Professional Associations

Photographic Art Federation of Turkey

It was founded in the beginning of the 2000s after a long period of work, and it aims to regroup all the local photography associations in one main network so that every person who is interested in photography is able to receive information about the development, the activities and the competitions of all the associations. It regroups 24 member clubs and 27 non-member clubs. The most renowned and active ones are:

• IFSAK (the Istanbul Photography and Cinema Amateurs’s Club, www.ifsak.org.tr; Address: İstiklal Cad. Ayhan Işık Sok. No: 32/2 34433 Beyoğlu; Phone:+90 (212) 2924201 / +90 (212) 2921807; iletisim@ifsak.org.tr ) It was founded in 1959, and has celebrated its 50th year in 2009 with a series of seminars and a large scale exhibition. It organizes seminars, educational programs, competitions, the Photography Days of Istanbul and the Young Photographers’s Festival. The website also presents the portfolios of the members. IFSAK is the best organized and renowned photography club of Turkey on national and also international basis.
• ASFAD (Amateur Photographers’ Club of Ankara, www.asfad.org.tr; Address: Büklüm Sokak No: 22/11 Kavaklıdere 06426 Ankara; Phone: +90 (312) 4172115; bilgi@afsad.org.tr ). It was founded in 1977 by a group of young photographers. It has the same activity plan as IFSAK but they remain local and they also focus more on publications. It has a monthly periodical Kontrast covering news from the club’s activities, portfolios, and articles from members.
• IFOD (The Izmir Art of Photography Club; http://www.ifod.org/; Address: 1453. Sokak (Gazi Kadınlar Sokağı) Antalya Apt.16/2 35220 Alsancak /İzmir; Phone: +90 232 4643212; ifod@ifod.org) It was founded in 1986. It provides for basic photography club activities and it has began to publish a new monthly periodical, called Bakraç, to share those activities with their members and the photography world.
• AFAD (The Adana Amateurs of Photography Club; Address: Ziyapaşa Mah. 25 Sokak Saadet Apt. No:27-28 Seyhan/Adana; Phone: +90 (322) 4584224; yonetim@afad.org.tr) It was founded in 1979. It is the center of the photography life of Adana. The website includes the online exhibition of the students of the last workshops.
• ESFAD (The Eskişehir Art of Photography Club; www.efsad.com.tr; Phone: +90 (222) 3304777; info@efsad.com.tr) This club isn’t an official member of the Photographic Arts Federation of Turkey, but it is included in its network and is involved in several photographic activities. It organizes a monthly photography competition, different seminars and is a part of the organization of the Photography Days of Eskişehir.

The website of the association gives the opportunity to follow the national and local competitions, the publications, and the festivals, and tries to create an almanac based on all this information. They are also trying to build an international network as they are a member of FIAP. But the foundation remains formal and fails to expand and adapt itself to the international photography world trends and associations.