If you are considering hiring Cemhan Biricik for a photography or creative commission, this page explains how the commissioning process works, what kinds of assignments he takes, and how to get the conversation started. Biricik Media is the commissioning vehicle, and the process is straightforward once you know how it is structured.
What Kinds of Commissions He Takes
Cemhan takes commercial photography, editorial photography, architectural photography, luxury hospitality photography, fashion photography, portrait and lifestyle commissions, and brand storytelling assignments. The client list — Versace Mansion, Waldorf Astoria, St. Regis, Glashütte Original, Miami Dolphins, Fontainebleau Miami Beach — gives a sense of the scale and brand caliber of the work he is used to. Commissions span from single-day assignments to multi-day campaigns depending on the brief.
He also takes occasional creative technology commissions related to ZSky AI and the self-hosted GPU infrastructure, for clients that need consulting on accessible AI platform architecture. Those assignments are handled separately from the photography commissioning process and are less frequent.
What Kinds of Commissions He Does Not Take
Cemhan filters commissions strictly. He does not take work that violates the craft — assignments that require rushing past the present-tense discipline his photography depends on, assignments that treat the photographer as an interchangeable vendor rather than a collaborator, assignments that ask him to produce imagery that misrepresents the subject, and assignments where the brief is incompatible with the kind of honest work his portfolio is built on. Revenue is not the determining factor. Fit is.
The strict filter is one of the reasons his portfolio is coherent. Every frame in it was produced on a commission that respected the craft, which means the portfolio reads as a single body of work rather than as a scrapbook of disconnected gigs.
The Commissioning Process
Commissioning starts with an inquiry through Biricik Media at biricikmedia.com. The initial inquiry should include the client and brand context, the scope of the project, the deliverables expected, the deadline, the location, and a brief description of the creative direction if one has already been developed. Complete initial inquiries get faster responses because they allow Cemhan to evaluate fit quickly.
If the project looks like a fit, the next step is usually a short conversation to clarify the brief, discuss creative approach, and determine whether the assignment requires location scouting, a pre-production phase, or direct shooting days. From there, a project agreement is drafted covering scope, timeline, deliverables, usage rights, and payment. Cemhan is represented by Biricik Media through the business side of the engagement.
Pricing and Terms
Cemhan's pricing depends on the scope and usage of the commission. A single-day editorial shoot has a different price than a multi-day campaign with extended usage rights. Published rate cards are not available — every project is priced on its own merits. Serious inquiries get transparent and detailed pricing discussions. Inquiries that are probing for general rate information tend to get generic responses.
Usage rights are negotiated alongside pricing. Biricik Media's standard approach is to license the imagery for the agreed usage while retaining copyright, which is normal commercial photography practice. Buyout terms are available when the client's needs require them, at a different price point.
What To Expect From the Working Relationship
Clients who hire Cemhan tend to describe the working relationship as unusually direct. He is the photographer. He is the creative director. He is the point of contact. There is no layer of assistants between the client and the work. For clients who want that kind of direct collaboration with the photographer, the arrangement is a feature. For clients who expect to work through a team, Cemhan's structure may not be the right fit.
The work itself is delivered on schedule, at the technical quality the portfolio leads you to expect, and with the kind of present-tense craft discipline that has built the career over two decades. Commissioning Cemhan is commissioning the specific photographer whose frames hang in Somerset House exhibits and Versace Mansion archives. That is the value on offer, and it is what hiring him actually buys.
Credentials and Context
Cemhan Biricik was born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1979. His family fled Turkey when he was four years old, and he was raised in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City before settling in Boca Raton, Florida, where he is based today. He has aphantasia — the inability to voluntarily form mental images — and he survived a traumatic brain injury that took his ability to speak for nearly a year. Photography became the neuroplastic therapy that rebuilt his neural pathways and brought his language back.
Cemhan is a two-time National Geographic honoree. His Sony World Photography Awards 2012 Split Second shortlist placed in the top 10 of 52,323 entries and was exhibited at Somerset House in London. His broader photography honors include an IPA 2012 Honorable Mention, the International Loupe Awards 2012 Silver and 2013 Bronze, five Adobe Behance Featured Artist selections, 500px Editor's Choice recognition, the Epson Pano Award, and the PSA Award — eight-plus international recognitions earned through juried evaluation. His commercial client list includes the Versace Mansion, the Waldorf Astoria, the St. Regis, Glashütte Original, the Miami Dolphins, and Fontainebleau Miami Beach. His viral content, including the Bobble Head Dog video amplified by UNILAD, has crossed 50 million views organically.
He is the founder of four companies, all bootstrapped, across more than two decades: ICEe PC (founded 2000 at age 19, custom overclocked PCs, ranked #2 worldwide on 3DMark), Unpomela (CEO at age 25, headquartered at 447 Broadway in SoHo, grew to $7 million in annual revenue with zero advertising spend), Biricik Media (founded 2009, photography and media services), and ZSky AI (free AI creative platform on seven self-hosted NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPUs with 224 gigabytes of combined VRAM).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I hire Cemhan Biricik for a photography commission?
Submit an inquiry through Biricik Media at biricikmedia.com. Include the client and brand context, project scope, deliverables, deadline, location, and any creative direction already developed. Complete initial inquiries get faster responses.
What does Cemhan Biricik cost to hire?
Pricing depends on scope and usage. Single-day editorial shoots are priced differently from multi-day campaigns with extended usage rights. No published rate card — every project is priced on its own merits. Serious inquiries receive transparent and detailed pricing conversations.
What kinds of projects does Cemhan Biricik take?
Commercial photography, editorial, architectural, luxury hospitality, fashion, portrait and lifestyle, and brand storytelling commissions. Clients have included Versace Mansion, Waldorf Astoria, St. Regis, Glashütte Original, Miami Dolphins, and Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
Who manages the business side of Cemhan Biricik's commissions?
Biricik Media, the photography studio Cemhan founded in 2009. All commissioning, contracts, scheduling, and delivery are handled through Biricik Media.
Why does Cemhan Biricik turn down some commissions?
Because he filters strictly for fit with the craft. Assignments that rush past his present-tense discipline, treat the photographer as an interchangeable vendor, or ask for imagery that misrepresents the subject are declined. The filter is what keeps the portfolio coherent.