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Peraia-lighthouse pier

All images from the series “unseen Thessaloniki” are available as a postcard set, poster and limited edition fine art prints. 

Please send a message with your request.

This very photogenic pier is found in the eastern suburbs of Thessaloniki, in Peraia.

lighthouse pier
lighthouse pier

During the ottoman domination this area belonged to a Turkish bey. After the Minor Asia catastrophe in 1922, Greek refugees came and settled here. Because the refugees came from different regions, they disagreed over the name they should give their new home. Eventually there was a draw and “Peraia” was the winning name.

The area is dominated by its long beach, which in past decades was a major attraction especially during summertime. People from Thessaloniki would take a boat and come here to take a swim and relax. These days it’s not such a popular destination anymore, but still remains a beautiful place by the sea, worth a visit.

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pasha’s gardens

All images from the series “unseen Thessaloniki” are available as a postcard set, poster and limited edition fine art prints. 

Please send a message with your request.

Some say this is the most mysterious place in Thessaloniki. Its mystical aura is the city’s biggest puzzle and its beauty and charm are undeniable. Just behind St. Demetrios hospital there is a green park, unknown to most. The park has been given the name “pasha’s gardens” probably because of old stories saying that this was the place where Safulach pasha came to rest, although there is no historical evidence supporting this.

The gardens date back to 1904 and they cover an area of 1000 square meters. Inside them lie remnants of some old stone constructions that are considered a sample of fantastic architecture. That is the arcitectural style that is best known from Gaudi’s works in Barcelona. The constructions that can be seen today are a fountain with a tunnel that goes around it, a cistern for collecting the water, a short gate that leads to an underground area and an elevated sitting area. They are all small in size with pathways and scales in different levels. They are based on rails and iron bars that hold the rough stones and bricks.  It seems that water played a major role, sometimes rushing, or dripping and other times quietly forming small ponds.

pasha's gardens: the throne
pasha’s gardens: the throne

There is of course plenty of myth that surrounds this place, which is also called “dragonhouses” or “dervish lair”. There is no evidence about who made these structures and for what purpose. The mysterious shapes and symbols that are found, the tunnel that leads to nowhere have led some to believe this was a meeting place for ottoman masons. Others say that here was the end of Thessaloniki’s catacombs. According to another myth, all the stones used in the buildings were struck by lightning and human sacrifices used to take place here at some point in the past. The fact that the gardens are located close to old and newer cemeteries, explains many stories connected to them. It is considered an energy site and there are those that claim it is a geomagnetic focal point.

Over the years the garden’s buildings have been greatly damaged and their original form has been changed forever. After 1922, when many Greek refugees from Minor Asia settled here, stones and bricks from the monuments were ripped to be used as construction material. Today it is a lovely green park, perfect for a sunny (or, why not, cloudy) day!

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countryside district

All images from the series “unseen Thessaloniki” are available as a postcard set, poster and limited edition fine art prints. 

Please send a message with your request.

This is the beginning of a new series I decided to create. The series will revolve around the city I have lived in for the past sixteen years, Thessaloniki. Over the years I have discovered many intriguing places in the city and the surrounding area, which I think deserve their own spotlight. They are the less well known places, monuments or landmarks that for some reason fascinate me and I think they should be seen by more people. They are also the more well known places, which can be seen in a slightly different way. So I decided to photograph them, in my own special way. I will accompany each photo with a text providing information on the location where it was taken and its history.

countryside district

countryside district

This is the Salem mansion. It is located in a part of Thessaloniki which was known as the “Countryside district”, outside the city’s walls. Until the mid 19th century there were only some small houses and fields there, thus the name. By the end of the 19th century the rich Greek, Turks and Jewish merchants from the city started moving there and building their glorious mansions. During the first world war, many of them were used by the army and after the second world war the whole area had lost its splendor and was left to decay until the 60s when most of the beautiful historic mansions were demolished and ugly appartment buildings took their place. However, a few of them were saved and some were luckily restored to their prior beauty. Others though are still facing decay and neglect.

The Salem mansion serving as the Austro-Hungarian consulate.

The Salem mansion serving as the Austro-Hungarian consulate.

The Salem mansion was bought in 1878 by a Jewish merchant named Tzerbogas who ten years later sold it to a woman named Anna Evelman, from Switzerland. In 1894 it was sold again to the Jewish lawyer Emmanuel Raphael Salem and in 1915 it became the new home for the Italian consulate. After the 1978 earthquake the consulate moved to another building (which was built where another mansion used to stand) and this mansion was abandoned. Some repairs were made in 1984, but after that this beauty was left to fall apart little by little. Today the building is owned by the italian government and, as far as I know, there are no plans for its restoration.

The countryside district’s history has always fascinated me. Looking at pictures from its glory days, you can’t help but compare with how it looks today. It seems unbelievable to me that such a district once existed, with its gorgeous houses and the well preserved gardens, just a breath away from the beach. It is so sad that such a treasure was not deemed worth saving, so that the next generations can also marvel at it. The beauty of the Salem villa is astonishing and one can only imagine how magnificent it must have looked in its prime. The fact that there is no interest in reviving its glory makes me incredibly sad. This is just one of the remaining mansions of the countryside district that are abandoned and subject to destruction and vandalization. I can only hope that there is a future for it. I for one, would be thrilled to see it thriving again.

The Salem mansion featured in a (fan made) poster for American Horror Story.

The Salem mansion featured in a fan made poster for American Horror Story.


countryside district villas

some of countryside district’s restored villas

zenosyne

Zenosyne: The Sense That Time Keeps Going Faster

I really liked this strange word and its meaning to accompany my newest image. My husband has this beautiful collection of pocket watches and I wanted to use them in a creative way. In the past I have attempted to use them again in a picture, but it was in my early days and I made too many mistakes, so the files are buried in a folder somewhere. I always say I will repeat that photoshoot because I liked the concept. Hmmm… maybe the time has come?

 

miles from where you are

So, it’s been… 7 months since I shared new artwork! That is really disappointing!  I’ve been going through an inspiration drought and it’s been very hard to come up with ideas. I have some thoughts which I write down on my notebook, but I end up disliking everything. I try not to be too hard on myself, thinking how sleep deprived I’ve been these last months (thanks, motherhood). I think the only way to come out of this standstill is to just go out and shoot. Anything. Even if it’s not really that good. That is what I ‘ll try to do from now on.

This image was inspired by a song from the band Snow Patrol. The lyrics say: “I’m miles from where you are, I lay down on the cold ground and I pray that something picks me up and sets me down in your warm arms” (Song’s title: “Set the fire to the third bar”). I always imagined this scene whenever I heard the song, so I decided to show the rest of the world!

miles from where you are

miles from where you are

It was so lovely being out there in the woods again, all by myself, running aroung and shooting. At some point the little doggy decided to show up and keep me company. He was so friendly and stayed there the whole time, so I decided to let him co-star in the picture. I think he looks nice!

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foundation series

There is one relationship in a person’s life which is so fundamental, that it should always take priority: the relationship with ourselves. Before attempting to build any kind of relationship with others, we should first build a solid relationship with ourselves, because this is the foundation for how we live our lives. This is the simple truth behind “foundation”, a series of pictures aiming to explore how we relate to ourselves. Using myself as a model and with the use of symbolic and surrealistic elements, I have tried to create images that I hope speak to everyone. These images represent my thoughts and observations of myself and of the people that surround me.

I started this series almost two years ago, in early 2013. I had not planned to make a series, but when I realized that many of my photo ideas were revolving around the same theme, I decided to work more on it and produce a series of images. The whole experience has taught me many things. It has been exciting and helpful to work on variations of the same thing, but there were also times I found it to be quite restrictive. There were moments I thought the series might never be complete, because the relationship with someone’s self is actually a never ending subject. So, I realized that I would never be able to portray every single aspect of this relationship and I chose to focus on those aspects that strike me as the most important. Throughout the series I tried to evolve as a photographer while keeping my style consistent. It has been an adventure, which I have deeply enjoyed and its conclusion gives me the strength to move on to different projects.

The series was already featured on art websites before its completion. Many of the images have also appeared on web and print magazines and most of them have been displayed in various exhibitions in Greece.

Here I have included all the images created for the series, in the order in which they were published. By clicking each one, a new window will open, taking you to the corresponding blog post, in case you want to learn more.

The first multiplicity image I created. Planning beforehand helped in making this easy to compose. I also learned how to make fog in photoshop! This image has been published in the greek photography magazine “Fotografos”.

The second image of the series is quite simple but I like its symmetry and its mood. This is when I learned how to make a dress longer and a wall taller in photoshop.

For this I went to one of my city’s landmarks on a nice cloudy day, sneeked into one of the small towers and started posing on the very uneven ground, while passers by were walking their dogs, pausing a little to see what I was up to. This one took some work in post but the result was very rewarding.

I think this is the most popular image I ever made. Right now it has over 200.000 views on 500px  and it has been featured on various websites and blogs. Lately it was also published on “Fotografos” magazine. This was the time where I learned how to erase a face and also how to “steal” your friend’s mirror because you simply must have it.

For some reason this image brings Alice in Wonderland in mind, at least some darker version. Maybe it’s the blue dress? The hardest part in creating this image, was the mirror reflections. My fingers still ache from all the detailed masking around the mirror’s frame.

I have to admit, this is one my favorites! Shot with the help of my husband, who was making faces at the camera while holding the other side of the rope. I especially like how the sky (which I added later) fits the whole mood and concept so much!

This image was not planned, although the concept was already on my mind when I saw this piece of furniture and decided to climb on it. I only wish I could have expanded my frame a bit more.

The next addition to the series came nine months later, last July and sadly it was the first picture I shot in 2015! This was a really busy year I suppose. It is also the first picture I shot while being pregnant. Though I hadn’t gotten too big yet, which was helpful because I had to fake run many times to get it right.

This concept was the most difficult for me to visualize. When the idea finally came to me, I was unable to shoot it exactly the way I originally wanted, for safety reasons. But if you can’t use smokebombs to get the effect you want, the next best thing is smoke from an e-cigarette!

The end of the journey, an encounter on an old bridge. I had to shoot myself seperately and then compose those shots on the bridge picture, because I was too pregnant at the time to be walking on old wooden bridges. So, up until the last image this image helped me learn a ton of new techniques!

All the images are available as limited edition, signed and numbered prints, on archival quality fine art paper. You can purchase directly from me or via the Saatchi online gallery.

The next few months will be dedicated to my little one, so no photography plans for me just yet. I suppose I will just see how it goes. I guess I will be more active on facebook from now on, so follow me if you haven’t already done so!

If you have managed to read all this, but even if you haven’t, it would mean a lot to me if you would drop me a line to let me know what you think!

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the encounter

The time has come! I present to you the final image of the “foundation” series! Like all the other pictures in the series, it is a self portrait, also featuring one of my clones.

This is the first time I shot myself and the background seperately. This abandoned bridge has been on my mind for a while and I wanted to use it as the setting for this image. So my husband and I drove to the location one afternoon, but being 8 months pregnant at the time I decided it was not very safe for me to actually stand on the bridge. This was really frustrating, being there but not being able to do the shoot the way I had planned. However, since we had driven all the way there, I photographed the bridge and started thinking about ways to make this work.

the encounter
the encounter

I decided to shoot myself on a different location and then composite these shots in the bridge picture. It is the first time I ever tried anything like this and I did not like it at all! I had to be very careful in keeping the lighting and angle consistent so that the final picture would look decent enough. I took it step by step and I got the result you see here, which I think is good. But I really don’t want to ever have to do this again! Apart from the technical difficulties and making my life harder, what I disliked most was that I didn’t have the chance to interact with the location and actually “feel” it. It feels like I was deprived of half the joy I get when I shoot, especially with a location so lovely like this one! Hopefully I will get the chance to return there and shoot something else in the future.

So, this marks the end of the “foundation” journey and it satisfies me greatly to know that I now have a complete series of pictures. I will soon write a seperate post about the series where I will include all the pictures and some words about each one.

If you don’t want to miss any new blog posts, please enter your email in the box on the left and you will receive a notification any time I write something new. You can also click the icons on the top of the page to follow me on facebook, instagram or other social networks. Thanks for your interest!

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dichotomy

I have been working on completing the “foundation” series, that I started almost two years ago. It feels importatnt to me to close this chapter and move on to different things. There is one more picture that I want to make and then the series will be complete.

dichotomy

dichotomy

This concept has been in my mind from the beginning, but I didn’t quite know how to visualize it. Then came the idea about the smoke. My first intention was to use smoke bombs and shoot outside, but then I thought it might not be the best idea for a pregnant woman to be around smoke bombs. Then I thought about using flour, until I saw a photoshoot by the amazing Von Wong, where he asked a member of his crew to blow the smoke from his e-cigarette to help create a small fog. So, I asked my husband to blow his e-cigarette in front of a black sheet, took some pictures and that was it! Sometimes the simplest things work best!

Although I think it might have been better if I could have followed my original plan with the smoke bombs, I am quite satisfied with the end result. Now there is only one picture left, which I plan on finishing in the following days, since my due date is approaching and I know that if I don’t do it now, it will probably be months until I am able to shoot again. So, I suppose you will hear from me again soon!

If you don’t want to miss any new blog posts, please enter your email in the box on the left and you will receive a notification any time I write something new. You can also click the icons on the top of the page to follow me on facebook, instagram or other social networks. Thanks for your interest!

hamadryad

A hamadryad (/hæməˈdraɪ.æd/; Greek: Ἁμαδρυάδες, Hamadryádes) is a Greek mythological being that lives in trees. They are a particular type of dryad, which are a particular type of nymph. Hamadryads are born bonded to a certain tree. Some believe that hamadryads are the actual tree, while normal dryads are simply the entities, or spirits, of the trees. If the tree died, the hamadryad associated with it died as well. For that reason, dryads and the gods punished any mortals who harmed trees.

This is yet another one of the pictures I shot last summer while I was at my village in the mountains. The original idea was that the body would somehow be connected to the tree, as if it emerged from it. While I was working on my last picture, “naiad“, I read about this kind of nymphs that were connected to trees, the hamadryads, so I knew this picture would be about that. I added the smoke and the butterflies (all pictures shot by me) to further highlight the magic that’s happening in this scene.

This and all the other pictures in my portfolio is available as a limited edition fine art print. If you are interested you can contact me directly or visit my saatchi gallery page.