If Stavros Kastrinakis’ photographs were words, they would be spoken, not written. They should be able to drift away in the same way smoke drifts away from a fire until it disappears completely.
His photographic lens maintains distance from his subjects, aiming at a phenomenological interpretation of the human body’s interaction with the environment and the natural elements.
Observing the images, one would think that the dominant elements, namely people and water, stopped for a while, in order for Stavros to illuminate this particular moment with his camera. Like some event that stood still, just before it started. In his dual role as a psychologist and actor, Stavros Kastrinakis does not merely capture the subjects and objects that impress him. Rather, he seeks to understand them.
Psychologist and actor; the young photographer balances between his two roles. How do these two combine? Do they intersect?
“Photography involves the encounter between the observer and the phenomenon,” Stavros explains to me. “The moment something is captured in the lens, a conversation between two worlds occurs and for that moment –and for as long as the photograph exists- these two worlds remain in dialogue. So, my interest in psychology arose precisely from this desire to engage in conversation and ultimately to meet. An encounter with my inner world on the one hand, and on the other hand with the people I wish to meet as a therapist. Acting helped me discover ways and tools to approach a fictional character and then ways of understanding the experiential aspects of human existence; functions and facets that I learned on a theoretical level studying psychology, but which I understood on a practical level through the experience of acting. To breathe life into a fictional character, you need to create space for the acceptance and experience of a state of being other than the one you are already familiar with. Only then does the “other”, the different way of life, become accessible and understandable. Both the therapist and the actor through acceptance first discover, contain, accompany and then are led to transubstantiation and ultimately to healing.”
What a great combo –I thought- psychology and acting. But how did you get into photography?
“My first contact with photography was in high school. A cell phone with one of those early cameras was enough to make me want to capture landscapes that made an impression, the colours of dusk and the changing shapes of clouds. Our house was full of photo albums, my parents had an analogue camera and we were constantly printing photos. I took enormous pleasure in delivering the films to the photo studio and returning to pick up the printed photos. Photographs helped me remember moments that would otherwise have faded or even been forgotten. So photography became the medium that would prolong my memory,” he tells me.
I ask him where he has been living for the last few years, but also where on the planet he would ideally like to spend the rest of his life.
“The last few years I lived in Athens· the quarantine of course led me to nature and the last few months I’ve been living in my hometown in Crete, Hania. I imagine myself living in a place where I can be in contact with water, be it a lake, river or the sea; a place that fosters inspiration and the desire to create. There are many such places, especially if you can discern these qualities. I’m still looking for the right one for me.”
What about your favourite trip?
“My first visit to Cuba. Cuba took me back in time, to a time when I wasn’t even born. It brought me in touch with the present and the pleasure of the moment. Everyone gets into the island’s rhythm, whether they want to or not. Cuba is full of dance, nostalgia and surprises. In Havana you can turn down an alley and stumble upon a party ready to welcome you at any moment. It is a raw place that generously offers cinematic moments and photographic material full of vitality. It is the place I often return to in my imagination, but also the place I long to return to in reality as well,” he explains.
I think of him on a snowy mountain. I wonder how he chooses to come down. I put him in a quandary: a. He puts on his skis and descends the tricky slopes b. He prefers to leave in a helicopter coming to pick him up. “I’m skiing down the difficult slopes, hoping that a helicopter won’t have to come and pick me up later,” he replies. “I love the mountains, however I prefer hiking and climbing.”
I can tell you like bird’s eye view photography (me too). Why do you love this particular point of view?
“Distance helps me observe, choose and remain unnoticed. As an uninvolved observer, the moment remains unaffected by my presence and moves in its natural flow. When this distance is further increased by height, I get exactly what I want. Height highlights the connection between nature and human existence. This way I can contrast the size of nature with the size of the human figure in my photographs,” he replies and concludes: “Humans, while dominant, are at the same time vulnerable, impermanent, and even fragile in the face of nature’s possibilities and grandeur.
The places that give me this opportunity, i.e. to have a panoramic view and choose the frame, are the places I can’t get enough of photographing. One such place is the beach of Stefanos or Seitan Limania in Hania. The landscape captivates you at first sight, your breath changes rhythm and all you can do is follow along and immerse yourself in this ecstatic experience. In fact, the beach was even considered cursed because of the dangerous currents in the waters, the difficulty of access by boat to the bay, and the steep vertical cliffs. This is probably the reason why it retained its name after the Turkish occupation, since in Turkish Seitan means “cursed.”
And what is the ideal shooting angle for you?
“The ideal angle is determined by the geometry I want in my frame, as well as the gradations of light and shadow. There are, of course, places where the configuration of the landscape kind of dictates your shooting angle. It is as if the landscape itself urges you to capture something very specific. My shooting angle depends on what I wish to ‘illuminate’. For example, if I want to focus on the human figure or expression and emphasise it, I will either shoot from the same or lower height, while if I want to capture the landscape in relation to human existence, I will choose the highest possible point.”
“What time of the day is the light in Greece suitable for the perfect photo shoot?” I ask Stavros, having in the back of my mind some of my failed morning amateur shots.
“The light in Greece is ideal at any time of the day. Depending on what you want to capture, you choose the corresponding time. If you want a soft light that ‘caresses’ the subject, the last two hours before sunset are ideal, as well as the first two hours after sunrise for slightly cooler light. However, if you want to reduce shadows, the vertical relentless light of the midday sun is just perfect.”
And what would you like to photograph in this beautiful light?
“I long to visit and capture the Ionian Islands with my lens. I was in Kefalonia for a short stay eight years ago, but I didn’t have the time and space to take the photos I wanted, so I would like to return to the island as soon as possible.”
I ask him for a secret for the perfect click, as for years I have believed that talented photographers practice a mafia-like code of omertà.
“My one and only secret when I take photographs is patience. I’ve sat in a certain spot for four or five hours straight with plenty of water, snacks and music in my ears until the right moment for the right click. Sometimes I create the conditions in which I want to work; sometimes I allow the sounds of nature to inspire me. The secret is still patience and I try to remind myself of that often enough as the anxiety for the desired click can ruin the whole creative process.
