Anthi Kollia-The State Between Dreams and Reality-Moments Collective

Photography was the first form of art that made me feel uniquely different in my early years of all the forms I tried and experimented with.

Photo Official Member,Anthi Kollia

Firstly, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the administrators of "Moments Collective", an international platform created to showcase the work of talented photographers worldwide. I appreciate the opportunity they have given me to discuss, for the first time, my relationship with photography.

I was born in Canada but grew up in central Athens, where I continue to live. I studied Political Science and Public Management at the Law School of Athens' Political Department. From a very young age, I have been employed by the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers.

Photo Official Member @Anthi Kollia

Photography was the first form of art that made me feel uniquely different in my early years of all the forms I tried and experimented with. The first time I saw the world through a camera viewfinder, something leapt within me - it was akin to the feeling of falling in love. A kind of magic was unveiled to me which, with the innocence of youth, I believed I could capture with the mere press of a button. Even now, after all these years, this feeling has not left me. That tiny segment of the world you gaze upon from a singular, exclusive point of view and define within a frame - the isolation of a split-second in the eternal flow of time that can never be replicated – proves to be incredibly captivating and emotive.

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What is magic, in your opinion, and how do you perceive it?

Magic is created by a complex interaction of elements at a given moment. The way it presents itself to us is transcendent, consisting of the transformation of the images around us into something superior - into sentiment, meaning, and ideas. This transformation elevates photography to the status of Art. The photographer, employing his camera as a tool, is the conduit through which this transformation is realized. He is the first to comprehend this process and the fleeting fraction of time when conditions are ripe for the magic to manifest and evolve.

Photo Official Member @Anthi Kollia

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Are you referring to Henri Cartier-Bresson's decisive moment?

Indeed, we might say it this way: the decisive moment is paramount in street or documentary photography. However, I personally believe it operates similarly across all types of photography, even the most static ones such as studio sessions. It's that fleeting instant when everything aligns and finds its absolute place. This moment is ephemeral, and the photographer who can identify it is truly fortunate. I'm not referring to the likes of Henri Cartier Bresson, who could even predict the decisive moment. Nevertheless, the ability to discern this fleeting instant when the shutter must be pressed is vital. It is this that determines the absolute harmony between all elements within the frame.

Photo Official Member @Anthi Kollia

Which type of photography are you most comfortable with?

Over time, I've become enamored with different types of photography, each of which I've attempted to master. For a significant period, my interest lay in the exploration of beauty and all its possible manifestations, such as faces, bodies, shapes, colors, ambiance, and emotions. Portraits always resonated with me in a unique way because they encapsulate more than just beauty; they weave in an exceptional connection with the model. Ideally, when a model trusts the photographer completely, they bare themselves openly, akin to confessing to a priest. I constantly strive to build and fortify this relationship with the models I work with, and I take immense pride in the level of trust they place in me.

Photo Official Member @Anthi Kollia

Along the way, I realized that an image's aesthetic perfection was not sufficient. I tried to incorporate elements that would, metaphorically speaking, function as the arrowhead's tips. A proposal, a perspective, a train of thought, an escape route... At this juncture, I began tackling subjects occupying my mind, presenting my viewpoint through my photography and creating a narrative. Some of my recent projects include a family session in Schinos's charred forest, the wedding dress as an oppressive symbol, the complex role of modern women, family violence, and its most extreme form, femicide. More recently, "Ghost and the Tower" and "Ophelia" serve as intricate narratives with elements alluding to myth and dreams.

Photo Official Member @Anthi Kollia

Undoubtedly, this path is quite extensive and requires significant effort and talent to balance numerous disparate elements within a single, comprehensive, and acceptable body of work. I believe that the art of directing a narrative through details—a narrative that encompasses both personal and global concepts—with the intention of bringing a broader narrative to life, is not only challenging but also incredibly ambitious.

Photo Official Member @Anthi Kollia

Enter at Moments Collective International Competition 2024

https://www.all-about-photo.com/photo-contests/photo-contest/3166/moments-collective-annual-exhibition-2024

What inspires you most in photography?

Inspiration is omnipresent. It begins with the works of great photographers, which have seeped into our minds and hearts, profoundly influencing our understanding and aesthetics. Every photography teacher refers to these artistic giants, and all aspiring photographers sift through the immense volume of their work to find the elements and ingredients that constitute a good photograph.

Photo Official Member,Anthi Kollia

Beyond that, I frequently find inspiration in other art forms, such as poetry, literature, cinema, and theatre. The influence they have on me, and the images they generate in my imagination, serve as the raw material for my future photographs.

Other forms of inspiration may include dreams, fears, expectations, or strong desires. What we can assert with certainty is that life itself serves as a profound source of inspiration, as it provides the ingredients for all forms of art.

Photo Official Member,Anthi Kollia

Do you post-process your photos?

Post-processing, for me, involves a level of mild intervention. I don't intervene to create a new image, but rather, to enhance what I've captured. Generally, I create my pictures in the viewfinder of my camera, meticulously planning each process beforehand. Sometimes, under favorable conditions, a session effortlessly guides you. New perspectives and images emerge, making the process captivating. Post-processing plays a key role in the formation of the final image by adding nuances that don't exist in the raw archive. It aims to intensify the expression of sentiment on an iconic level, which would otherwise remain unexpressed.

Photo Official Member,Anthi Kollia

Significant work is involved in location scouting, finding appropriate accessories, planning the actual session, and finally selecting and processing images. The collaboration with models is of paramount importance as they are instrumental in serving an artistic vision. Their contribution is crucial for a successful cooperation.

I would like to mention an additional stage that I view as highly creative, which follows the initial selection and processing of photographs. This stage could poetically be referred to as "feeling" the picture. At this juncture, each photograph, either individually or collectively, communicates something significant - often something that escaped our attention during the shooting session. This is when a multitude of living, ever-changing elements interact with each other.

Photo Official Member @Anthi Kollia

In this final stage, the photographs engage with us independently through their stillness, urging us to reinterpret them in a second reading that is likely the most insightful and fruitful.

Please share a few details about your most recent project.

My most recent project draws its inspiration from Shakespeare's tragic heroine, Ophelia. In the play, Ophelia descends into madness after her father, Polonius, is murdered by her lover, Hamlet. She meets a premature end, plagued by grief and insanity. The tragic events of her death are not enacted on stage, but only referenced in a conversation between Queen Gertrude and Ophelia’s brother, Laertes. Gertrude narrates how Ophelia, while gathering flowers, fell into the river and gradually drowned, singing all the while.

Photo Official Member @Anthi Kollia

Ophelia's character, constructed with intentional and profound opacity - a trait shared by other characters in Hamlet, has inspired many artists throughout the ages. Depending on the period in which they worked, these artists have created various versions and causes of her death.

Photo Official Member @Anthi Kollia

The shooting took place in two different locations, on two separate days. Instrumental to the results obtained was the manner in which the model we worked with, Giulietta Kotsyurko, portrayed the nature and character of the heroine.