ABDULLAH CHAKMAKCHI
I am a street photographer based in the South West of England. I have been doing photography for over 10+ years. I remember picking up my first DSLR camera in 2012 and going to the streets to capture some moments. I stopped street photography for a while and focused on portraits and landscapes. I got back into street photography in 2019 and haven't stopped since. I do portraits and landscapes occasionally, but I mainly photograph candid moments on the streets around Devon and Cornwall and other UK cities in public places. I also like to travel around different parts of the world, capturing fantastic moments on the streets.
My photography inspirations are Garry Winogrannd, Ricky Powell, Peter Lindbergh, Bill Cunningham, Daniel Arnold, and many more. I mainly shoot with a Leica camera with a 28mm focal length. I like to get close and tell a story with my images. I look for moments and fashion on the streets.
Before my interest in photography, I wanted to create my record label company, inspired by my family business, which was highly successful in Iraq, called Chakmakchi Phon, founded by my great grandfather in 1918. I wanted to go into that, so I spent most of my education studying business and marketing. My inspiration and the person I looked up to was my grandfather, who took his father's business and did some amazing things, allowing him to travel to different countries.
I have a YouTube channel that shows how I photograph candid street photography in Devon and Cornwall, as well as other places around the UK and worldwide. I am continuing to grow my YouTube Channel and help people who want to get into shooting candid street photography.
A few other things you don't know about me include the fact that I am a big wrestling fan. I have loved wrestling since I was a kid. I also enjoy old-school hip-hop music, from Run-DMC to Beastie Boys, and reading non-fiction books when possible. I am also a big coffee drinker, and there is not a day when I don't have a cup of coffee. I like to spend most of my time outdoors, meeting and connecting with people. I still want to learn about business and marketing, and I think I will always continue. I see myself more as an individualist. I like to do things my way and learn from my mistakes. I wouldn't say I like to do what most people do. I do the opposite if a group wants to do something. You have to find your way; doing what everyone does is lame. When you see me out and about, I indeed stand out!
My main goal is to show how much the world has developed and changed. I want the next generations to be amazed at how people are and how the world has changed with photography. I want my photography to live on whenever I am gone. So, my best advice and quote from the late great Ricky Powell is, "When you put your pants on and get out of the house, anything is possible."