Photographer observes an island’s skies
The sky above the island of Kythera is an impressive succession of color and light streaming through moving, heavy clouds. It is a beautiful sight; varied, dramatic and at times almost breathtaking. These constantly changing skies greatly impressed photographer Tzeli Hadzidimitriou, a regular visitor to the island. She observed the clouds and took pictures of their shapes as they changed through the day. Together with photographs of the sky she had taken in other parts of Greece, she then compiled those images in «Time Fading into Clouds,» a photographic album on the Greek sky’s beautiful landscape. Recently published by Metaichmio, the book is filled with beautiful, almost unreal vistas of soaring skies and natural landscape. Resonating with a romantic mood, Hadzidimitriou’s images reveal the beauty of nature, its grandeur and infinite transformations. Most of the photographs seem to have been taken either in the early morning or before dusk, at those hours when the light is still soft. Contrary to the midday summer hours, when the light is so strong as to wash out all color, dawn or dusk is when the sky is filled with changing, rainbow hues. In certain pictures, the color of the sky is almost surreal. In a panoramic image of skies, the range of reds, oranges and yellows seems unbelievable; Hadzidimitriou uses no manipulation or special effects. The range of hues that unfold through the pictures reflect the photographer’s longtime interest in capturing color and light. Besides landscapes, Hadzidimitriou is also interested in subjects related to Greek tradition and architecture. She has photographed the Mineral Springs of Lesvos (her homeland) and has produced an album on the traditional coffee houses of the same island. She has also worked on a project recording urban architecture of the 1930s in Athens. In all of her subjects, Hadzidimitriou seeks out a certain timelessness. Respectful of the Greek landscape, history and tradition, she seeks out to record them and capture something of their beauty.
