Starting Over at 35 in New York: Sinem Yazici on Photography, Production and AI

After 15 years in international advertising, starting over as a photographer in New York at 35 meant rebuilding everything from scratch. In this edition of BRIDGE’s "Bridging the Gap" series, we explore what it takes to make that shift — and how cultural perspective, production discipline and human judgement are reshaping creative work under AI pressure.

Q and A

You made a significant career shift in your 30’s into photography and production. What felt most daunting about that decision at the time, and what made you commit to it anyway?

I’d spent almost 15 years in advertising, working at international agencies like VMLY&R, TBWA, Saatchi & Saatchi, and then moved to client-side as an advertising manager at a large company at the age of 29. The most daunting part of the shift was starting over at 35, becoming a photographer in a new country, in a concrete jungle like New York, where the competition is intense and I was building my network from zero as an immigrant. What made me commit was my love for photography and for New York, and honestly my personality: I’m curious, adventurous, and a perfectionist. Once I knew this was what I wanted, I was all in.

Growing up in Turkiye and later building your career in New York, what parts of that cultural background most clearly show up in how you see people, bodies and stories in your work?

I shoot across fashion, beauty, portraits, editorial, and commercial, but the way I see is consistent. Being Turkish influences my work in the emotional tone and in how I work with people. I’m drawn to cinematic romance, a little melancholic and to contrast: softness with strength, elegance with grit. Visually I’m obsessed with texture, colors and light, the kind of layered, tactile feeling I grew up around. And on set I lead with warmth and trust, very Turkish hospitality, because when people feel safe, the images get more honest, no matter the genre.

In casting talent for photography and commercial projects, what do you look for beyond physical appearance, and how do you weigh that judgement against the brief, the client and production constraints?

Beyond physical appearance, I cast for energy and presence, specifically warm, cheerful vibes and self confidence. I pay attention to how someone carries themselves, how natural their expressions feel, whether they can take direction without losing authenticity, and how they connect with the camera and the team. Those qualities are what make the images feel believable and elevated, especially in commercial work.

In terms of weighing that against the brief, client needs, and constraints, I treat the brief as the non‑negotiable baseline (demographic, brand tone, usage, diversity requirements, wardrobe/ beauty considerations). Within that frame, I prioritize the person who best matches the brand and brings warm, cheerful vibes and self confidence, because that usually translates to stronger performance and faster, more efficient shooting.

Production constraints then help finalize the decision: availability, budget, location/travel, licensing/usage, fitting time, and set demands. If there’s a trade-off between “perfect look” and “perfect energy,” I’ll often choose the talent with warm, cheerful vibes and self confidence, provided they still meet the key brief because it reduces risk on set and consistently delivers better work.

From a production standpoint, how do you decide the order in which key elements need to be locked when assembling a campaign, particularly when coordinating multiple freelancers with different schedules and constraints?

I lock things in by dependency and start with elements that everything else depends on and are hardest to change (budget, core message, timeline, deliverables). Then lock creative anchors (concept, key visuals, script). After that, schedule and lock execution pieces (shoots, edits, copy, adaptations).

With freelancers, I work backwards from immovable deadlines, book the most constrained people first, and freeze inputs before downstream work starts. Anything that feeds multiple people gets locked early; anything cosmetic stays flexible until the end.

As a creative running a business, how do you approach the expectation to be visible and self promoting online as part of modern marketing, while still protecting time and energy for the work itself?

I make visibility structured and limited, not constant. I pick one platform, set hard time boundaries, batch and schedule content, and share the work/process instead of performing online. Treat self-promotion as a support system for the work, not a parallel job.

What challenges are shaping how photographers and producers work right now, and how are those pressures changing the way you approach projects?

AI is the pressure point right now.

It’s compressing timelines, lowering perceived value, and blurring authorship. Clients expect faster turnarounds, more iterations, and cheaper outputs because “AI can do it.” At the same time, it’s forcing photographers and producers to be clearer about what’s human-critical: taste, judgment, access, trust, and real-world execution.

In response, projects are approached with tighter scopes, clearer usage terms, and more emphasis on concept, direction, and curation rather than just image-making. The role is shifting from “creator” to author and decision-maker, using AI as a tool where it helps, and drawing firm lines where it dilutes the work.

About Sinem

Born in 1976 in Antalya, Turkiye, Sinem Yazici is a graduate of Marmara University, School of Public Relations and Advertising. Starting from 1996, her advertising career reached up to 15 years, working in several international agency networks and also as the advertising manager of locally and globally renowned brands in Istanbul. Her ever growing interest in photography finally found its way through a photography class in Istanbul, which started a whole new chapter that took her to New York to complete her photography training in New York Film Academy. She won the silver "Kristal Elma" award in 2017 with her Wepublic campaign photo which is the most prestigious advertising award in Turkiye. She’s also the founder of “Model Taste” where she interviews models about their New York, a contributing travel editor for D’Scene Magazine and freelance voice-over.

Series credit

Part of BRIDGE’s Bridging the Gap interview series.

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Interested in reading another Bridging the Gap series edition? Then click here to read what Director and Photographer, Charlotte Garner, made for experiences in the industry evolving around AI.