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Angela Ifantidou grew up with painting silently but steadily present within her, long before it became a profession or a conscious life choice. Although her studies led her to the world of civil engineering, she ultimately let herself follow color, emotion and the need to create. A brush, a canvas and a little boldness were enough to begin a journey that soon turned into a profession.

Today, through realistic portraits and live wedding painting, she transforms the photographic moment into a painted memory. Where the click freezes time, Angela spreads it out on canvas, giving form to the gaze, the silence and the emotion of the moment.

In this interview for the Kalamata Photography Assotiation, she talks about the magic of live creation and the art that captures not just what is seen, but what remains.

     Interview Natasa Stamatopoulou / Translation Julia Vrioni

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Foteini Zaglara is a photographer from Athens, born in 1995, who focuses primarily on self-portraiture. Her involvement with photography began when her parents bought her a camera after she was admitted to the School of Early Childhood Education in Ioannina.

The images she creates seem to emerge from the world of imagination, dreams, or even fairy tales, yet through her self-portraits, she often manages to address social issues.

She has exhibited in many countries across Europe and America and has received numerous awards—the most significant perhaps being the Sony National Award in 2022 for her self-portrait "Rolling Boil," which also brought her widespread recognition.

How does she achieve all of this? Read the answers she gave to our questions and view her photographs on her website: http://foteinizaglara.com

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HPS - Photography as a Cultural Legacy and Living Dialogue

Photography is not merely a means of documenting reality; it is a lively way of expressing, interpreting, and preserving our cultural identity.

In Greece, the Hellenic Photographic Society (HPS) has been at the core of this artistic journey for 73 years, contributing significantly to the cultivation and promotion of photographic art.

As the country's oldest photographic association, it has stood by generations of photographers, uniting older and younger creators in a continuous dialogue.

In this interview, we present the HPS, which is participating with its own exhibition in the 1st Kalamata International Photography Gathering, shedding light on how the HPS safeguards photographic cultural heritage, faces the technological challenges of our time, and charts its future through the vision of its President.

It's an essential look at an institution with stable roots and dynamic evolution.

Interview Natasa Stamatopoulou

Translation Julia Vrioni 

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"Exhibiting windows of light and thought"

 The Sparta Photography Club (LE.FO.S.), active since 2001, is one of the most vibrant cultural organizations in the region. With a steadfast focus on the love for photography and a strong spirit of collaboration, LE.FO.S. continuously evolves, promoting photographic education and artistic creation both within and beyond the borders of Laconia. Its participation in the 1st Kalamata International Photography Meeting confirms the importance of outreach, exchange, and connection between photography groups and individuals who consistently serve the art.

Interview Natasa Stamatopoulou

Translation Julia Vrioni 

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"Syros through the Lens: Memory, Art, Community"

 
The Syros Photography–Cinema Club, one of the island’s most vibrant and creative cultural groups, is taking part in the 1st "International Photography Gathering of Kalamata", bringing with it a project that blends historical memory, artistic sensitivity, and an open collaboration with both the local community and contemporary creation.

Founded in 2007, the Club has become a key meeting point for photography and cinema enthusiasts in Syros, fostering knowledge, creativity, and cultural exchange. Through its exhibitions, workshops, photo excursions, and film screenings, it has built an environment of learning and expression where professionals and amateurs come together and grow side by side.

Its participation in the 1st "International Photography Gathering of Kalamata" is more than just an outward-looking initiative; it is the natural continuation of a vision that sees photography and cinema as bridges of cultural dialogue, exchange of experiences, and a way to bring local history into focus through a contemporary lens.

In the following interview, the members of the Club talk about their beginnings, their vision, the importance of photographic documentation, the intersection of photography and technology, and the past of Syros—shedding light on a vital chapter in the artistic and cultural life of the Aegean.

Interview Natasa Stamatopoulou

Translation Julia Vrioni

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"From Alexandria to Kalamata: Photographing the Soul of Things"

 The Adasa Photography Club is delighted to participate with creative energy in the 1st International Photography Gathering of Kalamata, carrying a photographic perspective that combines technique, sensitivity, and storytelling. True to its values of artistic documentation and a conscious photographic eye, Adasa has evolved into a vibrant hub for expression, learning, and cultural exchange. The club's activities—from educational workshops and photo excursions to participation in international events—are an expression of a constant pursuit: to highlight the story behind every image and the human element within every frame.

As part of our participation in the Kalamata meeting, we are presenting an interview that clearly captures the philosophy, photographic style, and community of Adasa. It is a discussion about light, intention, improvisation, mistakes, inspiration, and the value of community, all seen through the eyes of a representative who expresses not only their personal work but also the collective spirit of a photographic organization with a meaningful mission.

Interwiew Natasa Stamatopoulou

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"Time in Images: Photography as an Archive of Life and History"

 His words serve as a reminder that, despite technological progress, the essence of photography remains unchanged: to see, to feel, and to tell a story.

In a world saturated with images, where the gaze often loses its meaning amid the noise of the digital crowd, the eye of a photographer—with nearly six decades of experience—carries a unique weight.

His journey begins with family cameras, continues through the darkrooms of newspapers, and culminates in the small villages of the Mediterranean, where light transforms time and silence becomes an image.

The interview that follows is not merely a record of experiences. It is a deep dive into the fundamental role of photography as both personal and collective memory, as a medium with historical responsibility, as an act of observation rooted in substance and truth.

It explores how we see, what we choose to preserve, and how we can turn a simple "click" into testimony, into art, into human connection.

A narrative that traverses time and space—from Northern Europe to the heart of Mani, from the archives of publishing houses to the narrow alleyways of a changing village—inviting us to look again, with fresh eyes, at the world around us.

(Interview by Natasa Stamatopoulou)

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"You don't become a photographer just by having a camera."

 Sometimes, the human journey toward art begins not with a grand decision but with a simple gift: your first camera, a film projected in your living room, a learned way of observing. That’s how Vasilis Makris’s creative, enduring relationship with photography started—a relationship that evolved from play to passion, and from passion to vocation.

With a direct and revealing narrative, the photographer guides us through four decades of thoughts and experiences. He speaks about the challenge of finding beauty even in the rubble of a construction site, the magic of natural light, and the importance of form over content. Both an observer and a composer, Makris captures not only what he sees but also what he feels—and, above all, what he respects.

On the occasion of his participation in the 1st "Kalamata International Photography Meeting", he offers a sincere reflection on what it means to be a contemporary photographer in an era where authenticity risks being lost in an ocean of superficial imagery.

Interview by Natasa Stamatopoulou

Translation Julia Vrioni

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"Seeing Before the Moment"

 At the 1st International Photography Gathering of Kalamata, we have the pleasure and honor to host Loukas Vasilikos, one of the most distinctive representatives of contemporary Greek

photography. With a journey beginning in 2006, Vasilikos has shaped a personal and deeply recognizable style, balancing between street photography and more personal, existential themes.

In the following interview, he speaks to us about his origins, how he sees the world through the lens, the importance of collectivity and photographic dialogue, as well as the need for substantial storytelling in the age of images.

On the occasion of his participation in the festival, he presents his work Six Degrees of Separation, and invites us to an open conversation with image, memory, and experience.

Interview by Natasa Stamatoppoulou