Recently Advocate photographer Can Turkyilmaz shot photos of Lakewood’s documentary duo, Allen and Cynthia Mondell (Look for the Q&A in an upcoming Advocate magazine — the couple is as hilarious as they are brilliant). This was the second time Turk, as we call him, shot Allen.

“And he survived, again,” Turk joked.

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Turk photographed Allen and his daughter, Fonya, about a year ago for an article about Allen’s film on Henderson Avenue. This time he was visiting the Mondell’s office, which is in a house next to their home. Having visited the Mondell’s comfortably cluttered office for the interview, I appreciated Turk’s description of the photo shoot — spot on.

“Photographing photographers, filmmakers and any kind of fashion personalities is no easier than herding cats. They have a very clear image of what they want the image to look like and they are not stingy with their commentaries and directions, which I ultimately learned to be receptive to. I was prepared for another show at the Emporium of Flying Ideas when I set foot in the Mondell’s office, next to their house. I brought a single camera with me, so I was free as a bird as they took me from room to room, full speed down the memory lane with all the memorabilia, posters, cameras, photographs, and tapes lying around. I lost my coffee cup a few times, even though I was pretty sure I had put it right next that pile of VHS tapes of their ever-growing documentary features… or was it this one? I got out alive out of this one. I don’t know if there is any other family member left I might need to photograph with Allen in the future.”

With that description in mind, you have to admit this picture of Turk and the Mondells is hilariously fitting as well.

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