Ertan was born in the landlocked city of Eskişehir. He settled in Istanbul shortly after primary school, where he first fall in love with the sea then with photography.

He earned his Bachelors Degree in Economics from Marmara University; and obtained his master's degree and a doctorate from the Department of Money and Banking at Istanbul University. Throughout his professional work life of 35 years in various banks and firms, he dedicated his spare time to diving and photography.

Following retirement, he graduated from Anadolu University Photography and Videography Department. Now he devotes all his time to photography. Lately, he has been working on digital graphic design.

He started photography in 1991. In 2010, he engaged in many advanced workshops within IFSAK, of which he is a member. He served in their Education Unit for four years. He worked as the Project Consultant for the 218th Period. He displayed 21 photo shows at numerous photography associations in Istanbul, Izmir, and Bodrum. He has partaken in 12 group exhibitions.

Photo shooting inclinations:

On the Streets, Nature, Studio environments; Portrait, Model and Nude

Underwater: Wide Angle, Model, and Wrecks

He shares his photos on his Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/ertanside_official/