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Bill Prokos
@bill_prokos_
Photographer based in Greece
I used to browse photos depicting landscapes and nature scenes; I found my inner peace gazing upon them. This is how I started exploring nature myself. I saw myself as a traveler, ready to take on a new adventure. Soon enough the passion for capturing what my eyes saw grew inside me and this is how photography sneaked into my life. It came natural, like walking.
Being a professional photographer but a hobbyist at the same time, I had to work hard and continue learning about new techniques and upgrade my gear (and I still do). Shooting landscapes is something I love doing and I try to incorporate elements that come out of my heart together with things my clients ask for when doing a professional shooting.
"When I photograph for my pleasure, I feel free and I use this inspiration at a professional level."
It’s kind of a challenge sometimes; to satisfy a client and make them trust you. The photography market is a competitive one; advertising oneself is important but what established me as a photographer is my work. It may sound common, but it is true indeed! Slowly but steadily, I got recognition and satisfied clients brought more clients. This is how it works.
Recently I completed a project promoting a local destination in the mountainous region called Epirus, northwestern Greece. It was about an old traditional guesthouse with exquisite architecture, a cultural photo trip to acknowledge the origins of this area. I got the chance to chat with the elderly villagers sharing stories about the Greek-Italian battles during World War II and the events that took place in that area of Pindos mountains.
This is a perfect example of an all-round project where I shoot different subjects. Future clients can see me shooting landscapes, cityscapes, food, and portraits besides weddings or real estate. I think this is a convincing factor in the sense that it shows I genuinely love the act of photography, capturing the uniqueness and telling a story through impactful images, whatever it is.
However, when shooting so many different genres, there needs to be an inner equilibrium. Spending hours in the woods and mountains searching for the most amazing scenes, I become one with nature and I find this balance. I see my soul reflected on the surface of a lake, on the colorful leaves of a tree in autumn… I can’t put it into words. But it’s there – connection.
"Photography is a way of expressing my feelings and myself. I find it rewarding when I develop my photos and they illustrate what my eyes have seen and my heart has felt."
Can you depict your soul on paper? Some people paint, others write. I take photos. On a professional level, on the other hand, a happy client is the best gift I could get and fulfills me. Either way, if it’s shooting for a job or shooting for my passion, I am rewarded for the energy that I put into it. I try to illustrate what my eyes have seen, and I choose to emphasize the uniqueness of each photo through a rather moody edit. For example, a photo of a misty mountain transforms into a real scenic one when I play with the shadows and highlights – as if it comes out of a movie. I will bring to life the magic that already exists in the photo!
BRINGING TO LIFE
THE MAGIC
I’ve been born and raised in Greece and shooting in its picturesque places has only increased my love for photography. I see a different Greece now. I have been able to appreciate its hidden beauty. A beauty that isn’t seen by the eyes of a tourist. Did you know Greece has mountainous areas, too? Mountain-tops covered with snow? Heavy winters and stormy weather? And then there are the people. When I do street photography, I come in touch with those who seem ordinary people, but are all unique, coming from different provinces, races, cultures. It makes me learn about this country from scratch again, looking at it with a whole different perspective and increased awareness and level of wonder.
Virgin nature, breathtaking gorges and mountains, traditional architecture, and delicious food… What more to ask for?! I feel blessed to come from and live in a place like this. A photographic paradise for every taste.
Outside of Greece, though, it was New York that has been a total revelation for me. A whole new world so different from Greece, from Europe, and from what I thought I knew. Skyscrapers reach the sky, hidden into the clouds. People rush down the streets non-stop. Colorful, ever awake, always busy. New York comprises the best scenery for street photography, from the buildings to the people, from the subway to the brisk lifestyle. This is something you don’t see in Greece, not even in Europe so much. Everything is huge, gigantic. Even the differences between people. And yet, it is so welcoming. I loved every single moment of this trip and not only because it was my honeymoon! I stayed in the Harlem neighborhood, a fascinating, separate world within the city as a whole. And when you think you have seen everything, you visit Manhattan, and guess what, you feel like an intern!
As part of this trip, visiting the 9/11 monument was a very heartfelt moment."
Speaking of which, I have to say that the visit to the concentration camp at Dachau in Germany was another life-changing trip that truly impacted me. It’s important to know both sides of a story, see different perspectives, and hence, it’s also necessary to not only learn the beauty of a place, but also the tragedy and hardship connected to that place. Each trip impacts me for one reason or another, and I hold the photos dear for those very different reasons.
However, if you ask me about my favorite photo, a year ago I would show a photo of my wedding, from the photoshoot we did afterward. What is more beautiful than the beginning of common life with your other half? Today, though, the photo that captivates my heart is a portrait of my baby son smiling back at me. Should I say more or I can already hear you saying “Ahwwww”?!
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