WHO?
I was born in Athens, Greece where I currently live. I have also lived in the UK for many years. I hold a Business Administration and Marketing Degree.
Growing up I’ve always been artistically inclined with art in the family. My dad was a teacher and artist and my brother is a recognized painter. But I became really interested in photography when a good friend of mine from Britain—who is a great black and white photographer—introduced me to the medium.
Here’s a little story to illustrate: That autumn we went on a photo shoot to Dartmoor in southern Devon, England. That was it. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was the beginning of what would become an obsession. I’ve hardly put down my camera since then.
In my mind, I was going to be a professional movie director, but I soon realized that street photography is that creative outlet for me.
I started taking street photographs regularly late in my career; I have always loved Street Photography, but it wasn’t until recently that I actually started to get dedicated to this genre.
WHAT?
I am really drawn to hidden patterns, human emotion, color combination, interesting characters I encounter while exploring the streets.
I love to capture facial expressions and scenes that shape city life and how it unfolds in an urban environment and I am much concerned with the unexpected and unusual.
I am so excited when all the stars align; when all the elements of the scene line up perfectly, from the lighting to the human emotion, to the overall ambiance.
WHEN?
I shoot anytime I can, but I prefer to go out during the middle of the day because I like to use shadows. In the city, there are buildings I take advantage of and tall blocks and big department stores almost always have a shaded side which perfectly creates a background in shadow with a passer-by brightly lit.
WHERE?
Athens, Greece is the city where the majority of my work comes from. Train stations, Athens Metro, poor, blighted areas have been some of my favorite spots to photograph. One thing I have come to really enjoy lately is capturing downtown Athens.
However in my experience, people in public places more often than not hate being photographed; therefore street photography in Athens is a very difficult and challenging genre to practice in the last few years.
WHY?
Street Photography is literally my creative outlet. For me, street photography is also ultimately liberating because it is an expression of my need to look at things differently. I’ve always been drawn to the excitement and power of imagery as a way to express my own completely subjective interpretation of what I feel rather than what I see. Walking the streets, it gets me to my calm place and makes me feel peaceful. It also has helped me to see the world through more appreciative eyes and to step outside of my comfort zone.
