Page 66 - ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL 2022

THE AEGEAN WAY
People of Amorgos go ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL
from one village to another culture
following traditional trails
that their ancestors had been
using for centuries.
OVER THE YEARS, CHRISTOS DRAZOS HAS RETURNED

TO THE CYCLADES AGAIN AND AGAIN, FOR WORK AND
PLEASURE, TO EXPLORE THE ARCHIPELAGO’S DIVERSE

LANDSCAPES AND REVEL IN ITS CLEAR, BRILLIANT LIGHT.

hero shot. You can sit at a desk and think about it all you want, but
it doesn’t reveal itself until you’re actually there at the hotel. That’s
why when I start a new project, I like to arrive at the hotel a day early
and take the time to wander and explore, to spend some time there
and connect with the place. Then shooting is about capturing that
experience, conveying those moments to other people.
Thinking back to your projects to date, which do you think has
been the most challenging?
I didn’t get into photography to make a living. I got into photography
because it was what I always wanted. Some projects I take on because
they pay the bills and some because they clear my head. As photogra-
phers, we are observers, and it’s good to take the time to turn that
observation inwards, to your heart and your soul, and then bring that
resulting ease and that energy to your commercial work. The truth
is that there’s no routine in my line of work. Every new project is a
unique challenge. My work takes me from the Baltics to the Red Sea,
Photographer Christos Drazos started his career in Hotel Photography in 2000.
shooting back-to-back assignments across continents. How could I not
be excited about it? I’ve been doing this for long enough that there’s
no stress involved anymore. It’s all about the thrill in the challenge.
So the bigger the challenge, the bigger the thrill.
After more than two decades of photographing hotels in Greece
T he ancient Greeks believed that every time Greece’s biggest competitive advantage is its diversity. I’ve dedicated
and abroad, what do you think it is that sets our country apart as
a destination?

much of my life to photographing around the Aegean, and I’ve come
a child was born, the three Fates would spin the
to realise that no two islands are alike. The local culture and way of
thread of its life and weave its destiny. Maybe they
thinking differ from island to island. The cuisine can also vary dra-
matically, even though the islands are so close to each other. Some
were on to something. It would certainly explain
the singular draw that Christos Drazos has always
islands are arid, some show strong influences brought by those who
migrated from the coast of Turkey, and some still carry the heritage of
felt towards his craft. Fascinated by the idea of
the period of Venetian rule. Greece is very diverse. It’s a small country
capturing the best aspects of any given moment
and distilling that reality into a visual essence that
speaks directly to the heart, by the time he was 13,
for. This wealth can never be taken from us, and we must build on it.
Christos had resolved to become a professional
There’s so much to discover that no one can just visit the country once,
photographer. He launched his career in the mid-90s and gravitated but also many countries in one, depending on what you’re looking
cross it off the list and move on. Greece is a challenge, an invitation to
naturally toward hotel photography, a niche he was destined to con- come back again and again and revel in all the different experiences.
quer. Some two decades on, and having worked with over 250 of the What about the light? The Cyclades have been known for it since
finest boutique hotels and luxury hospitality brands in more than 10 antiquity. Have you ever seen anything like it during your travels
countries, Christos is one of Greece’s most accomplished hotel pho- abroad?
tographers, renowned for his unique eye and a strong storytelling style A geologist once told me that there’s a scientific explanation for the
that transcends form and light to capture the essence of his subjects. light in the Aegean. It has to do with the large number of islands and
You are known for your ability to capture each hotel’s unique char- the strong summer winds that keep humidity in check and give Ae-
acter. What’s your process? Do you plan the images in advance? gean light its distinctive clarity. The only place that even comes close
A photograph is an open invitation to potential guests. It must in terms of quality of light is the southmost region of Italy. As a pho-
promise and enchant, make the viewer want to live in and experi- tographer, I consider myself extremely lucky to have been born here.
ence the moment the image depicts. You have to capture the holiday The light in Greece is sublime. It is such a joy to live in a country that
dream, and the photograph that most fully encapsulates this is your is bathed in sunshine for more than 260 days a year. 

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