Grande Bretagne Magazine Cover
In the imposing Alexander's Bar voted as the Best Hotel Bar in the world by Forbes magazine, the choice of drinks will impress even the most demanding connoisseur. The bar offers a wide range of unique spirits, skilled bartenders and friendly waitresses, while the rare 18th century handmade tapestry that hangs above the bar depicts Alexander the Greats entrance into Gavgamila, and is one of the oldest trademark items in the Hotel.
I took this portrait photograph of the bartender in front of the magnificent handmade backround of the bar. More magazine covers..
Domaine Hatzimichalis Wine Campaign
With all the support from Leonidas and Panagiotis Hatzimichalis, I followed the wine route in Domaine Hatzimichalis for this greek wine photography campaign. From the Valley of Atalanti, the vineyards, its grounds and the winery until bottling. Every space the human element turns it into a space of creation and defines it. The richness of the natural environment, the value and respect of the ecosystem are highlighted. In this campaign I felt that I followed and captured the steps of our ancestors, from the past to the present.
The producer Dimitris Hatzimichalis is the creator. He is the one who determines the entire production process. He is the one who takes care of quality in all its stages. He is the one who envisions, who chooses, who evolves, always with the aim of the taste, the aroma and the perfect experience of a wine. He made his first wine in his backyard at the age of 19 and several decades later he had excelled the process and became one of the top wine makers in Greece. When Dimitris Hatzimichalis first visited Atalanti Valley he was amazed by its unique ecosystem and fertile land; without second thoughts he bought his first vine hectares in 1973. Today, his privately owned vineyards have reached 220 hectares (520 acres).
In the wine photography process, Hatzimichalis family ties emerge through the relationship with the land, cultivation, passing of wine philosophy from generation to generation. The man who envisioned and made winemaking a reality in the Koilada Atalanti Dimitris Hatzimichalis and now his sons, Leonidas and Panagiotis, welcome a new look and all together continue the tradition and expand its borders. Both of them are passionately contributing to the family business with their modern mindsets. They work hard to keep the tradition of the winery and maintain their father’s legacy. Their vision, is to expand the brand further and enter in new markets abroad. Lastly, their mission for the winery is to make it even more environmentally sustainable, by reducing wastes, energy/water consumption and by using recyclable materials.
Every year at Domaine Hatzimichalis, the harvest and pruning periods are performed by a group of skillful and experienced women. This was a deliberate choice, as Greek women are known for their caring, patient, and tender character, in addition to their overall courage and strength. These women are who Domaine Hatzimichalis trusts in our tradition of hard work. Dimitris Hatzimichalis always been amazed and inspired by their care for the vineyards, which is essential for the quality of the wines and the brand’s success.
The photography campaign will accompany brand's ads worldwide, exhibitions walls, press releases and magazines presentations.
Paris Sigalas Winery for Oinochoos
Let There Be Light
Interview By Alexia Amvrazi | July 21st, 2022 about MYRMIΔΟNES to Greece-is.com
In an ode to his native island of Aegina, the photographer talks to Greece Is about its people, its light, and the experiences that shaped his book.
It took 20 years and over 2000 photos for Dimitris Vlaikos to decide it was time to place the soul of his work into the body of a beautiful hard-cover coffee table book that could grace homes around the world.
Titled “Myrmidones” after the name given to the inhabitants of his native Aegina (the introduction aptly explains the various possibilities of where the name originates), the book is composed of images depicting an extraordinary blend of local characters, landscapes and everyday details. The book is mostly anthropocentric, because Vlaikos has honed the art of capturing his subjects’ personal essence without guidance, a talent that has gained him a great reputation as a portrait artist and numerous assignments to photograph well known personalities.
Leafing through the book was a deeply touching experience. The way in which the photographer has captured the essence of his subjects – human or not – makes it an ode of sorts to his home island, rich in emotion, but characterized by stark realism.
Vlaikos spends half of the year in Aegina, chiefly during the summer months, and the rest of his time travels to and fro between various work projects. By creating this book, it seems as if he has established an unbreakable bond with the Saronic island’s people, land and elements, regardless of where he finds himself.
It’s apparent by looking at your book that you harbor a great love for your island.
There are amazing people living there, and it is multifaceted in a way that I’ve rarely witnessed elsewhere. Also, what I love about Aegina is that you can be sitting at a café where there’s a minister drinking coffee and at the table next to him, a fisherman – and the waiter will treat each of them with the same courtesy – or the same rudeness! Some people have described the island as ataxic. You feel and see that.
I think that has a lot to do with the fact that most of the island is flat – so all houses are on the same level, and everyone has the same access and right to light. It’s the same with the sea. There aren’t some beaches that are more exclusive than others, anyone can go to any beach, or rock, and swim. Overall, Aegina seems to bring out a life force in people, and if you’re the kind of person that wants to evolve, it offers you that possibility.”
How did the book project evolve?
The Myrmidones reached a very high level of civilization in antiquity thanks to the elements of their land – the rock, the light, the sea, the raw materials, their drive to create. And until today, these elements remain essentially the same. So the book was my way of juxtaposing the Myrmidones of the past with those of today.
I also wanted to create a book that is like an art object, a beautiful memento to have in one’s house. I put a lot of care into every aspect – including the use of only black ink, which is very rare. I collaborated with a very good friend, the graphic artist Dimitris Makaratzis, who created the cover, as well as Despina Giannouli, who wrote the texts (in Greek and English) and is my wife and writes and directs theatre plays. My professor Vasilis Artikos, whose exhibition “In drum and dance at the rock-cut churches of Lalibela” is currently on show the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens, provided much advice and support, as well as other close friends.
How does the light of Aegina and influence your work?
In my research, I centered on the various elements of light. [In the book, Despoina Giannouli writes: “Thanks to the geomorphology of the island, almost all of its inhabitants can savor the light from sunrise to sunset. The paspara, the white stone and the fine-grained soil reflect the sun’s rays intensifying the colors of nature.”]
It’s not by chance that Nikos Kazantzakis lived there for 20-30 years, or Giannis Moralis, for most of his life, or Christos Kapralos, or the poet Katerina Anghelaki-Rooke, and they all produced their work there – it wasn’t their place for holidays but for creative work. And today the island is home to over 100 artists, so this land, and especially its light has something special that has drawn so many creators from antiquity until the present day. Light is my tool, it’s what made me want to evolve my art.
Apart from light, what do you feel are the other strong elements that inspired this work?
I think the energy of the land plays a significant role, but that’s not something that I can define with words. In the book’s introduction to the origin of the name Myrmidones, one of the ways they’re defined is that they were “the people of the “myriad vibrations,” as Aegina was considered to be a region of strong and sacred energy vibrations, a place fertile for spiritual development.
How did you put the book together?
An important part of this book is the rhythm one follows as one turns the pages. I wanted it to create in the viewer a musical rhythm, a transition from image to image through a story of sorts, like a journey.
Hand of a farmer, Mesagros. © Dimitris Vlaikos / "Myrmidones" book cover. © Dimitris VlaikosWhat will become of the rest of the photos you’ve taken?
They will remain in my archives, and maybe I’ll use them in future. I have a space in my studio/gallery space in Aegina where, upon appointment, one can come and see exhibits.
Central distribution of “Myrmidones” is at “Lixnari Aegina” Bookstore. E-mail: lixnari@otenet.gr. Tel: +30 22970 26424. Shipments are made throughout Greece and abroad.
Four Seasons Athens hotel staff
Every member of staff at the Four Seasons Astrir Palace Hotel Athens is committed to doing everything in their power to make you feel at home. Tender loving care in hospitality comes with a smile. The secret to good hospitality is... Not really a secret at all, I think. It’s about being able to respond to every guest’s different and changing needs. Nowadays, we have the means to create a profile for every guest and to know what they like so that we can make sure they have it, but it’s also important that we respect their privacy.
Portrait photography for Four Seasons Magazine, Text by Nena Dimitriou.
Thanks to the Members:
Yorgos Vournazos Chief Concierge, Member of Les Clefs d’Or International
Vicky Zafeiri Hotel Assistant Manager
Rafaela Nikolouzou Public Relations Coordinator
Alexandros Makropoulos Executive Sous Chef
Ilir Rumbullaku Housekeeping
Apostolis Dimou Executive chef
Manon Kapfer Bar Manager
Georgia Sfika Assistant director of Reservations
Lilian Labropoulou Director of People and Culture
MYRMIDONES photo-book release
"MYRMIDONES" is the imprint of Dimitris Vlaikos' search on the island of Aegina for the last 20 years.
Focusing on people, the photographer walks a path of observation and understanding of the elements composing the place where he was born and raised.
Light, a key tool in his work, turns into an object of study in terms of its effect on the character, perception, creativity and course of life, both of the island's inhabitants and of himself. Through his lens he wishes to discover how his experiences have become the memory which influences and shapes his choices, his perspective and the aesthetic approach to his work.
The images in the book present moments from the daily life of the inhabitants, portraits of people interacting with their environment, and all those elements that make up the culture which inspires, challenges and embraces the Myrmidons of yesterday and today.
Credits
Photos © Dimitris Vlaikos
Texts © Despina Giannouli
Text editing: Natassa Ntouma
Translation: Doris Brumma
Design: Dimitris Vlaikos
Film scanning: Filmora Lab
Executive editor: Tasos Papacharalambous
Print: Smart Print
Published by: Dimitris Vlaikos Gallery
ISBN 978-618-00-3754-8
Album features
Edition: 1st edition
Cover: Hardcover
Number of pages: 178 pages
Number of pictures: 89 pictures
Dimensions: 28cm* 29cm
Language: Greek and English
Central distribution : “Lixnari Aegina” Bookstore
Contact details and orders:
e-mail: lixnari@otenet.gr
phone number: +30 22970 26424
(Shipments throughout Greece and abroad)
https://youtu.be/oRceXQTAJTE
Marios Schwab
"Marios Schawb is a creative director and a prominent representative of British fashion, having studied in Austria, Berlin and London, the renowned Greek-Austrian designer founded the brand of the same name in 2005. A year later, Marios Schwab received the British Designer of the Year award at the British Fashion Awards. One of the most important collaborations of his career was the one with the historical American fashion house Halston, which started in 2009 and lasted for two years. Among his most impressive collections was the famous Chiaroscuro collection for the summer of 2012. This season, Schwab is interested in a more sustainable, more responsible approach to fashion and production. Collaboration with Zeus + Dione offers him this opportunity. Their goal is to jointly highlight the value of proper management of valuable materials. Materials that characterize the work of the creator over time".
The portrait photoshoot took place at the Winter Garden of Grand Bretagne hotel for the Hotel Magazine.
Nikos Stampolidis
Portrait photography for Nikos Stampolidis Director-General of the Acropolis Museum. The Acropolis Museum is included in the best museums in the world, while during its twelve-year operation has created new data in the country’s museum landscape. The selection of Prof. Nikos Stampolidis creates new perspectives and offers additional dynamics to a Museum that has attracted important international distinctions and (has gained) the preference of visitors from Greece and abroad. Nikos Stampolidis, an archaeologist with award-winning work, in addition to being a scholar with excellent training, is a man with a modern understanding of both archaeology and the connection between culture and society. It has the knowledge, the mood, and the vision so that the Acropolis Museum can dynamically continue its highly successful work, as well as expand and multiply its activities “.
"Oinoxoos" Wine Magazine Christmas Cover
Portrait photography for Oinoxoos Wine Magazine cover story Christmas 2021 Issue. Oinoxoos opens the curtain of the holidays with a magazine of salvation and anticipation for better days and nights with lights and colors. We tasted and chose one by one hundreds of wines to share with you and clink our glasses. For the photoshoot I used "color therapy" vision for pleasing the eyes of viewers and match wines taste colors and positivity through saturation. Each one of the participants are sommeliers taking part in this issue wine tasting.
Tina Papasinou, Liza Vitzilaiou, Chryssa Giatra, Sotiria Abartzidi, Ted Lelekas, Dimitris Koumanis, Spiros Zabounis. Out with Kathimerini news.
Ioannis Angelakis
"I was born in Thessaloniki in 1988 but grew up in Athens. I'm a composer of contemporary experimental music, working, that is, with classical acoustic instruments and exploring idiosyncratic aspects of their physicality. I seek to discover sounds that are not fully controllable by the performers; that are inherently unstable and constantly moving; that entail a particular logic in the way that they unfold; that presup- pose a particular body-instrument relationship, and that call fora new mode of listening, disentangled from classical
forms and traditional parameters and intended for the kind of pleasure that arises from the revelation of sound's internal structures. structures.
Greekness" is expressed in my music through the violent use of instruments, the bluntness of the human voices, and the constant strife between two contradictory elements: disparate musical materials that remain indeterminate and anarchic, and a determinate structure that violently imposes form on the formless and shape on the shapeless. I think that all Greek tragedies thematize the violence stemming from this conflict: a man striving, without order, to shape his course within a condition that is predetermined by the gods. However, violence and bluntness in my work are not just sonic events that point to the Greek identity of my music. They also demarcate violence and barbarism as political concepts. I want my work to be revealing, not because of its bold themes but because the violence in the sound may give prominence to our fragility and vulnerability."
The portrait photography of the composer Ioannis Angelakis took place in his studio in Athens for Electra Hotels Magazine.
Text by Natasha Blatsioy.
