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George Trypidakis
@g.trypidakis
Landscape photographer based in Greece
I was born and raised in the countryside, so I’m used to interacting daily with nature. Early on in life, I started feeling familiar and at home with nature, animals, mountains. Cities have never really interested me. As a kid, my father would take me out on trips with him hiking, following long trails, and crossing canyons. He definitely played a massive role in me falling in love with nature.
On all our trips, my father used to carry his camera with him. I often got my hands on it – of course, without having any idea of how to use it. It was like a toy for me. Growing up, I started going to the mountains, exploring, camping, all while alone, but I always felt that something was missing. That’s when the desire to buy a camera kicked in.
"Once I had my first camera, I planned my trip to the Italian Dolomites, and the rest was history."
I remember the last night in Milan before our mountain excursion into the Dolomites began. I was awake the entire night like a small kid waiting for Santa Claus. I was extremely overwhelmed by the whole experience. Then the next morning, we started driving towards the Alps. Once we arrived, I almost couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Of course, I had seen tons of photos online, but observing it in real life was a completely different story.
"The whole scenery was so unique."
That night we decided to stay at our hotel. The next morning, we woke up at 3:30 am to go to Lago Di Braies before sunrise and before masses of people would get there. More than 10 photographers were already there with their tripods to catch the first light when we arrived. And when the sunrise appeared, oh, it was that moment I realized that this is what I want to do in my life. This is what makes me happy! It was probably the most peaceful moment of my life.
The next year after this memorable trip, I started a regular 9 to 5 job. But in all honesty, not a day has passed without me wishing to be out there, exploring the unknown while taking photos. Keeping that in mind, I kept pursuing my passion. Even now, I spend hours daily improving my craft. I’ll watch tutorials, read interviews from admirable creators, and observe all the different details in movies I watch. I’ll also go out and try to create something with my camera. Regardless of how good or bad it comes out, it’s the process that I love more than anything.
"Photography and filmography are forms of art, and art is everywhere."
Since I started with the habit of analyzing art daily, the way I see the world has dramatically changed. I find myself walking on the street thinking, “That would make a perfect frame,” “Oh, this street can be used as leading lines,” and other such thoughts. I almost cannot watch a movie properly anymore. I repeatedly pause every scene, trying to understand the directors’ mindset. “Why did he use that camera movement?” “Why is he using Rembrandt lighting? How does it add to the story?”. Now, don’t ask the people that watch the movie with me what they think of this habit; they probably don’t like it. But well, I love it!
Photography, on the other hand, isn’t about the “click” or having something to show. What I love the most about it is the process that it puts me through. Waking up at 4 am to catch the first sun rays hitting the mountain top while being out in extreme weather conditions. -15 Celsius at 5 am in the morning, not being able to feel my hands but still roaming around trying to find the best composition for a shot. That’s what I love about it. In all honesty, I’ve started living more during golden and blue hours now. I’m able to find the beauty in places I never thought possible when I visit them at the right time. I believe this is the beauty of photography. Often, I’ve been told, “Put the camera down and enjoy the view.”
"But trust me, the process of finding the best angle, the best composition, and the best light makes me enjoy the view way more than just sitting and staring at it."
Ansel Adams said, “You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” And there is no better way to describe it. In the process of creation, one should get inspired and motivated by different forms of art. At the end of the day, the reason an individual performs art is to express his feelings. The way it can be done is just a personal preference. It’s not a coincidence how in some of the most famous scenes in movies, the directors got inspired by paintings from the Middle Ages. When it comes to my own sources of inspiration, poetry has always been an important one. Lately, I have been reading poems written by celebrated Greek poets. I often find myself getting inspired by poems written by amateur or less widely known poets.
One of the main reasons I do photography/film is to express myself and tell a story. That pretty much is what poetry, music, and every other form of art do. I get inspired by how other people tell their stories in such a pure form. I am sure that the respective feelings I have in a moment will be imprinted in each photo. Everything that I create has a purpose or a story to tell. And, of course, the result varies, depending on my state of mind at that moment.
In general, I am mostly inspired by music, or to be more specific, not by the music itself but rather the lyrics that accompany it. If you think about it, lyrics are nothing more than a musical interpretation of a poem. When I listen to a song, I create stories, visualize the lyrics in my head, and give them form. With these forms in my mind, I go out, and I try to bring these visions into my frame.
"Of course, I also get inspired by people in this field. Everyone has their own idol who they look up to in the area of photography/filmmaking."
Some people whose work I admire in cinematography/photography are Rodger Deakins, Christopher Nolan, Jimmy Chin, and Ansel Adams. To be honest, the list could go on forever. However, my course is always being influenced by my mood and the people I interact with the most. I am driven by my feelings and my thoughts. And overall, I would characterize myself as a solitary person. I’m sure this can be seen in my work as most of my photos are dark and moody. However, being lonely doesn’t mean that you don’t have people around you that you love and who inspire you as you travel.
Unfortunately, my job and my income have prevented me from traveling as much I would like to. Spending hours on Instagram, watching photographers traveling, and posting photos from all over the world certainly did not help my mental state. Eventually, looking at all this made me feel inferior and unmotivated. The thought, “Of course they can create better content since they’ve been to Iceland,” was constantly playing on my mind. But I suppose that’s completely normal. We’re not all in the same position; we can’t all afford excellent gear or travel as much as we would love, and it’s completely fine. This should not be a reason to lose your interest in this hobby. Being on a tight budget or not having the ideal gear does not stop you from creating excellent content.
If I were to give some advice to any budding photographers out there, it would be to stop finding excuses. Getting through your mental or practical obstacles can be challenging, but keep pushing. Find what you love to do, and you should find a way to do it.
But, of course, when you do go traveling, Greece and the island of Crete in particular, is where you should go first. Greece is genuinely magnificent. When someone thinks about this country, the first thing that comes to mind is the sea as we have many beautiful islands. But that’s not all we have. There are some other breathtaking places people must visit, such as Samaria, a Unesco World Heritage gorge. It’s the longest gorge in Europe; 13 km Surrounded by 300m rocks, and it’s incredible to experience in person.
"There's another hidden gem that I cannot exclude from the list named Kourtaliotiko."
It’s a kind of tropical canyon full of reeds, 3 km long. To cross it, you have to walk – and swim – for around 6 hours in freezing cold water. To be honest, I haven’t seen and experienced something similar in Greece.
There are also some pretty epic mountains here. One of them is Mount Olympus which is the highest mountain in Greece. The mountain of Gods, as we like to call it, is based on Greek mythology. Its paths are surrounded by beeches and firs at its lower altitudes, often covered with mist, which gives stunning aesthetics to the image. Once you go higher, the harsh – naked area begins. As you arrive at the Muses Plateau, you face Zeus’ Crown, the first part of the mountain getting lit by the sun in the morning. This gives it a stunning orange color, which, when I experienced it, gave me goosebumps.
And of course, there’s my most beloved mountain, Mount Lailias, located in Serres, the city I currently live in. I have experienced this mountain in all 4 seasons, day and night, cold and hot. Every single time it’s like a whole different experience. The mountain has many paths, most of them surrounded by tall trees, making you feel tiny. From each side of the mountain, you can observe multiple layers of mountain peaks, which create a perfect depth of field during golden hour.
After visiting all these exotic places, I’ve taken many photographs I’m happy with, so it’s tough for me to pick my overall favorite. But this one above is probably the one I’m most pleased about. I took it when my friend Mike and I were sitting at home during a dull evening, not doing anything special. I asked him if he wanted to join me on a night hike to the Mount Lailias summit. Surprisingly, he said yes. I packed my camera and tripod, we got ready, drove until the highest point of the mountain accessible by car, and then we started hiking.
The summit from there was quite close. I would say less than an hour. It was cold and windy, but we didn’t care. Once we reached the top, we could observe the city’s lights to the south, Lake Kerkini to the west, Bulgarian mountains to the north, and Mount Menikio and others to the east. But most importantly, above us, we could see the galaxy milky way. We stayed there for more than 3 hours in the middle of the night, having these weird-deep-stupid type conversations. And that’s why I love this photo the most. It’s definitely not my best photo, not the best framing, not the most technical, but that’s not what matters.
"Moments like these are the ones we'll remember. The ones that occur without planning, just after making random decisions."
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