The early days
Branches of a dead tree, Troodos. Canon EOS 7D, EF-S 18-135mm
Vas at a lake during my first visit to see her during her studies, somewhere in Reading, England.
Canon PowerShot S2 IS
Branches of a dead tree, Troodos. Canon EOS 7D, EF-S 18-135mm
The early years... oh my, oh my. I never thought I’d be sharing this, but there’s something valuable in looking back at that first spark. Between 2006 and 2010, those four years were decisive. Back then, during my first degree, photography was just an interest, a hobby. Very quickly, it turned into an addiction.
It’s wild to think that this was 15 to almost 20 years ago.
Hard even to remember what I was doing, why, or what was driving me. I think it was mostly curiosity, mixed with a sense of purpose and achievement. With photography I really felt like I could jam, you know? It felt natural even though I knew nothing about the craft, its visual language, or even much about life itself. Still, something clicked.
At school I had a hard time with learning, with classes and all that. It never really worked for me. I never felt the satisfaction of a test gone well, or homework delivered on time. So when I actually started getting results in photography, results that I could see and feel, it was incredibly gratifying.
A live gig at Diaxroniki, Nicosia. Canon EOS 7D, EF-S 18-135mm
Workshop in the old town of Nicosia. Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18–55mm
A live gig at Diaxroniki, Nicosia. Canon EOS 7D, EF-S 18-135mm
Picture with a number and a name found in an abandoned house in the old town of Nicosia. Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18–55mm
A live gig at Diaxroniki, Nicosia. Canon EOS 7D, EF-S 18-135mm
A quiet corner in our neighbourhood hangout spot, Cafe City, Nicosia. Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18–55mm
Summer camping in Polis. It isolated a moment when we all felt infinite. Youth and summer, that's what I think of when looking at this. Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18–55mm
Looking at the images now, there was so much freedom.
I remember experimenting with light as if I were in a studio and when I say that, I mean lights in rooms, literally. A lamp hanging from the ceiling, or a torch in hand. Access to actual studio gear was rare, though it did happen occasionally.
What surprises me most is how free that early work was. No burden of “getting it right,” no concern for the obvious. I mean, what made me take a photo of a sticky insect catcher like that? ahaha. I might even print it now. What I see is someone chasing light and shapes rather than subjects. And I say “someone” because that version of me feels so far away but the images show the crumbs that led to who I am now.
And honestly, it makes me think: I need to be more experimental again. Looking back made me long for that curious, almost naive eye, wandering around, noticing shapes for no reason other than the fun of it. What a beautiful thing, eh? Is it youth? Or can I find my way back to that state of mind?
Elias portrait using ceiling lamp. Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18–55mm
Fly catcher. Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18–55mm
Aluminium scrap at a workshop in the old town, Nicosia. Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18–55mm
