From Here To Eternity © Julia Anna Gospodarou 2012
Vravrona Athens, Attica
This was undoubtedly the most difficult shot to get in my entire photographer’s history. Weather-speaking, that is.
Actually I shouldn’t have even been out there to take it, but in a taverna with my friends eating and having fun by the fireplace and watching the frantic sea outside raging in the strong freezing wind and rain.
But who, me??? Naaaah! Me, I can’t stay put. From the moment I saw this place, while driving to said taverna, I wasn’t thinking about anything else than how to get out to take a few shoots without being rude to my friends and leave them there. Which I eventually did (my friends know me by now and weren’t even surprised :)
So, I left them to finish the wine and got out there with my camera and tripod (plus the sand bags for the tripod) and started look around the place to find some sheltered spot to set my camera. I didn’t find anything though, so that meant I had to make do with what I had. Which was an umbrella that broke after 2 minutes in a wind that almost knocked me over (happily I was carrying the sand bags filled with rocks, ~10kg both, and they kept me stable :), a linen bag for carrying said sand bags (which became “umbrella” for the camera and lens) and a few lens clothes that had gotten so soaked after a while that I was wondering why bother to even clean the lens, better take some artistic blurred photos and go back inside by the fireplace. I wasn’t even dressed properly for that weather (remember, I was supposed to be inside with a glass of wine in my hand, chatting relaxed), but I didn’t even realize that till I started to shiver from the cold (after having been showered from tip to toe by a huge wave that got me wet to the bone and almost smashed my camera on the rocks (I managed to lift it and save it the very very VERY last second).
But it was beautiful. I hadn’t seen such a crazy weather in a long time and managed to take a few shots that I like and that were un-blurred ( I still wonder how I managed that under these circumstances). And I eventually got back inside after one and a half hour. Needless to say, the wine and food were over, and my friends ready to leave, but it didn’t bother me too much (that I was still hungry after having gone out to eat :))
Me, I couldn’t wait to get home to see what I have on my card. Well, I know….you know the feeling… :)
Julia Anna Gospodarou – (en)Visionographer
is an architect with a Master degree and a Multiple Award-Winning Black and WHite Fine Art Architectural photographer (en)Visionographer, creator of (en)Visionography™ and Photography Drawing™, author of the book From Basics to Fine Art – Black and White Photography (co-author Joel Tjintjelaar), with high distinctions in the most important photography competitions worldwide (SWPA, IPA, PX3, IFPA, B&W Spider Awards etc.), published internationally in numerous books and magazines, passionate about beauty and trying to spread it into the world.