People ask me how I got into media production, and I never know where to start the story. Do I start with the traumatic brain injury? The SoHo boutique? The custom PC company I built at 19? Every thread in my career connects to the others in ways I could not have predicted when they were happening.
The truth is that Biricik Media did not begin as a business plan. It began as a response to something I could not ignore: after surviving a traumatic brain injury, I saw light differently. Not metaphorically. Physically. The way photons hit surfaces, the way shadows created depth, the way a single beam through a window could transform a room — all of it became vivid in a way it had never been before.
The Businesses Before the Camera
Before I ever held a professional camera, I had already built and run two companies. At 19, I founded ICEe PC, building custom water-cooled computers. This was not a casual hobby business — it was a full manufacturing operation, and it taught me everything about precision, client expectations, and delivering a product that exceeded specifications.
Then came Unpomela, which became one of the largest fashion boutiques in SoHo. Running a high-end retail operation in Manhattan's most competitive neighborhood was an education in aesthetics, brand positioning, and the relationship between how things look and how much people value them. Without knowing it, I was training for media production.
The Injury That Changed Everything
The traumatic brain injury was not a gift. I would not recommend traumatic brain injury as a career development strategy. But it is an unavoidable part of this story. After the injury, my perception of visual space was fundamentally altered. Colors had different weight. Shadows had different depth. I could see the temperature of light.
I did not choose photography. Photography chose me, through a crack in my skull.
I picked up a camera and began shooting. Within months, the images I was producing were catching the attention of people who had spent decades in the industry. It was not because I had better technical skills than established photographers. It was because I saw things they could not see.
Building Biricik Media: Year One
I founded Biricik Media Productions in 2009 in Miami Beach. "Biricik" is Turkish for "unique" or "one of a kind," and I chose the name deliberately. This would not be another stock-photo factory. Every project would be singular.
The first year was about proving the concept. I did not start with small editorial jobs and work my way up. I went straight for the brands I admired most. When the Versace Mansion accepted my pitch for a fashion editorial, it validated everything I believed about the approach. When the Miami Dolphins hired me to shoot the Cheerleaders calendar, it proved that the cinematic style worked for commercial clients too.
The Awards and the Viral Moment
The awards came steadily — National Geographic, Nat Geo Traveler, IPA Lucie, Sony Photo Award, International Loupe Award. Each one confirmed that the visual perception I had developed was resonating at the highest levels of the industry.
Then, in 2019, a wildlife video I shot went viral. Over 50 million views. UNILAD called it "my favourite video of all time." That moment proved something important: the instinct that produced award-winning commercial work was the same instinct that could create content with mass appeal. It was never about the production budget. It was always about the eye.
Where Biricik Media Stands Today
Seventeen years after founding the company, Biricik Media continues to produce commercial and editorial content from our Miami Beach base, with production capabilities in New York and Los Angeles. The client roster includes luxury hospitality, fashion, sports, and lifestyle brands that trust us to deliver images and films that carry real weight.
The newest chapter involves AI. Through cemhan.ai and ZSky AI, I am exploring how artificial intelligence can augment — not replace — the creative process. The same question drives this work as drove everything before it: how do we make what we see match what we feel?
The journey continues. Visit cemhanbiricik.com for the full story, or explore the Biricik Media portfolio to see where the journey has led.