Can Ahtam

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. I came to Boston to earn my MBA degree and fell in love with the city. After graduating, I got my first job at Coca-Cola and a year later decided to get back to my own roots at Bentley University, this time as the Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions. Aside from my full-time job, I have photography as my passion.

When did you realize your passion for photography?
Throughout my travels around the world, I have practiced my knowledge in photography and shared my creativity with the loved ones. My story begins with a disposable camera that my mom got for me so that I could capture everything around me I found interesting. The only part my mom left out, however, was the cost of film and photo development. Years later, during the digital era, I acquired a digital camera and started taking photos without a worry and was able to express my vision freely than before. Later on, my passion grew even larger with an education in photography and getting to meet many of the local photographers. This passion and excitement still live on each day with the curiosity I have over asking “What’s Next?”

How has becoming an Instagram influencer impacted your life or career?
With the increasing popularity of Instagram and communities such as @igersboston I have managed to meet new people with similar interests. You connect with diverse and creative individuals offline and get to match the names to the faces. My goal has always been on meeting individuals via Instagram and getting inspired by them. After a while, the “influencer” element was born and I began to grow partnerships and lifelong networks through my vision.

What is your advice to aspiring photographers on Instagram?
Do it for the love of photography and people. From my personal experience with others, I tend to see plenty of negativity around those who do it initially for the money. Your online presence matters as much as your offline presence and how people perceive you in both realms. You can only be a successful and a demanded name as long as you bring positive vibes along with your creative work.

Anything else you’d like to share?
If you happen to run into me on the street definitely feel free to stop me and say “Hi!”

Instagram: @canahtam | Website: canahtam.com