How I came to photograph moments.
I'm Tolga Șahin, a photographer based in Ploiești. I work with families, portraits, drone and photo tours through the Carpathians.
Every session is a conversation — not just a purchase.
Ten years with a pencil, then the camera.
I grew up with a pencil in my hand. Ten years of charcoal and oil portraits taught me to see people before drawing them — the light on a cheek, the way a shadow falls, what a gaze says. Then I held a camera for the first time and understood: the same eye, just a new tool.
I moved to Ploiești on my own, and Romania became home. It gave me the mountains — the Carpathians — and that's where the camera truly found its place. Ever since, the road between people and their light has been my work.
I don't count frames — I count the moments worth keeping. Every photograph starts from the same simple thought: „I want to get to know you a little before I press the shutter.”
Before I press the shutter
I don't just want to photograph moments. I want to catch the light the way you see it — natural, warm, yours.
Every session begins with a question: who are you? How much time do you need to feel at ease? What shows in your eyes when you truly smile?
Then comes the finishing work: in Lightroom and DaVinci Resolve I edit each frame individually, with a cinematic tone — never automatically. The full gallery reaches you online, and at events you leave with prints and magnets in your hand.
Four steps, unhurried
Getting to know you
A short talk — I want to understand what you're looking for.
Planning
Date, location, concept — decided together.
The session
Unhurried, patient. The moment comes on its own.
Delivery
Edited photos + prints or magnets, if that's part of it.
What I work with
- Canon 6D Mark II + 24-70mm — my main camera.
- Canon 250D + 50mm f/1.8 — reliable backup.
- DJI Flip — the view from above.
- 2× LED 50W + softbox — the mobile studio.
- Lightroom + DaVinci Resolve — at home on the MacBook.
- Canon MegaTank photo printer — quality prints, instantly, at every event.
- Anker SOLIX power station — Instant Memories work even where there's no socket.
But the truth is here: the gear is only a tool. The truth is in the relationship.