“Πρέπει να πιέζετε τους εαυτούς σας όλο και πιο σκληρά, να αρχίσετε να ψάχνετε για εικόνες που κανείς άλλος δεν θα μπορούσε να πάρει, να χρησιμοποιείτε όλα τα εργαλεία που διαθέτετε και να εμβαθύνετε όλο και περισσότερο.” (William Albert Allard)

O William Albert Allard είναι ένας από τους πιο σημαντικούς σύγχρονους φωτογράφους του χρώματος και των ανθρώπων.

Μια ενδιαφέρουσα άποψη του William Albert Allard, που καλό θα είναι να κρατήσουμε σαν σκέψη είναι: “Μερικές φορές «το φως είναι εκεί» αλλά δεν υπάρχει φωτογραφία. Δεν είναι θέμα καλού φωτισμού η φωτογραφία, δεν υπάρχει «κακός φωτισμός». Το θέμα είναι να μπορείς να χρησιμοποιήσεις κατάλληλα το φως που σου παρέχεται κάθε φορά. Αυτό το παλιό «να σηκώνεσαι νωρίς το πρωί ή αργά το απόγευμα» είναι πολύ καλό για το ψάρεμα και το κυνήγι και ως ένα βαθμό και για τη φωτογραφία. Εάν όμως κάποιος γνωρίζει την ουσία της τέχνης αυτής, πρέπει να είναι ικανός να δημιουργήσει και το καταμεσήμερο όπου πολλά υπέροχα πράγματα μπορούν να γίνουν.”

Hello Dimitris and photologio.gr! My origin is somewhat complicated and certainly multi-national. I was born in the UK, raised in Norway. My mother is Norwegian, my father is of Irish and Greek origin (Greek mother). In my upbringing there was a mix of cultures and languages: English, Norwegian and Greek (although I never learned to speak the latter it’s been part of family conversations). We are a family of travelers with open minds… I was always creative in some sense (drawing, painting, theater, writing, singing), but never felt confident enough to take it further. Photography has turned out to be my main form of expression. This is very new to me; it started only two years ago while leading a very secluded life in Norway. Now I do photography full time and don’t want to settle down anywhere (yet). There’s too much to see and experience. I never finished my higher education – my skills as a photographer are self taught (with guidance from friends who happen to be photographers). Finding my place in this world is about achieving inner peace. It doesn’t matter where this happens because I’m not so bound by national or cultural identity. Time will show…

You seem to be traveling quite a lot but your shots do not have a postcard quality, they show a more intimate connection as if you were local. How do you achieve that?

This is perhaps where my multi-national background is an advantage: It’s not so hard for me to adapt to new environments when I travel. In many respects I’m just as much a tourist as any other traveler going from one country to the next… However, it’s important for me to blend in – almost become invisible – in order to capture the local spirit. There is a balance to be kept between social interaction and quiet observation. How this plays out depends on where I am…

You record the ebb and flow of the humanity in the streets catching fleeting moments that often go unnoticed. What motivates you in street photography?

In your question you hit a key word: Unnoticed. Everyday life is stressful and narrows our view. There’s just no time to notice the details. For me she streets are full of visual poetry and visual music; it can be one word or a novel – a low humming or a great symphony. Everything is of importance. What interests me is how people respond (or don’t respond) to their surroundings. How do people interact with each other? How is the relation between modern architecture and people working/living in it? These are just a few of the many questions I have while exploring the streets…

Alienation, the state of being surrounded yet being alone. I think that’s your main theme right? How do you put ideas and emotions through this medium?

You’re absolutely right, Dimitris! In our day and age alienation is a huge factor in life. Modern life is good progress in many ways (e.g in a technological and materialistic sense), but there’s more loneliness and identity problems. People interact in a different way; there’s no time to really care for each other. It’s harder to make out who you are and who you want to be; society has expectations of success which are hard to live up to. For me identity is about being true to yourself and making the most out of life regardless of background and what society expects from you. There is a lot of loneliness in my photographs because that’s what I often encounter, unfortunately. Also I see resignation in many people. They struggle with just getting through each day – just to exist… Cities grow with more and more people, architecture becomes more and more spectacular. But does this really help us feel human and connected with each other? Does a tall, spacious building with lots of windows and see-through walls make us feel part of it or more detached? Do our surroundings help us see the reality within ourselves and other parts of the world? In my opinion the gaps are growing too wide on many levels… This is part of what I see out there and hope to share through my photography.

There is a part of your collection dedicated to riddles. A reflection, like in the photo I chose, selective framing and geometric patterns. Is this a way to catch a different reality?

A definitive yes to your question! These are some of the details that mostly go unnoticed, but they are there. We are surrounded by different realities. How we perceive these are of course highly individual; sometimes an abstracted reality can evoke discomfort because it forces us to deal with preconceptions and misconceptions. A stream-lined world doesn’t exist! Some might say that one reality is enough to handle. I think embracing different realities will make us progress as human beings.

Your portfolio is mainly high contrast black and white. Yet there is a dazzling colour side of yours, even some lovely splashes. What are the decisions you make during editing?

This is actually a tough one to answer because I work mostly by instinct. For some reason I end up editing in black and white most of the time. This is not a conscious choice though – it’s all based on emotion. There are instances when I feel colour is right. Sometimes the colour is actually the whole point of a photograph (for example a lady with pink hair surrounded by pink flowers and pink cushions in a cafe). Colour splashes are done with careful deliberation to create a feeling of detachment or attachment (depending on theme)…

A few months ago you visited my country, Greece. I am very interested to know how did you find it picture-wise compared to the other places that you have been.

Every country is different – every city within a country is different. But Greece was special to visit on a personal level because of my origin; I felt the need to connect with my roots. To really feel this connection it was important to travel alone and to go in winter. Thira was spectacular to photograph in December with shifting weather and very few people. When there are few tourists you feel closer to the history – not in a factual sense, but as a human. Athens is a great city! The history, the people, the streets… As a European, there is a lot to be appreciated in this city when you think of what it’s brought us through history in terms of culture, science and philosophy. It was a humbling experience to photograph Athens.

Finally there are a scant few self-portraits. In those you are modest but unapologetic. Do you use photography as a tool of self acceptance?

Photography is a way to express my inner journey. The first self-portrait I published required all my strength because fear of looking at myself still had the upper hand… In many ways photography has helped me in dealing with this; not just self-portraits, but also traveling and capturing other souls. Self acceptance is a road to be taken alone, but it requires that you understand the roads others must take… It gets easier when you realize it’s ok to show vulnerability and imperfection. Perfection doesn’t exist. Our imperfections make us all unique and beautiful – not just physically…

Nina’s Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/nina.claire/

Interview was given on 31.01.2017

Κινηματογραφική ατμόσφαιρα διαβάζω και χαίρομαι! Ποια η σχέση σου με τον κινηματογράφο; Υπάρχουν κάποιοι διευθυντές φωτογραφίας που ξεχωρίζεις;
Προς το παρόν παραμένω ένας καλός θεατής ωστόσο θα ήθελα σύντομα να ασχοληθώ έστω και πειραματικά με την κινηματογράφηση.
Θα ξεχώριζα σίγουρα τον προσφάτως βραβευμένο με το τρίτο του oscar Emmanuel Lubezki, τον Robert Richardson, τον Matthew Libatique και τον Luca Bigazzi, διευθυντή φωτογραφίας των ταινιών Paolo Sorrentino.

Ασχολείσαι καιρό με τη φωτογραφία;
Ανέκαθεν με ενδιέφερε και λόγω επαγγέλματος, ωστόσο η επιρροή του instagram στην καθημερινότητα μου με οδήγησε σε μία λίγο πιο σοβαρή ενασχόληση με τη φωτογραφία τον τελευταίο περίπου χρόνο.

Μια που το ανέφερες, θα γίνω αδιάκριτος αν ρωτήσω τι επαγγέλεσαι;
Είμαι σχεδιαστής οπτικής επικοινωνίας και εργάζομαι στο χώρο της διαφήμισης και του graphic design.

Έτσι εξηγείται η αισθητική των φωτογραφιών σου. Θα σε χαρακτήριζες street φωτογράφο;
Σ’ ευχαριστώ! Δε μου ταιριάζει κάποιος χαρακτηρισμός, φωτογραφίζω οτιδήποτε βρίσκω ενδιαφέρον και παράλληλα προσπαθώ να διευρύνω τις γνώσεις μου και να εξελίσσω τις τεχνικές μου. Ίσως εξαντλώντας αυτό το πειραματικό στάδιο να εστιάσω σε κάποιο συγκεκριμένο είδος.

Αν και χρησιμοποιείς το instagram από παλιά, παρατηρώ μεγάλες παύσεις ανάμεσα στις αναρτήσεις σου. Για ποιο λόγο συμβαίνει αυτό;
Οι παύσεις δυστυχώς προκύπτουν λόγω υπερβολικής απορρόφησης μου σε άλλες ασχολίες όμως τελευταία προσπαθώ να είμαι περισσότερο συνεπής σε μια συγκεκριμένη συχνότητα αναρτήσεων.

Και κάτι τελευταίο, τι φωτογραφικό εξοπλισμό έχεις κι αν επεξεργάζεσαι τις φωτογραφίες σου, ποιο μέσο χρησιμοποιείς;
Εκτός από το iphone σε συνδυασμό με τους φακούς της olloclip χρησιμοποιώ τη Nikon D5300 στην οποία βρίσκω πολύ χρήσιμη την πτυσσόμενη οθόνη, τους prime φακούς 50mm f1.4 & 35mm f1.8 της Nikon & τον Tamron 10-24mm που κυρίως χρησιμοποιώ για τοπία & αρχιτεκτονική.
Το βασικό μου εργαλείο για την αρχειοθέτηση και την επεξεργασία των φωτογραφιών είναι το Lightroom ενώ σε κινητό και tablet εκτός από το instagram χρησιμοποιώ το Snapseed και το VSCO.

Info: Το profile του Τάσου Ρίτου στο instagram είναι: tasosritos   ενώ στο FB είναι: tasos ritos

Adamos is a “quiet” traveler, an observer with an Instagram feed full of images from every corner of the world.

A photo with an impression of another era. Tell me about it.
It’s taken in Antwerp, a city I like so much, yet, not completely explored. We were having a stroll at the harbor when I saw these men dressed in black suits (looked more like orchestra conductors) and they were trying to take photos of themselves posing in front of the camera. They were holding speech bubble cut-outs signs with the word ‘Suit-up’. I didn’t really understand why they were dressed like this and the reason of their photo shooting. What I know is that the ‘golden hour’ light was falling beautifully everywhere that moment and having the magnificent Antwerp’s cathedral campanile at the background I took a few photos of them. I liked it as a composition with the dark hats and the golden light of the moment.

As in this photo, often your images are taken during the “golden” hours of the day. Is this something intentional or are you subconsciously attracted to the soft, warm tones of the sunset light?
It’s true that I have quite a lot of shots taken during the golden hour of the day. I simply adore that exact moment before the sunset so I can say sometimes it’s intentional yes. It happened to rash in a sort of ‘creative panic’ to go on a location that I wanted to shoot in order to be on time for the golden light. I think that it’s one of the moments of the day that magic happens.

Your account (on instagram) is mostly a travelogue in photographs, and many of your images are landscapes. Tell us about your photography style.
Correct. I like travel photography, particularly landscapes and nature in general. But I would be a liar to say I have found my exact photographic style so early. I think photography is non-stop journey, an exploration to put it better, so maybe in a few years I’m still shooting nature but in a different way or even switch more to the human element. What will never stop, is travelling and capturing images of our fascinating by nature planet.

When did you start photographing? Was Instagram the reason?
I was always taking photos as far as I can remember, so maybe I had the bug long time ago. Seriously taking photos though and really paying attention and focusing on details was five to six years ago. As far as concerns the Instagram I think it came a year later after going deeper into photography and it ended up being a two-way relation. I was into photography, and Instagram is a tool to digitally exhibit your work while at the same time, Instagram inspires and creates challenges to keep you shooting, meeting with other great people sharing the same passion and so on.

You are a graphic designer by profession. Does it help with visualizing behind the lens?
Definitely. I would say it helps me more in the composition and framing of what I see. Additionally the sensitivity enclosed in graphic design art contributes into appreciating certain details or ‘corners’ of this endless canvas of our world that other ways would be ignored. Photography is art itself and I always believe a photographer often sees these things that other people just surpass. What we call an artistic or third eye…

Do you edit your photos for Instagram? Tell me about your editing process.
Not always and when I do it’s minimal editing. Minimal editing is contrast, saturation, slight retouching or turning an image to black and white. Very few times I really extensively edit my photos.

I feel that most or the photos on your Instagram account, have a look-up feel. Most of your frames are towards the sky. Is it intentional? What makes you look up?
This is not intentional. I’ve never paid attention into this but mentioning it you are right. It’s subconscious. Looking up is certainly more optimistic than looking down, isn’t it?

You have many photos from Belgium, which I know you visit often. How have the events of March 13, 2016, impacted you? Do you think your point of view in your photos will be different the next time you visit?
I have many photos taken in Belgium which is a sweet and beautiful country (and yes, chocolate is part of this sweetness! It’s quite scary what happened on the 13th of March. I was really frightened because I have friends there and also it’s a place I visit often so it could be me, my friends or anybody of us that ‘wrong’ moment at the ‘wrong’ place. For sure returning there later this year deep inside me the fear and pain will exist but I will put an effort to keep it sleepy. Life goes on and it must go on while at the same time Europe has to take immediate action into security matters in airports, transportation, event halls and open air spaces frequented by many people. I don’t think my photos next time in Belgium will have a different atmosphere or concept. If I was there now, yes, some shots would involve more emotion definitely.

Have you studied the photography masters? Which known photographer would you say is your favorite?
Yes. If I had to pick just one that would be Steve McCurry. We all know him from his iconic image of the girl with the green eyes, pictured in National Geographic. I don’t find that photo of him the best one though. His photography is also a travelogue but focusing more on the people’s lives. He doesn’t strictly shoot portraits (and this is one thing I like) but rather the everyday life. And he does this in a magnificent way! The moments he captures, the atmosphere in them and the colours are beyond words.

How has your Instagram experience evolved? Tell me about your Instagram journey.
I love Instagram and I feel that I have progressed and improved since I started using it. I cannot think myself a day without ‘traveling’ in it. I may not post a new photo in my gallery every single day but I’m always kind of alert to at least explore for a few minutes the galleries of my friends and other people in general. As I said before it’s an inspiration. Sometimes you hunt for that sparkle.

Do you find photographing for Instagram different in its process than photographing for other media or outlets?
Yes, but only in the format of the photos it accepts. Nothing else. You are free to post your work, whatever this is, regardless the subject. It’s a digital exhibition. It only limits you in the framing of your images, that it has to be in square shape. Of course, it looks nice and neat to the eye, entering a gallery that all the photos are of the same size and format but it ‘costs’ to our images in the sense that certain elements or much of our subject falls out of the square frame. When I shoot, I shoot photos and not always having in mind the square format so if there is one thing Instagram disappoints me it’s this one. Of course lately they changed this and you can post a photo without cropping it necessarily in a square shape, but the format of your photo, portrait or landscape, has to be necessarily smaller to fit in these square borders. And even before this new change in Instagram, if you wanted to upload a landscape format photo you had to adjust it beforehand in Photoshop in that square border. The square format is cool but also frustrating many times.

Adamos’ Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/adamos_christodoulou/

Η συνέντευξη δόθηκε στις 6.5.2016