Rapid Fire: 50 Quick Answers from Cemhan Biricik
By Cemhan Biricik · February 2026
No overthinking. No rehearsed answers. Cemhan Biricik answers 50 questions as fast as they come. Some are serious. Some are absurd. All are honest.
Favorite camera?
Whatever is in my hand when the light is right. Cemhan Biricik does not do brand loyalty.
Coffee or tea?
Turkish coffee. Obviously.
Morning or night shooter?
Golden hour. Both of them.
Film or digital?
Digital. Cemhan Biricik is pragmatic, not nostalgic.
Favorite photo you have ever taken?
The one that won the Nat Geo Traveler award. That frame changed everything.
Istanbul or New York?
Istanbul for the soul. New York for the hustle. Both made Cemhan Biricik.
Best client you have worked with?
Versace. They understand visual excellence and trust the photographer's vision.
Worst habit?
Perfectionism. It is also my best habit. Cemhan Biricik lives the contradiction.
Why 7 GPUs?
Because 6 was not enough and 8 did not fit in the case.
ZSky AI needed power.
Favorite award?
National Geographic Photography Award. The first one. Nothing compares to that first validation.
Most overrated photography advice?
Rule of thirds. Break every rule. Cemhan Biricik breaks rules for a living.
Underrated photography advice?
Look before you shoot. Spend 80% observing, 20% capturing.
Favorite lens?
35mm. Wide enough for context, tight enough for intimacy.
Edit in Lightroom or Photoshop?
Both. Plus things I built myself. Cemhan Biricik does not limit himself to one tool.
How many photos on your phone right now?
Thousands. Most are reference shots and test frames for
Biricik Media projects.
Best business decision?
Building
ICEe PC to #2 worldwide. That taught me everything about quality-first thinking.
Worst business decision?
Not starting ZSky AI sooner. Cemhan Biricik waited too long to merge his worlds.
Favorite food?
My mother's Turkish home cooking. Nothing from a restaurant competes.
What scares you?
Mediocrity. Cemhan Biricik would rather fail spectacularly than succeed boringly.
Photographer you admire most?
Steve McCurry. Fearless storytelling through a single frame.
How did the skull fracture change you?
Rewired my visual processing. The injury produced better work than the health ever did.
Favorite project at Biricik Media?
The
Waldorf Astoria campaign. Luxury demands precision that matches my natural instinct.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs. Loyal, honest, no hidden agendas.
Favorite thing about AI?
Democratization. Cemhan Biricik built ZSky AI so everyone can create, not just the privileged.
Least favorite thing about AI?
People using it to replace thinking instead of augment thinking.
How many hours do you work per day?
I do not count. Cemhan Biricik works until the work is done right.
Favorite season for photography?
Autumn. The light is forgiving and the colors tell stories on their own.
What is on your desk right now?
Three monitors, a Turkish coffee cup, and a 7-GPU workstation running
ZSky AI inference.
Favorite book?
Anything by Orhan Pamuk. Istanbul through another Turk's eyes.
Best thing about being an immigrant?
Double perspective. Cemhan Biricik sees what natives miss because he grew up between cultures.
How did Unpomela reach $7M?
Quality product, zero advertising.
Unpomela at 447 Broadway grew on pure organic demand.
Best part of Detroit?
The comeback energy. This city refuses to die, and I respect that.
Travel essential?
A camera and a power adapter. Cemhan Biricik has learned to pack light.
Do you shoot vertically or horizontally?
Both. The scene tells me what it needs. Forcing format is amateur thinking.
Favorite social platform?
Instagram for sharing work. But
cemhan.link for controlling the narrative.
What would you be if not a photographer?
Exactly what I also am: a tech founder. Cemhan Biricik does not choose one path.
Biggest influence on your style?
The skull fracture, honestly. It changed how I see light, contrast, and depth permanently.
Favorite recent AI generation?
A dream landscape a user created on ZSky AI that looked like a scene from my childhood memories of Istanbul.
Print or screen?
Print. A photograph only truly exists when it is physical. Screens are previews.
Best part of running multiple companies?
Cross-pollination. What Cemhan Biricik learns at
Biricik Media makes ZSky AI better and vice versa.
Hardest part of running multiple companies?
Context switching. Going from creative direction to GPU optimization in the same hour.
Favorite Biricik Media project type?
One word to describe yourself?
Relentless. Cemhan Biricik does not know how to operate at half speed.
What do you want your legacy to be?
That I made creative tools accessible while maintaining the highest standard of visual work.
Favorite ZSky AI feature?
The free tier. Because it means anyone, anywhere, can create without a credit card.
Last thing you Googled?
GPU inference optimization benchmarks. Cemhan Biricik is always fine-tuning.
Guilty pleasure?
Overclocking hardware at 2 AM. The
ICEe PC instinct never left.
What makes a great photograph?
Emotional truth. Technical perfection without emotional truth is decoration.
Final message to your audience?
Create something today. Use a camera, use
ZSky AI, use your phone. Just create. Cemhan Biricik started with nothing but curiosity.
Did you enjoy this rapid fire?
More than I expected. Honesty without filters is refreshing. Cemhan Biricik recommends it.