Kadir Sabuncuoğlu / Erzurum, Aug 24 () - Two women living in Istanbul city, both mother to young girls, have been taking pictures of butterflies during their golden years, chasing these beautiful creatures on hills and mountains.
Filiz Leloğlu Oskay a retired officer living in Istanbul with her daughter studying at university, and Nurşen Öngün Biçer, a retired bank officer and mother of two girls, have been chasing butterflies by wandering on top of mountains and hills.
After having retired, the two nature lover mothers have this time arrived to Erzurum, a northeastern province known with its wide range of butterflies and took pictures in the Palandöken, Kargapazarı Valleys along with Dumlu, Tortum, Uzundere zones under accompany of a professional photographer from Erzurum, Öztürk Akkök.
Filiz Leloğlu Oksay told that the most dazzling moment for her was when she had the chance to photograph the endangered Balkan fritillary, the less observed butterfly.
Oksay also urged hydroelectric power plant constructions, agricultural spraying and overgrazing destroy life spaces of butterflies, and called on the ministry of environment to form protection zones.
“Among 400 different butterfly species, I have taken picture of a hundred. The Apollo and Balkan fritillary species were the ones that have thrilled me the most. Among hundreds of photos, you notice that one butterfly has even smiled at you. And that single shot makes your day. That’s why I became a photographer of butterflies” said Oksay.
Nurşen Biçer, the other “chaser of butterfly shots” told that this hobby boosted her social life, adding that this hobby is a different sort of expertise but an amusing occupation.
“Sometimes you track a butterfly then it suddenly slips through your fingers. Then your friend seizes the moment and captures that shot. Sometimes vice versa…I have a large garden where I’ve planted different flowers to attract butterflies. Now, sometimes I notice them while I am cooking in the kitchen, then I leap up to catch that shot” said Biçer.
According to these dynamic Turkish mothers capturing dazzling moments of nature, people should not leave any traces but their footsteps, to the nature.
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