Category: blog

Hair Story

Posted on by sylvia

Two years ago I had donated my hair to Donate Hair, an organization that provides wigs to children who are undergoing cancer treatment or suffer from alopecia.

So this year I decided to do the same, only this time my ponytail would be going to Alma Zois, the Hellenic Association of Women with Breast Cancer.

Alma Zois runs a hair donation program called “Donate Strength“, in collaboration with AB Vassilopoulos and PANTENE. They collect the donated hair and afterwards they send it to a wig manufacturer. With the raised money, Alma Zois subsidizes wig purchases, for women suffering from cancer and undergoing chemotherapy.

Great, right?! Fantastic! The only thing is that my hair wasn’t as long as before and the minimum length for a hair donation is 20cm., which means that I was about to cut my hair really short! And I was intrigued with the idea that I’ll have such a good reason to make such a bold styling choice!

I donated a 23cm long pony tail of my hair to Alma Zois and plan on experimenting a bit more with the short hair look! 🙂

Before:                                                 During:                                               After:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow my hair story via the #bOObs Instagram Stories: click here.

#bOObs August Show & Tell

Posted on by sylvia

Since so many of you have asked me to be part of the #bOObs project, but live too far away for me to photograph you, I decided that…
In August the #bOObs Instagram account (@boobs4prevention) will be YOURS!
Show your #bOObs & tell your story.
You can remain anonymous or reveal all! Your choice!

HOW TO:
1. Find a white wall.

2. Take a photo of your boobs square on.
(It can be in a neutral or expressive pose.)

3. Write about your boobs.
Anything you want to say!

4. Send it to me via DM or email.
(DM me for my email ????)

Make sure you check out the #bOObs Show & Tell Instagram Stories here!

UPDATE

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the follower submissions:

Visit the project’s Instagram account and read each woman’s story in the caption below each photo!

The #bOObs Photo Shoots

Posted on by sylvia

#bOObs is all about becoming used to seeing women’s chests in their natural state (not Photoshoped or styled), getting to know our own body better and learning how we can detect any signs of breast cancer.

Sharing one’s knowledge, breast cancer journey or personal experience in a friendly, relaxed environment is a key part in learning about ourselves and our options. For this, the #bOObs photo sessions are organized in small groups of at least 3-4 women.

At each #bOObs photo session, we start off with light chit-chat in the sitting room area of my studio. Then, I show the participants a brief video presentation of what breasts are made of, what the signs of breast cancer are, how to do a regular self breast exam and what to do in case you find something out of the ordinary.

This usually sparks conversation between the women and when we organically come to the point of doing the actual photos, each woman is taken into the private studio area, where I photograph her in two poses: a neutral one and an expressive one in which she chooses how to act and interact with her chest.

The #bOObs photo shoots can generate curiosity or be emotional, but they’re always educational in one way or another and they tend to be a lot of fun!

Here’s a sneak peak at a photoshoot.

If you’re thinking about becoming part of the conversation and participating in #bOObs, reach out to me via email: info[@]sylviakouveli.com

Tonia & Richie: wedding in Athens

Posted on by sylvia

Tonia and Richie, a lovely couple living in London, exchanged their vows in Agios Nikolaos church in Ilioupoli, Athens.
His English family joined her Greek family in a beautiful ceremony full of laughter and emotion.

Although it was an overall rainy day, we were rewarded with a break in the clouds at the end of the wedding and a lovely sunset.

Take a look at some of  beautiful couple’s wedding photos.

IVSA Conference – Évry, France

Posted on by sylvia

International Visual Sociology Association Conference
University of Paris-Saclay – University of Evry, Evry, France

In June 2018, I had the pleasure to present a paper I worked on with Cultural Manager Violetta Tsitsiliani:
“Suitcases: A comment on voluntary travel vs necessary dislocation”.

Photographs I had taken of different types of travelers (tourists, marine workers, migrants and refugees) in Greek ports were used as a means to examine the semiotics of suitcases. These ports constitute a common space that holds a different meaning for each user, although the use is the same for all: travel. The essential difference lies in that of choice or need to travel through this port.

“One advantage of photography is that it’s visual and can transcend language.”

Lisa Kristine

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Nigel Brunsdon

More information on the IVSA: https://visualsociology.org/

APhF18

Posted on by sylvia

Athens Photo Festival 2018 Exhibition at the Benaki Museum, Pireos str. annex.

DURATION:
07/06/2018 – 29/07/2018

This is the photo that won an Honourable Mention in the “Invisible City” category during the 12hr #AthensPhotoMarathon.
I was so pleasantly surprised to see that they actually included 2 more of my photos (so 3 out of my 4 submissions!) in the exhibition, in smaller prints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was such a thrill to have my work exhibited in this prestigious museum! For more information on the Athens Photo Festival and the Photo Marathon, click below:

Home

Home

 

 

4 themes:

My photo in the “Monochrome” exhibition

Posted on by sylvia

One of my black and white photos (the one you see above) was selected in an international photography contest to be part of the “Monochrome” exhibition at the Blank Wall Gallery in Athens. Apart from being very excited about the distinction, I am also very proud to be exhibiting alongside some truly talented photographers from across the globe.

At the opening night I happened to overhear a conversation that resembled that of a friendly wager for the location at which my photo was taken. One person was saying that it must have been at a sports stadium, another was sure it was at an ancient amphitheatre. In fact, they were both wrong!
I approached them to ask what led them to believe that it was taken at either of these places and they pointed to the steps reflected on billboard surface. While one was seeing bleachers suggesting a stadium, the other was seeing the round shape of the stairs alluding to an ancient theatre.

Sometimes when you see something it’s difficult to unsee it. I had snapped this photo in Rome, more specifically, in a tunnel while exiting Vatican City. Obviously, having been at the actual scene, I had never noticed the roundness of the steps that were a mere result of the converse surface they were reflected on. This gave me a new perspective on this photo and made me reflect upon the different ways one can see and interpret an image based on their personal experiences. 🙂

The exhibition runs until March 8th and it is really well curated, so make sure to stop by and travel through the black and white prints of many fantastic photographers from around the world.


55 Fokionos Negri Street
11361 – Athens – Greece

Tibidabo Dream Come True

Posted on by sylvia

 

It’s hard to imagine, but even after 4 years of living in Barcelona, I had never visited Tibidabo. I would see it across the city practically every day when I’d walk my dog around Montjuic, and I had walked and biked in the Carretera des Aigues, but never actually made it up there.

Until on one of my visits back, when my dear friend asked me what I’d like to do when I arrive, I boldly replied: I want to go to Tibidabo! So we did. And it was great! 😀

 

 

Of course the church is beautiful…

But the amusement park and the views are breathtaking!

By the way, we got there just as the amusement park was closing, so maybe next time I’ll actually make it to some of the rides too! 😉

Toledo

Posted on by sylvia

Characterized as “Imperial City” or “City of three cultures”, Toledo’s medieval flair and intrinsic history lives up to UNESCO’s World Heritage title.

 

Madrid… ¡está fetén!

Posted on by sylvia

Madrid: the capital of Spain, the country’s geographic centre, a cultural and political hub. This city is a lot of things and there’s definitely something there for everyone.

I must have been to Madrid about 5 or 6 times, yet every single time has been different from the last. I could come back a hundred more times and probably still enjoy it just as much. So I wonder, what makes this city so unique?

Don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you by talking about all the monuments, architecture and touristic attractions that could easily fill a couple of weeks if you plan to visit them all. I won’t deny though, that there are some amazing sites that appear in most tourist guidebooks and they’re well worth your time and money, but there’s a different dynamic that makes Madrid special.

Even though it’s the third largest city in the European Union, Madrid has somehow managed to harmonically introduce modern infrastructure while preserving the ambience of many of its historic neighbourhoods. Perhaps that’s what’s so particular about Madrid. The neighbourhoods, each one with its own character, somehow create mini cities within a larger city, providing a totally unique experience to the visitor, depending on where they stay and in which area they move around.

There are 128 barrios in Madrid that belong to 21 districts, all very well connected to each other with public transport. Think about that. From the historic barrio of La Latina known for its lively streets and nightlife, to Goya with the WiZink centre for sports matches and concerts, the city is full of little surprises for the visitor and local alike.

Sure, you can find sunny squares, tapas bars with cold beer and delicious delicacies, and bustling bars in other cities as well. To be honest, Madrid would be just another large city if it wasn’t for the madrileños. After all, what’s a city without its inhabitants? The Madrid locals really do wonders when it comes to winning you over, because it’s just the way they are: open, friendly, talkative, pleasant, cheerful.

So is that it? Interesting neighbourhoods with a lot to discover and great locals? Maybe… Or maybe I just need to go back to Madrid to figure it out. 😉

está fetén = wonderful (Madrid slang)
barrio = neighbourhood, ward
madrileño = from Madrid