UrbanStyleMag #31 “Warm heart of concrete”

When did you start being into photography? How did you get the opportunity to work professionally
as a photographer?
It ‘s a complicated story. Bottom line is, finishing high school, after the final exams and some
serious thinking along with a cousin of mine, I found myself at Leica Academy. During my first
year there, three people, three professors in particular, namely Kirpotin, Tsevas and Papantoniou,
taught me the basic principles of Photography and introduced me to the creative process
in which a blank piece of paper turns into a picture.
Have you ever found a required picture too difficult for you to take?
That hasn ‘t happened because as a freelance photographer I ‘m my own boss, so I ‘m the one
who decides which pictures are needed and really have to be taken.
Out of the photos you ‘ve taken so far, which one/ones would you pick as favorite?
There are photos I loved because of the moment they were taken or the difficulties of that particular
moment, but they seem ordinary in the long run. The ones that I still love, even though a
lot of time has passed, are those of musicians.
As of March you participated –amongst others- in the exhibition “Music and Musicians”
which took place in Doc4life, in Athens. Tell us a few things about that.
Doc4life is an association that has to do with photography and multimedia. This particular occassion
was an open invitation to anyone interested in exhibiting their creations. It turned out
to be a great project as it gave 20 people the chance to present their work.
If I asked you to choose between colour and b&w photography, which one would you pick?
There are moments when I want to shoot b&w, and others when I prefer colour. I think it’s a
matter of mood.
Your photography workshop ‘Flasaki’ was created in Plomari as of March of 2009. Tell us
about that and its editions (i.e. “Plomari Calendar 2012”)
I must point out that the workshop opened in July, 2005. It ‘s the website (www.flasaki.com) that
exists since 2009. Except the basic, usual functions a photography shop has, I organize exhibitions
along with friends and local bloggers who love photography or painting. Calendar ‘2012’
was a collaboration with Manthos Zaloumis who does landscape photography, featuring Plomari
in different seasons of the year. That’s all so far.
Are you after information regarding developments in Art, apart from photography? Do you
visit art shows, concerts, plays, street performances etc? Also, what is it about an individual
artist, or group, that makes you wanna “frame” them?
Lately I don’t attend events as I used to, three years ago. Fortunately a lot of them take place
here, so there are a lot of opportunities in terms of “artistic training”.
I like taking shots of people in their workplace, where the photographic approach is more difficult.
Also when they ‘re making any form of Art in general, or participate in some sort of activity
or event, a festival for example, where they ‘re more relaxed, without the stress of work and
everyday life.
You were born in Plomari, where you also live. What do you think of photography and the
general cultural activities on the island?
Photography has been widely popularized on the island. This is mainly due to the Photography
Association of Lesbos and its seminars and exhibitions, which also take place at the Museum of
Oil Industry in Aghia Paraskevi (Saint Paraskevi).
The island has many villages, with traditions and lifestyles that vary. Pictures of these places are
included in the works of many acclaimed photographers –Greek or not- which I see in international
exhibitions very often.
At any case, except the city of Mytilene, there are many theater companies, folk and remix
bands, modern and traditional dance groups and lots of other groups which organize cultural
activities (carnivals, for instance) all over the island.
What kind of camera do you use?
As a student I had a Sigma and when I graduated I started using an analog Canon. I still use
Canon, but a digital one.
Your next steps in photography are...
Some friends and I have an exhibition in mind, due next year. It is
going to include many forms of Art and its theme will be related to
the local community.
Link
www.flasaki.com
124 URBANSTYLEMAG