Steady Gaze

• Photographer
  Esra Belgin
• Photo Date
  July-2025

She comes from Çomakdağ, a small village in Turkey where childhood often carries heavy responsibilities. In front of the camera, she was eager yet wore a quiet seriousness beyond her years. I met her while documenting the women of this village, and she quickly became part of the story. Her gaze reveals a delicate balance of fragility and resilience—an innocence shaped early by a life demanding strength, endurance, and quiet courage. There was a stillness to her presence, as if she understood more than she could say. In her, I saw the beginnings of the women I had come to photograph.

Esra Belgin has been drawn to photography for as long as she can remember. She believes deeply in the power of photography to observe, connect, and reveal what often goes unseen. Her main interest is street photography and documentary photography.