Learning more

As you've probably guessed I've been enjoying the freedom to wander Bristol on foot and just take pictures of whatever catches me eye. It has been a real education to see the city and neighbourhoods I grew up in with a different eye. One of the challenges I set myself was to take more street photographs. To prove that I could do this in England as well as Greece. For some reason, partly personal, partly cultural I feel more inhibited about pointing a camera at complete strangers here.







There are major differences in the way people way react to the camera. In Bristol people shy away from it, avert their face, change the direction in which they are walking. On the other hand in Thessaloniki, people mostly ignore it or give me a curious stare and then wander off. On the other hand most of the people in both countries say "yes" when I ask if I can take their picture, something I never would have expected.


I came aross the work of the photographer, Don McCullin, which as been a real revelation. As well as doing amazing work as a combat photographer what really struck me was his images from Britain as a documentary photography which are, if anything even more powerful.




As a result I have been trying to copy from his approach and visual style. Different times, different techniques but still there is so much that I can learn from this.

Click here to listen and read an interview with McCullin.

Skate or Die

Bored with what was TV I grabbed my camera and decided to go to the centre and see what I could find. After wandering through Ano Poli I ended up in Aristotelous Square where I sat watching the skate freaks practicing their moves on the concrete benches. Eventually, I got up the courage to ask if I could take pictures, an idea they liked as they got the chance to show off their latest moves to an enthusiastic audience of one.

I guess this is part of my photography Yin and Yang, I love taking pictures of people in the street yet I'm often too shy to ask, nor I'm I crazy about secretly taking photos all the time. I like the idea of getting close to the person, preferably with their consent.On the other hand taking pictures of buildings, objects in the road etc. is much easier and so there is that tension.

Eventually I got bored of things and yearn for the excitement of the crowds and motion.

Meeting people

I experienced another example of the way in which the internet can bring people together, rather than isolating us behind our keyboards. A few weeks ago I was contact via my Flickr page by Laureen, a journalist/teacher/author working in Cyprus and who was also going to be here in Thessaloniki on business. Once again the chance was given to me to play host and show somebody parts of the city that visitors don't usually get round to seeing.

I really enjoyed the conversation as we swapped notes on teaching, work, kids and life in general over a beer outside the Czech bar in Paikou.

Walking off the internet

And into real life. About a week or so ago I got a phone call via Skype from Mario, a teacher/journalist based in Northern Italy. As he was travelling here to Thessaloniki to cover a theatrical award he wanted to ask me a few questions about the city. I was more than happy to oblige and later after a flurry of emails we got to meet up for coffee on the sea front and chat about Milan, teaching, eating out, theatre, politics and and the like.

It was great to see how the internet, which is supposedly cutting us all off from "real" human contact can, in fact do exactly the opposite.