TTzPhotos

Beautiful Greece

2011-08-27T10:47:00.000+01:00

A few photos from my summer holidays around Greece. Enjoy the colours!

Elafonisi

Chania

Port at Dawn

Mykonos after sunset, by Vasilis Petrellis

You are at your worst...

2011-05-23T22:36:00.000+01:00

... and then the rainbow appears. :)

A fiery sky

2011-05-16T23:10:00.003+01:00

The fiery sky of Athens. Click to enlarge. Enjoy!

A few random pics

2011-05-12T20:45:00.000+01:00

I am today uploading three random pics, as I haven't found a unifying theme. Or perhaps there is one.
I am mirroring this site at , and there you can see more data on the pictures ( but they are a bit smaller ).

Enjoy!

Sometimes life happens...

2011-03-26T00:20:00.000Z

And then you find new uses for old stuff. :)

Dark London

2011-02-26T23:48:00.000Z

A towering building, against a dark grey sky... This is the dramatic winter in London, if you look up.

Graffiti

2011-02-19T00:07:00.000Z

I spotted this graffiti on a wall in Brighton. For some reason, it caught my eye and my imagination started working on what the artist wanted the viewer to think and feel.

Two Sides of Athens

2010-12-23T22:55:00.000Z

I took this shot a couple of months ago in down town Athens. The apparent difference between the two characters is striking, with the lady holding her drink while the beggar holds a sign saying "Please, I am hungry". I am not judgmental of either person, by the way, but it saddens me to see beggars on the street, because they are most probably exploited by someone. Don't enjoy, please.

Australia - Urban Landscapes

2010-12-03T05:28:00.000Z

This is the second post with photos from my recent trip to Sydney. Enjoy!

Anzac Bridge

Somewhere in the CBD

NSW Library

Old versus new

This is graffiti on a restaurant. :)

Canberra, the new Parliament house

Canberra, the flag over Parliament

The mauve tree that was blooming everywhere

Mauve flowers strewn everywhere

Australia - Animals

2010-12-02T18:53:00.004Z

I went to Sydney for a few weeks. This post, along with one more to come, shows some aspects of what I encountered. This post is about animals. I could write a lot about invertebrates (cockroaches and spiders in particular) but I am in a good mood so I will skip that. You won't find any koalas or kangaroos here, either.

Enjoy!

Flying fox, carrying its young one

Flying Fox

Cockatoo

Parrots fighting

Ugly but gracious

Gator

Albino snake

Abandoned and Derelict Athens

2010-12-02T18:00:00.002Z

A few photos from down town Athens, where some buildings remind me of ghost towns... even though the city is very vibrant below them.

Enjoy!

Light at the end of the tunnel?

What are you looking at?

Sunsets in Ikaria

2010-08-21T18:37:00.004+01:00

I recently visited the crazy Greek island of Ikaria... Friendly advice: never go out at night without your sunglasses. It is not much fun without them after the sunrise. :)

Here are two shots of the sunset from the island.

And here are two shots from the boat, on the return trip.

A small collection of London photos

2010-08-10T23:38:00.002+01:00

Here are three photos I shot some time ago. Enjoy!

Reflections

The real side of the advertisement

I never saw her face... Just let your imagination go wild!

Photoshop play

2010-07-30T15:44:00.003+01:00

I was playing around with a street photo, and here is the result... The background is the Bank of England.

Nostalgic Italy

2010-07-24T10:07:00.003+01:00

I just got back a scanned film from a recent trip to southern Italy. The black&white film gives me this nostalgic feeling, as if the images have jumped out of the past. Here is a specimen.

London under a heat wave

2010-07-23T16:03:00.001+01:00

I was in London last month, and shot some photographs on a Velvia 50 film. Here are the results:

Looking for shade, I came across this weird shape

I found a beautiful lady sunbathing behind a street piano

And shared the exhaustion of Londoners under the sun

Another winged friend

2010-07-18T19:17:00.004+01:00

A cicada landed on my balcony the other day, some time after a bee had done the same. Here is a picture of him (he was about as long as my thumb):

And here is a close-up:
(I recommend you enlarge this one)

Thunder-thunder

2010-06-28T09:09:00.003+01:00

A thunder storm is always scary, isn't it?

London Photos

2010-06-08T22:11:00.005+01:00

A few photos from a recent trip... Click to enlarge.

Window at Selfridges

Boring Patterns

Pennies

Lead Soldiers

Urban shots

2010-05-10T16:58:00.003+01:00

I developed and scanned a black and white film this week, and here are some samples.

A metro station in symmetry

A shy dog, trying to avoid the photographer

Proof of Murphy's law, when you light a cigarette waiting for the bus, the bus appears

Who said you need a good camera?

2010-04-23T10:04:00.004+01:00

Out and about, listening to Boban I Marko Markovic Orchestra, and with just a 3.2MP camera at hand. So? Here is one out of three drummers! They are an amazing band!

Clay poetry and street agony

2010-04-18T22:14:00.003+01:00

Two very different images... One full of life, creation, movement: the potter's hands giving shape to clay. Another void of pleasure, agonizing, searching for answers: a masked woman's portrait, with the subscript "I 'm in agony...".

Oddly enough, a few days later I found the same message again, on a different wall ( this one is slightly shaken... )

A winged friend...

2010-03-21T10:03:00.006Z

...came to my balcony.

Poor bee was at the end of her life, I found her the next morning still there. Click on the picture to enlarge it.

A walk through Athens

2010-03-20T09:43:00.003Z

Street photography has a special place in my heart. I like walking around the city and snapping any kind of image that stimulates my mind. Here are a few examples, from a Fujifilm Velvia 50, which gives very saturated and vibrant colours.

Vibrant reds agains the blackened buildings

A coffee glass on the table, after a long talk and some profound thoughts

A street seller of coconut flavoured sweets

The sad sight of buskers on the streets

Athenian Sky

2010-03-17T08:16:00.005Z

The Acropolis Museum

2010-01-09T17:53:00.006Z

A couple of pictures from the new Acropolis Museum ( outside, it is not allowed to snap inside ). Reflections coming up...

Scanned Film - Urban Scenes

2010-01-07T08:35:00.004Z

I scanned another Kodak Tri-X 400 film a couple of weeks ago. Here are three shots from around Athens, a bit of undercover photography.
Enjoy!

Stressed musician playing Carols

Table in Cafe

The underground train, on a funny date

Happy New Year - Servia - Kozani Trip

2010-01-06T15:27:00.003Z

Happy New Year everyone! After some time, a few new pictures from a recent trip to Servia ( link in Greek ) in the North of Greece, near Kozani ( link in Greek ). Here it is on the map.
Enjoy!

The first picture is not fantastic, but it reminds me of a carte-postale. This is the view from the Byzantine Castle of Servia.

And here is the Castle itself, from the highest position of its Acropolis, looking towards the lake close-by.

The lake and its bridge from the neighbouring village of Neraida ( translated as fairy ). Steady hands, eh?

And this is the Nautical Club of Kozani, on the lake, at sunset.

Scanned Film

2009-10-06T22:58:00.012+01:00

I scanned a Fuji Velvia 50 Slide film and a Kodak Tri-X 400 black and white film last week. Quite a revelation, especially for the latter, as it is my first ever B&W film...
I shot the slides on my Nikon F60, which has matrix metering and hence gives much better results light-wise. I shot the B&W on my Yashica GSN, which meters from the centre of the image and hence I got some over- and under-exposures... but I am still very happy with the results.
Enjoy and let me know what you think! ( If you leave your mouse over a photo, you should see the title ).

Autumn Sky

2009-09-25T19:28:00.003+01:00

As you have probably gathered, relocation has taken its toll on my available time for photos. I am happy to say things are running more smoothly now, so should have more photos coming soon ( I have two unscanned films, a slide and a black-and-white waiting... :) ).
Here is the Athenian Sky, without any processing other than watermarking and reducing its size.

A walk through the Centre of Town

2009-08-28T00:00:00.024+01:00

Athens, late August... The crowd is coming back from holidays, everyone is getting ready for winter, and I hate that... I went for a walk, trying to capture the last vibrant summer colours and reflections.

Foot Soldiers Guarding Parliament

Hotel - Detail

Self-Portrait

Industrial Installation in Cafe

Reflection

Dog in Summer Mood

Forest Fires

2009-08-27T23:53:00.005+01:00

Three pics from the sky of Athens during last week's forest fires... What a pity... Warning, these are not "good" photos, just some quick snaps from a balcony.

Online Again!

2009-08-12T22:07:00.014+01:00

Hi all, I am online again ( in Athens )! I spent a few days relaxing around the country, and here are a few pictures from my journey to Aetopetra, Zitsa, Paramythia, Trikala and Athens. Enjoy!

Up the Mountain Road - ©P.D.

Empty Dining Room at Sunset

Fellow Photographer Sucking the Light Rays

Water Painting

Bridge over the Amazon River

Sunset in Zitsa

Relocating - Farewell to London

2009-07-16T23:08:00.017+01:00

After seven years in the UK, I am relocating back to Greece! I am going to miss London, so I am celebrating the move with a few pictures of some London sunny days ( especially since it is raining outside... ). Enjoy!

The sun lightens up his face

Crazy yellow and purple!

Summer 2008

2009-07-04T19:40:00.009+01:00

The summer holidays are just around the corner ( for me, at least ) and after two very busy weeks, I can start thinking about a more relaxed time! So, here is a teaser from last year's holidays/vacations in Paros, Greece. Enjoy!

Summer in London

2009-06-25T18:28:00.007+01:00

The weather has been too nice the past few days to stay in and upload pictures! I am just adding two today to keep you on your toes ( although I snapped about 150 during yesterday's sunset ). More soon!

Marylebone Summer Fayre - 2009

2009-06-17T23:08:00.038+01:00

Last Sunday I was at Marylebone, in central London, for the Summer Fayre that the neighbourhood holds annually. My friends from the Lykion ton Hellinidon dance group were dancing, and I snapped a few pics. I started from inside the offices, where I spotted some flowers. I also found a friend, Kalia - a great singer, browsing some books. Later on, the amazing dancing started, of which I am showing only a couple of details that caught my eye. We finished that part of the day around a table ( some crazy colours there ), having a good time! Enjoy!
Oh, can you spot the detail that really annoyed me in Kalia's photo?

A snapshot in the pizzeria, or some whacky colors?

Palermo

2009-06-09T21:05:00.012+01:00

A few shots from a recent trip to Palermo. It was moody at night, and colourful by day. Very mysterious place, with a lot of charm.
I am going back in a few weeks' time, so will probably update this post in the near future. Enjoy!

Greek Cycling Championship, April 2009

2009-06-06T21:19:00.013+01:00

Here are some photos from the Greek Cycling Championship, Athens April 2009. I was there to snap some fast-action shots. Enjoy!

If you took part in the races, I have many more photos of the participants. Email me for a copy for you or your team! ( The same if you want me to remove any photographs from this blog ).

Nathan David

2009-06-02T23:22:00.006+01:00

A few weeks ago, I had the honour and pleasure to visit the studio of Nathan David, a renowned sculptor.

A large proportion of his work has to do with dancers. As you see below, the movement is captured very realistically.

However, the faces are the ones that stay in my mind: very expressive or thoughtful, as if they have paused for a second and will turn to face you and continue the long discussion you two were having or ask you to leave because you are interrupting the dance routine...

Enjoy a few shots from that day.

Wildlife

2009-05-28T19:29:00.005+01:00

As promised, here are some wildlife photos. A bit funny, I would say, and spooky.

At some point, I will create separate links for different categories of photos, as soon as I get round to it :). Enjoy wildlife for now!

Landscapes

2009-05-25T21:43:00.009+01:00

A few more photos from my archives, some landscape shots this time. Look out for some wildlife next!

Thank you for clicking!

Sample Photos

2009-05-23T00:39:00.011+01:00

Below you can see some more photos of my work. They are from a lot of different "categories", and will talk about each in turn.
I have tried a variety of subjects and settings for taking photos. I have shot two marriages ( not as the official photographer ), I have tried macro, spent some time on wildlife and general portraiture. Lately, I am fascinated by colour and shape.
This shot is from a pizzeria in Bayswater, London. Nothing fancy, I snapped this on a night out with friends. Velvia 50 film helps bring out the colour of the lamps as vibrant red. I always shoot my object shots with vibrant colours in mind, and I usually leave an 81A ( warming ) filter on the lens to make them slightly warmer.

Macro is a league of its own. I got a macro lens for Christmas last year ( my girlfriend still mentions it, as it was quite an expensive lens and she doesn't see it often ). This lens is for special occasions: portraits and shots of small things. Here are a few small subjects:
I took the next shots at Wisley Gardens, which is a botanological park close to London. It has a large tropical glass-house, which during winter is more or less the only part of the park with any flowers. In order to attract more visitors, the management bought and released in the glass-house thousands of butterflies.
I spent a day there with a good friend of mine, shooting a 105mm, f/2.8 macro on my D300. Used a tripod for most of the shots, folded as a monopod, because it wasn't sturdy enough to be used open and there wasn't enough space to move with its lower part open. We snapped hundreds of photos, like these.
They are quite something, aren't they? Again, went for vivid colours and tried to have high impact composition, not the easiest thing if the butterflies won't stand still!

This red butterfly was actually black and white on the outside.

Here is a crop from the center of the image. Spooky!

In the next post, I will show more of the macro lens for portraiture, as well as some wedding and landscape work. See you later!

Holga

2009-05-21T20:58:00.008+01:00

I got a Holga camera a few weeks ago from the Photographers' Gallery. I had such a hard time finding reliable information on it on the internet, so decided to share my experience.

This is a funny, fun, plastic camera. It costs from 25 pounds upwards ( about 40 USD at the moment ), depending on the model. The one I got is the "expensive" one, GN, which has a glass lens. The original holga had a plastic one ( and still has, it is Holga N ). The lens is primitive, though, only one element and no coating. The aperture can be changed between two settings, both quite small ( f/8 and f/13, apparently ). Shutter speed is about 1/100 sec and there is a "bulb" choice, for long exposures. There are four focus settings, ranging from 1m to 10m, though that is again an estimate...

Let's see a picture from it:

This is as shot on a Fuji 160C film ( see below ). What can we say? There is a lot of distortion, first of all. The lines of the building are not parallel, and the flat windows seem wobbly. The focus is somewhere in the lower center, but not sure exactly where. If you see it in full size, you realize that it is soft all over. Light is massively reduced as you look outwards. Why would anyone want to shoot this camera, especially with no real control over the process?

Well, here is another shot from the Holga:

This one has the same issues. It is distorted ( check the bridge ), it has focused sort of in the center, it is soft and the sides are dark. So? Doesn't all this give it a melancholic feeling? Doesn't it tell a story? So, for pictures of buildings it might not be the best camera. But you can still employ it to convey your feelings!

About the film it takes, it is 120 film, which is about 60mm tall and can give you 12 square shots at 6x6 cm or 16 shots at 6x4.5 cm. You get two masks with the GN model, so no sweat, it is up to you. I prefer 6x6, personally. My choice of 160 ISO film was not the best, though, as most of my first two rolls were massively under-exposed. I would go for 400 for hand-held or room shots.

More next time!

Some Velvia Scans

2009-05-20T21:53:00.001+01:00

Like most people my age, I started photography with a digital compact. I knew almost nothing about photos, other than I hated taking photos with my dad's film camera.

The digital compact was such a refreshing experience that I was quickly hooked! It took me a couple of years to outgrow it and move to the next camera, a Sony again ( seen in the picture to the right ). Again, a great camera, lots of pictures and lots of memories stored. However, something was missing.

Another two years, and I got myself my first digital SLR, a Nikon D300. I got this one with a mission to start creating art. My art. And while doing that, I realized that film might also be worth a look... I got a second-hand Nikon ( I only paid for the lens, the camera just happened to be attached to it :) ). Then a friend gave me a Yashica rangefinder. Last month I even got myself a Holga!

I am still shooting my D300 90% of the time I am going to meet friends, or have a shooting assingment. However, I always carry one of the film cameras over my shoulder on my way to work, or coming back. I even got a scanner ( Epson V500 ) to scan the film myself.

Anyway, I just got back my first roll of Fuji Velvia 50, the standard in professional landscapes from what I am reading. I was blown away by the vivid colours and fine grain.

Here are a couple test shots... Enjoy!

I will review my gear in future posts.

Welcome

2009-05-19T23:44:00.000+01:00

Hi all, welcome to my blog! This is my first try at a webpage, so please be patient as I learn the tricks and grow this page. My name is Thomas Tziortziotis, I come from Greece but have been living in London, UK, for quite some time now.

I am planning on sharing my creative photography work on the blog, discuss any issues I might come across and generally post my thoughts for whoever has time to read them...

Thanks for clicking!

TTz

2009-05-19T23:38:00.001+01:00