Kemal

The Photo Journalist

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  • I live in London, Istanbul
  • I speak العربية, English, Türkçe
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 7 hours

Hi there! Nice to meet you

Kemal

I am a professional photographer and photography instructor with over three decades of experience. I served as the Executive Editor of National Geographic Magazine in Turkey from 2000 to 2011. Despite studying law, I pursued my childhood dream of becoming a photographer and traveled to more than 100 countries around the world. This experience has given me a deep understanding of various cultures. Apart from conducting day tours, I organize custom photography trips worldwide through my company, Terra Photo Tours. My works have been published internationally, and I have had personal exhibitions in many different countries. The Anthropology Museum of Wichita State University in Kansas holds a permanent photography exhibition of my work on the last remaining Kurdish Nomads of Eastern Turkey.

You can find me on Instagram as kemalnuraydin. I am also a licensed professional tour guide registered with the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

I was born in Antakya, Hatay, an ancient multicultural town famous for its cuisine (unfortunately, my hometown was completely destroyed in the 2023 earthquakes). Hatay is recognized as one of the creative cities of UNESCO for its culinary heritage. This is why good food is my passion, and I'm eager to share the foodie places I know and make new discoveries whenever I have the chance. I enjoy cooking for friends a lot, boasting a large repertoire of recipes ranging from Turkish to Middle Eastern to European cuisine. I am also skilled in making desserts, ice cream, kombucha, and my own yogurt.

Additionally, I am a whisky enthusiast with a vast collection. It's always great fun to share information about whisky, wine, or have a drink together with a friend. I love scuba diving because it allows me to discover a world that I would not normally have access to. The ability to move freely underwater makes me feel like part of the marine life. I've had amazing experiences with sea lions in the Galapagos and manta rays in the Komodo Sea underwater.

*PS: Please note that my exclusive and private photography tours have different pricing than normal city tours. No photography training or workshop should be expected when booking one of the Withlocals Originals Tours.

  • I live in London, Istanbul
  • I speak العربية, English, Türkçe
  • Verified Local host
  • Response time less than 7 hours

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Reviews

Steven
26 July 2025
Full of knowledge of the history and the aria. Took us to all the hole in the wall bars that we enjoyed very much.Fantastic guide
Colin
16 July 2025
We booked Kemal when we were home in New Zealand, having reviewed other reviews about Kemal and having checked out his photography online and in instagram. This man is so modest about his accomplishments- everything online is understated. He has a great ability to engage with locals in Turkey in such a warm and genuine manner- people seem to do anything for him, allow him places and are happy for him/us to photograph them, showing their story and humanity. He has travelled to and knows so many countries- it’s not for nothing he was a staff photographer ( and executive editor) for National Geographic for many years. I don’t think we could ask him anything about Istanbul and the surrounding area ( we did two of his tours) which he didn’t know. He organised a car, and made recommendations for meals/ drinks (which were spot on- and we had as part of the tours). Not only that, he is very flexible to fit in with exactly what you want- just guiding, or going to places specifically for photographic opportunities. He met us at our hotel- really takes away any hassle- and you really do get to see a lot more than if left to your own devices. He also has a “voice map” guided out of the Galata area of Istanbul- we didn’t know about that- suggest checking it out. We weren’t sure if Kemal was the same person as “Kemal Nuraydin” in instagram- he is. He is the same Kemal in “Terra Photos tours” ( website and instagram) as well. Also, to remove any potential confusion, he actually lives in London, doing the same work there, but has friends and family in Istanbul, so is always happy to fly over to do your guiding or tour. Sounds like we are advertising him, which we are- only because we think he is so good at what he does. Thanks Kemal! Colin Brown and Ruth Bijl , Auckland, New ZealandTHE BEST GUIDE and PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDE
Marc
16 June 2025
Kemal was a great teacher for us. He helped us take our photography to the next level or even to the level above that. We loved every second of it and truly appreciate him coming to Istanbul for us. Yes it is pricy but for us it was worth it, as we now have a new approach to taking fotos of the people on the streets, so thank you very much Kemal!Awesome Streetphoto Tour/Lesson in Galata
Hector
21 May 2025
Had a fantastic time in the Galata area of Istanbul with Kemal. Local knowledge is a great thing. For someone trying to remember how to find their way around a camera again, it was a fantastic learning experience. I would thoroughly recommend Kemal's tour if you are lucky enough to find him available. He is patient, seeks out great photo opportunities, and willing acomplicies, to help 'get that shot'. We also learned a few tips and tricks to make our phone mobile photography better. An all round great time with an all round great guy! şerefe Kemal. Galata with Kemal
David
18 May 2025
Kemel certainly knows how to teach you to use your camera and phone better to take great pictures. He showed us around Galata area and we learnt a lot about the history. The time passed too quickly. A good photography teacher and guide
Cassie
16 April 2025
Kemal took my family of 4 to various points around the Galata Tower area. Within the first hour, we already learned a great deal of technique and info. We had no idea what our iPhones were capable of doing. He engaged my kids (12- and 14- y/o) in a natural way and encouraged them to keep taking photos throughout the experience. He sprinkled in historical information to give context of where we were. Highly recommend for beginners like us and I’m sure would be an amazing reliever for experienced photographers.Learned much more than I could imagine.
Karen
12 October 2024
As a photographer on my first trip to Istanbul I wanted to make sure that I saw the city but also that I had the opportunity to explore areas that tourists wouldn't normally go. I enjoy street photography, but knew I had lots to learn, so I was thrilled to be able to enlist someone as skilled as Kemal as my guide for a half day. He led me up and down the side streets of Galata and gave me fantastic pointers on what watch for, what to do, and how to set myself up for solid street images. I learned lots that I was able to put into use through the remainder of my stay in Istanbul. In this day and age when everyone seems to be about their Instagram shot, it was great to meet someone who cares about old school photography and is willing to share both his technical skills and his knowledge of the city. Beyond that, Kemal was personable and had a good sense of humor. I'd highly recommend him to anyone, including single women who might be nervous about going out alone with their camera. A memorable walk through Galata.
k8yrfnrn24
31 August 2024
Danke für die professionelle Führung mit extrem viel Wissen und Geheimtiips😍🤗Familienstadtführung
Kelly
20 August 2024
My teenagers are interested in photography, but I don’t really know much about it. We booked this as a way to explore the city more and to hopefully improve our skills, and it did not disappoint. I’m particularly glad we booked it early in our trip so we could keep practicing the skills we learned. If you have even the slightest interest in taking better photos, I couldn’t recommend this more. Kemal checked with us before the tour to see what equipment we had (iPhones) and then he brought the same along for himself so he could constantly be showing us how to improve our pictures with the equipment we have. He did an amazing job explaining basics to us about how to frame shots and some magic moments to look for that really make an interesting photograph. Kemal also showed us how to use numerous features on our phones that I had either never really explored or never knew existed. He took us down fascinating streets in Istanbul that we never would have known about on our own, even though they were just a street or two away from our hotel. My teenagers (and myself and my husband) loved it and now we all keep talking about things we see on the street that would make great photos. I, personally, feel like I’m seeing details around me that I wouldn’t have noticed before which is making me feel more immersed in my vacation.This made the rest of our trip better
Mark
13 November 2023
Kemal was an amazing guide. Not only did he provide hands on photography training that will forever change how we take pictures, but the setting he chose allowed us to see parts of London we would never have known about. Our only regret is we didn’t book Kemal earlier in our trip so we could apply our new skills and training for all of our London photos. Hands down one of the best experiences we have had while visiting a new city. Thanks Kemal!!Beyond Expectations

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