Childhood, Memory and Summer in Greece for K Magazine Cover
My photograph on the latest cover of K Magazine of Kathimerini.
The article writen by Dionysis Marinos, Looks back at one of the most familiar and emotionally charged experiences of the Greek summer: the family holiday home. Under the title «Σαν το εξοχικό δεν έχει!» (“There’s Nothing Like the Summer House”), the feature explores the memories, rituals and sense of freedom connected with the places where generations of Greeks spent their childhood summers.
The story brings together the personal memories of two writers, one journalist and four actors. Through their individual stories, the holiday home becomes much more than a second residence. It is a place associated with family, friendship and the feeling of returning somewhere familiar. From the gardens of Evia and the beaches of the Cyclades to Crete, Loutraki, Aegina and Paros, the contributors recall long days outdoors, games, shared meals, sleeping under the stars and the simple freedom that defined summer childhood.
The article also reflects on the particular place of the exochiko in Greek culture. For decades, owning or sharing a holiday home became part of the Greek idea of summer—a place where families gathered and where memories were built collectively. Today, as travel habits and economic realities change, these homes continue to represent an alternative to conventional tourism: a familiar space opened to friends and relatives, where the experience of summer is shaped as much by the people as by the destination.
For me, it was a particular honour to have one of my photographs selected for the cover of this issue of Kappa Magazine. It is one of my favorite summer photographs ever made. A portrait photograph of little girl running outside a basic vacation home in Sifnos Island Greece captured in 2015, brings me back childhood memories like a journey through time. A return to a simpler, more carefree way of spending the summer, when holidays were about freedom, innocence and simplicity. That kind of carefree life, today feels almost like a luxury and those who are fortunate enough to experience it and share it with their children, are truly privileged people.
The image of a child running in front of a white Cycladic house captures a spontaneous and fleeting moment, but also reflects the central idea of the story: the freedom, movement and carefree spirit associated with childhood summers in Greece. As the visual introduction to the entire issue, the photograph became an important part of communicating its theme before the reader even opened the magazine.
The issue was published as K Magazine No. 1.211, with Kathimerini, on 15–16 August 2026.
French Ambassador to Greece Laurence Auer for Kappa Magazine cover
Some portrait assignments are about documenting a person. Others are about representing an institution. Photographing the French Ambassador to Greece, Laurence Auer,, for the cover story of Kappa Magazine belonged firmly to the latter. The assignment unfolded inside the recently restored French Embassy in Athens, where architecture, diplomacy and portraiture became part of the same visual narrative.
Laurence Auer
Every editorial assignment offers a different challenge, but some stories carry a significance that extends beyond photography. My recent commission for the cover story of Kappa Magazine (Kathimerini) was one of those occasions. The assignment brought me inside the newly renovated French Embassy in Athens where I photographed the French Ambassador to Greece, Laurence Auer, for a feature exploring the building’s restoration, its history, and its continuing role as a symbol of the long-standing friendship between France and Greece.
As a portrait photographer Athens, I am always interested in creating portraits that reveal character rather than simply documenting appearance. An ambassador is more than a business representative. They become the visual embodiment of a nation’s values, culture and diplomatic presence. Every portrait therefore carries a symbolic responsibility that extends beyond the individual. Every gesture, every room, every object and every photograph contributes to communicating the values, history and identity of an entire nation. This understanding shaped the visual approach throughout the assignment.
This is what I enjoy most about corporate portrait photography at this level. It is about understanding the responsibilities, personality and public presence of the individual while creating images that communicate authenticity and trust.

The French Embassy itself became an essential part of the narrative. Recently restored with great respect for its architectural heritage, the building combines historical elegance with contemporary diplomatic life. Rather than treating the interiors as a backdrop, I wanted the portraits to establish a dialogue between the Ambassador and the spaces she inhabits. The architecture, the artwork, the carefully restored rooms and the natural light all became visual elements that supported the story instead of competing with it.
This project is another example of how editorial photography can bridge portraiture, architecture and storytelling into a single visual narrative. It reminds us that the strongest portraits are often those that communicate something larger than the individual in front of the camera—they become portraits of institutions, ideas and history itself.

Being selected as the photographer in Athens for this cover story was both an honour and a creative responsibility.
Working on editorial assignments like this reminds me why I continue to pursue documentary-inspired portraiture. The best photographs are created through conversation, observation and patience. They invite the viewer to look beyond titles and positions, revealing the human presence behind them while respecting the importance of the office they represent.
Being selected as the photographer Athens, Greece for this cover story was both an honour and a creative responsibility. Collaborating with the editorial team of Kappa Magazine to document Ambassador Laurence Auer and the renewed French Embassy was an opportunity to create photographs that speak not only about architecture or diplomacy, but about cultural dialogue and shared European values.
What remains with me after every editorial assignment is not simply the published photographs, but the conversations, the atmosphere and the people behind the story. Photographing Ambassador Laurence Auer reminded me that the strongest portraits often reveal more than an individual, they speak about the institutions, histories and values that person represents. That is what continues to inspire my approach to editorial portrait photography.
Interview by Panagiotis Koustas

Hellenic Naval Academy for Kappa Magazine
I was commissioned for a photojournalistic cover story for Kappa Magazine of Kathimerini, with the privilege to spend a day at the Hellenic Naval Academy in Piraeus, Greece, capturing intimate portraits of cadets training to become officers in the Hellenic Navy. In this exclusive photo journey, the academy emerges as a powerful intersection between Athens, navy discipline, and the youthful spirit of Greece. As the article notes, you can spot “nineteen‑year‑old freshmen laughing and letting a childish carefree spirit show” . In the brief pauses between drills and lessons, these moments reveal the human side of life at the academy.
Operating for 180 years, the academy is truly “the nursery of officers for our Navy” kathimerini.gr. Here, cadets follow a strictly timed schedule—morning drills, academic lessons, athletic breaks, and at-sea training aboard vessels like the General Support Ship Prometheus. According to the article: “cadets face real conditions at sea and are called to solve problems as they happen, under supervision” . As a portrait photographer, capturing these cadets in action meant finding the balance between formality and spontaneity. My goal was to frame them not only as disciplined officers-in-training, but as young adults with dreams, humor, and resilience. From their naval uniforms to their shared laughter, every shot expresses a unique story.
Words by Vasilis Nedos
Photo editor: Ioanna Chronopoulou
Sakis Rouvas
Sakis Rouvas for the cover story of K magazine. Big thanks to Kathimerini and Sakis for their trust and the amazing experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktrRzBdOJAY
Maria Nafpliotou as Maria Callas for Kappa magazine Cover
Interview by Tassoula Eptakili.
Make up by Achilleas Charitos,
hairstyling Konstantinos Koliousis,
styling Νίκη Ψυχογιού.
Special thanks, Dimitris Rigopoulos, Olga Pavlatou,
Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens





























