When I was five my family hosted a German photographer who was working on a story about traditional life in Greece. She sent us the black and white prints and I remember spending hours looking at the images. They were so different from the other photos I’d seen and showed a realistic depiction of our lives.
I became a photographer to tell people’s stories in my own way. I want to offer true and unbiased journalism to the world.
In 1992 Albania was going through a political upheaval and I travelled there with a humanitarian mission on my first assignment. In the town of Korce thousands of people surrounded us asking for help. The trip made a big impression on me, the country seemed like a place forgotten in time. Just a few kilometers from my native country people lived under completely different financial, social and cultural circumstances.
The refugee crisis has left the biggest mark on. People leave their countries because of the war, carrying their few belongings and making a perilous journey towards the unknown. My grandparents left Asia Minor as refugees in 1922 and a hundred years later I take pictures of people going through something similar.
Photojournalism informs about issues and problems around us. It can lead to making our world a better place. I would like to believe that my pictures address everyone.
The biggest lesson I have learnt is to fight and never give up.
You have to love this job and be ready to sacrifice a lot. You need to constantly improve your skills and realise that there are many good photographers around.
I admire many photographers. Each one has their own unique perspective. I like people who put their soul into their images.
We have to adapt to new technologies. As well as taking good pictures, knowing how to shoot video and apply journalistic judgement are also important. I am optimistic, because the need for accurate, quality news is timeless.
