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Andreas Tziniolis
@tziniolo
Landscape photographer based in Greece
The first images that I have in my mind from my childhood are from the urban landscape and many buildings. I grew up in the city, but I realized very early that I wasn’t a city kind of person.
Some of the first nature trips I did as a child clarified what I wanted – without being able to explain it with words or really understanding it, I knew I belonged to nature more than the city.
"Returning to the city again after each trip, I missed so much the feeling I always had being in nature."
I missed the views that surrounded me. And so I decided to buy my first camera, to be able to look at these surroundings whenever I wanted when I’d be back in the city. This is how my passion to photograph the natural landscape began, at 14 years old.
I think I was lucky because from quite early on I met people who were doing different photography genres. Therefore I had the opportunity to see many different views on the same or different photographic subjects. Later a friend of mine, an amateur photographer, showed me some photos taken by Yiannis Behrakis. This was the defining moment; I understood everything. I really realized for the first time how captivating and impactful a single image can be. And even after getting to know some more creators, it was one of his photos every time that made me want to stand up and do something good for the environment and for the creatures living in these natural environments.
"The motivation for me to go deeper into this passion derived from there."
Landscape photography is the fascinating process by which, while dealing with something unresponsive to your presence, so many emotions are provoked within you. And the most satisfying moments for me are when I am alone with my camera in nature. Nature always accepts you as you are without judging you or stopping you from anything.
"Balance, companionship and patience are the three things that nature has been trying to teach us for centuries."
Even after so many disasters that man has caused to nature, nature is the most balanced thing on the planet. Nature is the balance of our planet. For as long as we can go back, nature has continued to find balance and provided what we need to continue life, and it does it together with the organisms that it needs to evolve including animals, microorganisms, water, even fungi and germs. This companionship that has been lasting for ages finally gives us the opportunity to admire the Earth’s landscapes of today and to be in awe of how the most important things in life are built.
However, for too long we humans unfortunately grew up learning that we are the “higher species”. How we do not need anything and how we can live as we want and get what we want without resources getting scarce or damaged. This is profoundly incorrect. Nature does not need us, we need it. The forest does not need us to live, we need it to live. While I began to realize this, nature in its own way made me respect the things around me a lot more and this then has been very important for my wellbeing over the course of my life.
"Traveling and immersing myself into unknown landscapes definitely contributed to profound this feeling of respect and awe."
From 2013 to 2016 I traveled in Ethiopia for some projects. I hadn’t had any previous experience traveling in any other African country. It was as if I was suddenly going to another era. As if in a few hours flight I went back a few decades.
I encountered a situation so far from our daily life that it really shook me. No matter how much footage you have seen before you go, no matter how many stories you have heard, the reality is very different, much harsher – and truly transformational. People there do not have enough drinking water or food and they are among the 30 poorest countries, yet at the same time, they are the most smiling and generous people I have ever met. There, from one point onwards, you forget the camera and any other equipment you have with you and all you want is to capture as many images as you can with your own eyes, living experiences with heart & soul.
We often hear people saying when they travel to underdeveloped countries or countries in development, as defined by the UN, that they see poverty yet happiness and feel incredibly welcome. These stories only become truly understandable for one at the moment of traveling to these places and feeling it.
Looking at something different and closer to home, Greece has also really surprised me. Greece is a little paradise and it is very famous for its many and very beautiful islands. But also on the mainland, we are lucky that very often the mountains end up meeting the sea. Especially in winter this is a unique and wild spectacle.
But in my opinion, the real beauty of Greece can be found in the main country that is not so well known to foreigners. The mountains and natural landscapes there don’t need to envy the well-known bucket-list photo spots of the rest of Europe. I am convinced that landscape photographers who come here for the first time will definitely come again – And bring fellow photographers with them.
It is the mountain where, according to Greek mythology, the gods of the ancient Greeks lived. The surrounding landscapes are rough, wild and eerie, leaving you in a state of wonder and introspection. Here you are confronted with yourself, and your level of endurance is challenged. For survival you need to prove yourself.
There are times when nature motivates you to do something more, take a little risk, go beyond. And if you do, you are always compensated. My photo called “Enter Heaven” is an example of that. Suddenly I had something new and unexplored in front of me. And all I wanted at that moment was to go deep and see what else is there. See beyond the first impression and experience the view rather than just look at it.
"I do not need anything else to move forward - the belief of finding something unique always, is enough for me to continuously test my endurance and take a healthy risk sometimes."
Photography is my psychotherapy. It only makes me feel good. Once I choose my subject, the moment of pressing the shutter always feels like the best moment of my life. And every time it is the same.
In the editing part, I always try to emphasize the reality a little. True colors and tones are what caught my eye, so I do not want to distort them in any case. My purpose when editing a photo is to show how I see the subject before I put my eye on the viewfinder.
The uniqueness of being alone in nature is the biggest inspiration for me. The subject is always in front of you and challenges you to shoot. It’s silent, you feel the wind, the cold or the warmth, and you wait for that perfect moment that you feel it – and shoot.
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