italy. Prior to relocating to Miami in 2009, I lived in Manhattan for 5 years.
Galavante: So you are a New York refugee living in Miami; that seems to be a trend nowadays.
Cengiz: There are quite a few of us New Yorkers who have relocated to Miami. I lived in NYC since I graduated from business school in 2004, and in that prior life, I made a living on Wall Street, working in credit derivatives sales and equity research. I moved to Miami in May 2009 to pursue my passion of photography.
Galavante: That’s gutsy to leave a successful finance career to pursue photography.
Cengiz: Galavante would know about gutsy moves, since you did the same to create your website. As I’m sure you can understand, there comes a time in your life to do what makes you happy, which brings you real success. It’s been quite lucrative for me to make the transition
Galavante: And what drew you to Miami?
Cengiz: Actually a number of factors. I have always loved Miami–especially the beach and Latin culture. When the great recession hit Wall Street, my wife found herself in career transition with the Merrill and BofA merger. We had been thinking about purchasing a condo for years, and the recession gave us a unique opportunity to get our dream home in Miami.
From a personal point of view, it is a great place to raise children and so much easier to navigate with a baby than New York. The cuisine, while not comparable with New York, is quite sophisticated and diverse with some amazing choices for any palette.
Galavante: Speaking of cuisine, what is your typical routine of restaurants when you are enjoying your city?
Cengiz: I love Gotham in the Fountainbleu or Michaels in the Design District for some serious culinary masterpieces. Betsy Ross is great for South Beach people watching and Lincoln Road for strolling and an ice cream at Gelateria Parmalat after dinner. On the casual side, I like to get coffee at the Nespresso Bar and stop by the Shake Shack on Lincoln Road for some gourmet “fast food”. When I’m with family, Jaxson’s in Dania Beach for some diet busting ice cream desserts.
Galavante: Where do you go for special occasions?
Cengiz: Definitely The Forge…it stands alone for the most amazing wine collection and exquisite service and theme dining rooms.
Galavante: Can you tell us more about your photography?
Cengiz: My style is best characterized as a blend between photojournalism and lifestyle photography with a penchant for the former. What really sets my work apart is that I consider myself an artist and value quality over quantity. When I document weddings, I am always on the lookout to capture emotion, energy, and the telling moments that make each event unique. My philosophy is that it’s not my job to dictate the events for my clients, but rather capture the flow of the day as it naturally unfolds. Above all, the key to my success is to make things fun so my client feels comfortable in front of the lens and, ideally, tunes out my presence and any camera awareness.
Galavante: How do you try to get that perfect shot?
Cengiz: That is really what separates great from good photographers. As a photojournalist, it is about recognizing moments and delivering the goods when it counts. However, that is really no longer enough. Today, it is about telling a narrative with my artwork that resonates with my clients’ emotions. My tip for photographers is to get good rest before a shoot, for there is nothing worse on creativity than a tired mind. I have a diverse portfolio, from special events, fashion and wedding photography. Also, I travel all over the world for weddings.
Galavante: Where did you travel for work this year, and what was your favorite?
Cengiz: It feels like I am on the road all the time, but this year my job brought me to Turkey, Italy, Germany, and Turks & Caicos in terms of international travel. Then, on average, I spend every other weekend in New York City for business. Add to that some domestic destination weddings, such as in New Orleans and Santa Barbara, and you can quickly rack up the frequent flier miles.
Galavante: It’s like the ultimate form of international wedding crashing. We’ll have to catch up with you on your future Galavantes. Best of luck.
Check out Cengiz Ozelsel’s photos at Adagion Studios, www.adagion.com.
