GREECE: Inside a Greek Orthodox Church
EDIT: I had planned to just post a few pics but after re-reading the forum guidelines realized I really should do more of a travelogue. I think the photos are much more interesting than the text, though ;-) Hopefully it will be okay with everyone to break this up into a series ....
I recently returned from several weeks in the Cycladic Islands of Greece recently. This was my second trip to Greece ... there will be many more. I am completely in love with the country.
The journey started in Athens for one night. I arrived September 19 after about 20 hours of traveling from the west coast of the U.S. I hadn't completely decided where to go when I arrived in Athens but, aside from the Acropolis and a few neighborhoods at its base, Athens is otherwise a relatively unappealing big city. I planned to leave the next day, or soon after.
My first hope was to travel onto the semi-autonomous peninsula of Athos, a 1,000 year-old self-ruled "monk's state" of monasteries. Getting a permit to go proved impossible with poor pre-planning since they only allow 10 non-Greek Orthodox, or as they say "non-christian," visitors per day. Ah well, next time, seriously, it's an absolutely amazing place by all accounts, the last remnants of the Byzantine empire stuck in time.
So, Athens for a night. After finding Athos impossible, I chose to go to the island of Syros in the Cyclades. While it isn't a big tourist mecca, a big plus in my book, it does have the largest city in the islands (still very small) and acts as the center of government for the Cyclades. And with a working port, it is one of the most real "Greek" of the islands, a true working island. I had 10 days on my own before meeting my wife on Santorini. My hope was to immerse myself into the culture as much as possible an d just make good pictures.
But that is jumping ahead. I had a few hours of daylight left in Athens so after checking into the hotel in the Monasteraki neighborhood, with some nice anti-u.s. propaganda spray-painted on the front, I just walked around for a while with my camera avoiding all the obvious tourist pictures and focusing on people and street photography, trying to get the feel of the place, and get back into the groove of making frames.
There's just nothing better than shooting in low light, it lends mystery and it's nice to not have "perfect" pictures.
Skateboarders in the plazas of Athens are like skateboarders anywhere else I suppose but that marble looked hard.
Text and photos © 2008 Thomas Hyde, All Rights Reserved.
I recently returned from several weeks in the Cycladic Islands of Greece recently. This was my second trip to Greece ... there will be many more. I am completely in love with the country.
The journey started in Athens for one night. I arrived September 19 after about 20 hours of traveling from the west coast of the U.S. I hadn't completely decided where to go when I arrived in Athens but, aside from the Acropolis and a few neighborhoods at its base, Athens is otherwise a relatively unappealing big city. I planned to leave the next day, or soon after.
My first hope was to travel onto the semi-autonomous peninsula of Athos, a 1,000 year-old self-ruled "monk's state" of monasteries. Getting a permit to go proved impossible with poor pre-planning since they only allow 10 non-Greek Orthodox, or as they say "non-christian," visitors per day. Ah well, next time, seriously, it's an absolutely amazing place by all accounts, the last remnants of the Byzantine empire stuck in time.
So, Athens for a night. After finding Athos impossible, I chose to go to the island of Syros in the Cyclades. While it isn't a big tourist mecca, a big plus in my book, it does have the largest city in the islands (still very small) and acts as the center of government for the Cyclades. And with a working port, it is one of the most real "Greek" of the islands, a true working island. I had 10 days on my own before meeting my wife on Santorini. My hope was to immerse myself into the culture as much as possible an d just make good pictures.
But that is jumping ahead. I had a few hours of daylight left in Athens so after checking into the hotel in the Monasteraki neighborhood, with some nice anti-u.s. propaganda spray-painted on the front, I just walked around for a while with my camera avoiding all the obvious tourist pictures and focusing on people and street photography, trying to get the feel of the place, and get back into the groove of making frames.
There's just nothing better than shooting in low light, it lends mystery and it's nice to not have "perfect" pictures.
Skateboarders in the plazas of Athens are like skateboarders anywhere else I suppose but that marble looked hard.
Text and photos © 2008 Thomas Hyde, All Rights Reserved.
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