WHO?
I’m Stavros Stamatiou, a primary school teacher passionate with photography and the arts in general. I’m married and I have three children and a grandchild. I currently live in Peraia, a suburb of Thessaloniki-Greece.
WHAT?
Mostly animals and trees. I take pictures of the things I love and of those things that can surprise me and provoke my mind and feelings.
WHERE?
I rarely travel, so my “playground” is generally the places nearby my home. Most of my pictures have been taken no more than 20 km around it.
WHEN?
When the light calls me. Or when I need to get out there. Day or night, it doesn’t matter. My worst season is summer time; the light is too bright here in Greece. I prefer it when the weather is moody. But I always carry my camera with me, just in case I spot something interesting.
WHY?
Because I need to and because I love playing. Photography is a way to speak about myself by using elements of the world around me. It’s also a way to get in touch with the child inside me, to see throughout his eyes. And although it’s a very serious job, I prefer not to take it seriously. So I feel free to experiment, to discover things, to make mistakes. I have to surprise myself in the first place, otherwise I find no pleasure. But when I share my pictures and I find out that they are able to speak to the hearts and minds of other people, I experience another kind of joy, the joy of communicating in a universal language. Most of my friends are people that I met because of photography….
