Capturing the Actors of Everyday Life in Athens: the Street Photography of Lukas Vasilikos

Erics’ Note: Lukas Vasilikos is one of the most original and talented contemporary street photographers today. Not only does he have a strong grasp of black and white, but he is also able to use color to his advantage as well. His photographs are powerful and show a deep insight into human nature. Read more to see his thoughts on street photography and his amazing work.

Lukas: My name is Lukas Vasilikos. I live and work in Athens, Greece. I started to take photos at 2006 after a photo-seminar with Manos Lykakis. Since my first steps in photography, I liked being out at streets and shooting. I like to communicate with people and use them as actors, playing a performance just for me.

Street photography makes me feel free. All my senses are on alert and I like the “hunting”: finding and catching the right moment. Right now I’m also working on a whole different project which is more personal, concerns night shooting. This way I explore emotions like death, loss, and more.

In street photography, I work in two phases:

First, I find a background and wait for something to happen, something that is surreal or strange.
Then I wait for the right elements, people, things, animals, whatever, to walk into my frame.

I know that when I find a good background, I just have to be patient and the good shot the most of the time it comes. I like catching up the moment that never comes back, creating my own personal world through my camera.

Some advice that I have:

Think of a project: Then go out and shoot it. That makes you more focused. For instance, if you choose shadows as one of your projects, focus just on the shadows. After a couple of times being out and shooting, you’ll start seeing things that you were missing before because you used to watch everything around you.
Light is a very important thing: Morning and late evening are the best time to shoot.
Be polite and respect people: Some people don’t like to be photographed.