Ps

Today I met Olga from Akira Mushi and understood why I like their clothing so much. I'll have an interview on the blog soon.

Goodbye 2011. It's been nice

We've had a lot to eat, to drink and to fight for. The first two are diminishing but fighting won't.
I wish a nice year to everyone. See you in 2012

Peggy Lee - Black Coffee

I've never told you that I don't drink coffee, right? I don't. I stopped it early, when I felt it was going to become an addiction. I don't feel like I'm missing something without it. But I got really attached to this song. Must be the mentionned nicotine



And please don't tell me it reminds you of christmas. This year nothing feels like Christmas

Métiers de la rue

Sometimes, inspiration comes from the unexpected. If not always.
I got the inspiration for my new project from another project that I put to my photography class (yes, I am a teacher now.not a very good one, but I'm trying) about colours. And I decided to start a project about people who work on the streets. It's started quite smoothly, don't you think? The only problem is: I've shot this with defunct polaroid 600 and there's no other film in this format that looks like it. The Impossible Project's PX680 is wonderful but the colours look nothing like good ol' 600. So, either I stop it in three photos or I begin the nightmare of looking for polaroid 600. Anyway, here are my two first photos:

The balloon seller

The bracelet maker

The movie

Last weekend, I participated in a 48 hour project that prepared a short movie. I did some plateau photography (with a polaroid. Yes, I know, I'm pittoresque) but mostly watched everybody else doing their job. And of course, tantalized the actors to photograph them better (although they were mesmerized by the polaroid. I won)

Here's my favorite:

I haven't seen the whole, cut and mounted short film yet, but I've lived a day full of interesting experiences.

Remember the post about all of my friends who quit drinking?

I see there are other people around the world who think like me (like Zora Strangefields for instance). Except my own friends haven't turned sane after all. It was just a little break from health-damaging extremeness. But we're still under 25...

It's raining chairs

au!

When fighting for your future looks merrier than Christmas

Yesterday night, the demonstration about the toll in the electric bill was magic. The public lights were all shut for two hours and people were coming in the dark with candles. And they were many.

I'm bored of people moaning nowadays

As I thought before, even without Internet I still had books. And goods ones, to keep me company. But recently, every glossy publication I try to read seems to moan and groan about the lost limos, nouvelle cuisine meals and hilton stayovers because of the crisis. And everybody from the upper class (or the wannabe upper class) feel their share of guilt for the money they were throwing away. I'm sorry, I feel no share of guilt at all. And I've never used a limo to be able to miss it. I might have eaten nouvelle cuisine, but that wasn't my everyday food, so I won't miss it either. But I think these people, trying to "repent" for the sins of a life of luxury are like Marie Antoinette right now. You can't cry and weep and try to seem strong because you can't eat brioche when everybody else can't eat bread. And everyone remembers what happened to Marie Antoinette...

Sand in my shoes...

Yesterday

The World Is Going Crazy Part II

...It's going down. They're going down in a way that's bad for our brain cells. We've heard it all today. Come on, gimme more.

BOMB

Riga Feraiou is a wonderland the sequel

I got my first reprimanding while shooting on the street today. This might be good

A day to remember

National celebration. in a different way.

Summer, again

Scent of Summer

Two months afterwards and on a very cold day, my lomo-esque summer pictures don't look so bad.

Change

women tend to think that changing small things in their everyday life can change their whole system. I haven't changed my hair since May, but my house looks like heaven right now.

Are we growing up?

A number of friends of mine have quit drinking this week. I'm not talking about pathologic cases here. Just people who used to crush a cup of wine (or many of them) when they went out. Is it the money? or are we growing up? I sense a change in people nowadays. We had this long talk today about how a 23 year old person can't be on the same wavelength with a 19 year old. And I thought: hello, we were 19 year olds a couple of years ago. What went wrong? If there was anything wrong in the beginning. Maybe it's just like Inertia. When the bus of life is moving forward on a fast pace, you're stuck on the seat, resisting the speed. We're growing up too fast nowadays. Because there is no other choice. I'll be 22 next March. And I might be quite a different person then. Until then, I'll be resisting unwanted changes my way.

(a song that has nothing to do with the subject, but I like it very much)

And I wonder...

if we'll have internet in a bankrupt land. It isn't such a trivial matter though. We'll still have books.

In a very troubled time, I've been running around, having deep conversations, curating a team exhibition, making silver gelatin prints, sleeping less. I feel that the time is running faster nowadays.

I'm going on a trip next week. Let's see if time will slow down there. 'Cause I need it

Hello September

Goodbye Summer. See you at the squares.

End. Beggining.

Last night

Last night, last thoughts. My holidays part three (or four, depends on how you count it) are ending tomorrow and I'm coming closer to reality. Closer to inspiration too, I hope. I've had fun in a lot of unusual ways. If you've told me three months ago that I wouldn't get extremely bored in Gastouni, I'd have slapped you. But this time, I decided to have fun and I did. But time goes on and on. If you ask me now, I'm fine with the holiday part. I've slept enough, drank enough, danced more than enough. I wanna go back to my reality. But things won't be the same with those I left before the holidays. And this scares me. But it also thrills me. I don't know. Having no care in the world is a damn nice feeling. But, this time of the year, I'm getting addicted to social media. Hell's bells. In the end, I prefer living a full time life from having all the time to laugh with posh kids...

PS. I promise my posts are going to be less self-centered and analyzing from now on. But, as I said before, it's the Gastouni disease :p

Two years gone

I noticed today that my blog turned 2 years old. Two years and four days, to be exact. It was created with the same cafe's internet, in the same place. It's amazing how and why this blog started and how it turned up. It grew up I guess. Like myself (we can take that back if you want :p). And speaking about myself, I need a serious detox. So goodbye memorandum post and hello fresh juices...

Recycling

Today I learned a new term, reading some international gossip magazine (imagine how bored I am). Recycling. Meaning, using clothing items twice publicly. Example, "Queen Elisabeth recycled this hat made by x that she wore in y occasion in 2008". It's the summer, season of boredom and recycling. I haven't touched a camera for any serious reason since I came here. I call it the Gastouni disease but it keeps getting worse every year. Last year, I made a Polaroid series. This year, nada. So, I look at the films I've shot previously and find photos I've never shared before very interesting. And I wonder, are they really interesting or is it just because it's summer and the general cultural activity is down?

This is an example

I'm looking for a new summer soundtrack...

are you willing to help?I've been right on spot finding the last one, but now I need a new one. I'm in a little city (the best term to describe it) where everyone tends to do extreme things. I guess my dear godfather doesn't say "unbelievable" and "amazing" five times more around here just for fun. And there are two ways to bear it: you either stay out of trouble and criticize everyone else, or you merge in and get in trouble too. You choose. So I want ideas...

The World Is going Crazy

...and so am I. I tried to write my first post on a smartphone (and failed tremendously). My parents are learning Turkish through a tv show. The world might be ready for an international revolt, or so say the signs. And even though I'm not hell well, I don't want the holidays to end. I might be shooting photos with a single use camera and spend my time doing nothing but right now it seems great. PS, we just got a phonecall from Alaska. The world's really gone mad

In a sentimental mood

...I love you

Don't talk to me today...

and by the way, I read yesterday that Henri Catrier Bresson was also thinking about the relation of chaos and order. Swell.

Chaos in Order

I kind of love this one. Without apparent reason. It reminds me that chaos and order are very subjective things

Dead time

I love hating impossible films right now.all my photos have a blue shade over them. And the worst part is: I love the way photos taken with these films look. Before they get screwed up.

A nice day to you too

Ley de gravedad

Voooy!! Pensando en el pasado
Viendo de lleno el miedo y enfrentándolo
Voooy!! A veleta perdía
Llevá por lo que más brilla y con ventilación
Voooy!! Sin brújula ni prisa
En mi soledad me encuentro en tecnicolor
Vooy!! Sin huir de este tiempo
Aire pa los laberintos de mi corazón
Las palabras que no son
Son paja en el camino
Los amigos que no son
Son sonámbulos de pasillo
¡¡¡Dime dónde estás, dime dónde vas, dime lo que ves!!!
Ley de gravedad...
No necesito tener alas pa volar
Ley de gravedad...
El viento gira y la veleta sigue igual.
Pero no pa siempre
Dicen los que ven
No pa siempre este mundo del revés
Pero no pa siempre
Dicen lo que ven
Pero no pa siempre!!! Pero no pa siempre!!!

Have a nice summer...mine might just look like those lyrics from "Ley de Gravedad", Ojos de Brujo

A soft blue line

It's a fact. The holy days of the Holidays (yes I know how absurd this sounds) have arrived. Being a complete geek, I prefer writing my last post before Holidays part 1 instead of doing useful things like packing my suitcase. Anyway, I'd like to tell you lots of things, including why girls should NEVER wear wedges bigger that their legs (it's deeply unattractive) but then I remember what's happened in the last days of my life and prefer shutting up. So here's a collection of the big Protest in Syntagma on the 29th of June and a gift.






Happy holidays and see you soon.

There are people that inspire me...

...and I think I'll never forget.

Athens.Yesterday

(photo by dikaioma)
The statue was a lucky one. It had every mean to protect itself. Many people didn't

Schoolyear strikes Back

Have you forgotten all about it?even I had at some point. But I decided to revive and finish it, next year probably, to be able to go on with my photographic projects. I've got a new one that you'll learn about soon. Now enjoy:



See you soon!

Smells like something I can't resist to

I bought a new no name foam bathing soap yesterday. The cheaper, the larger, the better. But it's smell dazed me. I know the smell. It's the essence of a well known men's perfume that I don't want to mention right now. For me it's so much more. It smells like high school. New year's eve. Holidays. Boring days. The place where I used to live. Guitar tunes. Bed linen that's faded. tears. Skin. Fruit and Meat. Lawyers. Dogs. Videogames. Horror movies. Loneliness. Radiohead. Guitar Pro. Ice cream. Photos and Videos. Parks. Trains. The beach. Stretching. Old Indian Remedies. Cigarettes. Stairs. Stupid jokes. Cocky jokes. so many more things I can't remember right now.

I got out of my flashback, took a deep smell of my skin and then decided to have a reality check. Doesn't matter though. I might buy this soap again.

Kids

Truth is, I love shooting kids. That's what I've come to realize by shooting street. Kids and old people. I think their facial expressions are more genuine. Here's what I shot last weekend.

Fred and Fed

I learned recently about a funding project, Fred and Fed . Frederic Buchet, has sold me a polaroid camera once that still gives me very nice photos. Unluckily, his beloved fed (a russian rangefinder camera) has been left in the light and has,now a hole in the curtain. He decided to give it for a repair and to promote his photographic career shooting with it. I find all of this very brave. Do take a look at his ulule and his flickr.

Reading a red book

Hadn't shot polaroid a long time. Me likey

Old Athens

We were lost on a desert sea coast

flashback.

Stupid post

I already wrote it in the title so now you just skip to the next one if you want to. But sometimes I wish I lived in the 60's. Or the 70's. I have the wrong taste in everything, body type, ideas for today. I mean, hello, I like corsets and relaxed maxi dresses, records, electronic devices that were made 40-50 years ago. Be that cameras, fridges or cars. I want to drive a Lada Niva. And shoot black and white film in my Polaroids. And walk slowly. And not change my washing machine every 5 years because they make them so shitty nowadays. Is there something wrong with me?

In Retro-spect

I don't know if you can realize the size of my astonishment when I saw a record close to a macbook