Posing Nude in Turkey (Patreon)

My journey to the east was filled with culture. After traelling through Romania and Greece the first two weeks of our Eurotrip, Mike and I spent the last segment in Cesme and Istanbul. Turkish delight was on each corner! The food was zesty, oily, spicy, and the streets were wild with patrons and shop-owners hooting and hollering at each other. 5 times a day, over a loudspeaker, the "call to prayer" was blasted: elaborate foreign sign-songs which made me feel like I was in a scene in "Aladin" 

"There are zero nude freelance models here" Sertan Tiryaki informed me. A charismatic 30 something old soul. Sertan works closely with agencies in Turkey, and he had become wealthy through his family's textile business. He also organizes model photography workshops very similar to the kind we have in the USA: there is a lesson on camera lighting and settings techniques, then the attendees take turns shooting the model. 

My shoot with Sertan was independent, I picked the wardrobe, the atmosphere, and he had access to the locations and the skills with natural lighting. first, we shot in his apartment in the early morning light. The images turned out to be very classic, sensual, like a dream. 

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Once we arrived at the beach house, we shot some outside. This was the first time I was nervous about being nude in public, not because o police, but because the neighbors were watching us! Middle eastern countries traditionally look down upon nude modeling, or just being sexy in general... especially to those who are very religious. A mother and her 12 or so year old boy stopped what they were doing to stare at us... but did not say or do anything about it. I walked into the warm Turkish water and did some modeling magick!

That night, Sertan, his guitarist friend, his assistant, his girlriend, and Mike  and I played music until 3am, before it was time to take us to the airport or our final goodbye! I played the bass and Mike was on drums, it was a unique mix trying to jam on some classic Cranberries, System o a Down, and CCR with a singer who didn't speak a word o english, but sang it like a pro! 

Sertan says I should come back to Istanbul and he can book me solid paid photo shoots or a whole month! But that I would have to stay in his studio because there may be some sketchy clients, it's a different world over there.... should I do it?