Fotograf Anastasia Rassia

—Zuallererst - wen können Sie als besten Fotografen in Athen, Griechenland nennen? :)

—Let me start by saying this: Every photographer has their own style – just as customers have their own likings! Each couple has their own vision, their own aesthetic, and luckily, there are a lot of different styles out there!All in all, of course there are more skilled and less skilled photographers in Athens, but what matters is whose photos stole your heart!

—Sind Sie fotogen?

—I don't find myself particularly photogenic, however people are much more photogenic when they feel relaxed. |Being yourself, is all we – photographers- are aiming for!Of course more often than not brides & grooms have difficulty to be natural in front of a camera, and this is a big part of our job! To make them stress free and actually enjoy the experience!

—Wie sind sind zur Fotografiebranche gekommen?

—Well, since I was young , photography interested me quite a lot, as my father was an amateur – but quite dedicated- photographer. Unfortunately, I was convinced pretty early that it's a profession that won't help me make a living, and I aimed for Computer School, which I also found interesting.After finishing my studies and working in the field, I understood that this was not for me, as I really felt my need to express my creativity . After some temporary jobs, I took the decision to finally enrol in a Photography Academy, and that's how everything began!

—Was macht Ihrer Meinung nach ein gutes Foto aus?

—Framing, tonality, color, theme. Knowing what to isolate from a scene, incorporating the more shades and tones you can, creating a mood with your colors, and finding the essence of what you see.

—Reisen Sie gern?

—Well, like most people, I really do! My adult life, whenever I had some money to spent, I invested them all for travelling.Most of my travels I did them alone, as I find it a much better way to get a real grasp of a city's vibe.And truth is, being in a new environment is super inspiring in my photography!

—Was gefällt Ihnen an Ihrem Beruf am meisten?

—Well, there are several reasons. I really like interacting with people and hearing their love stories, or their thoughts on their wedding day. It's super fun for me, to try to incorporate their style to my photographic approach.I love to be part of the whole day, all the unexpected things that can happen, really make it a very unique job. No wedding day is like the previous one!The editing, is a process that however tiring, really let's you express fully your creativity.And then the feedback! There's nothing that fills your heart more than hearing positive word from a couple! No matter my years in photography, whenever I get genuine compliments for my work, from a customer, a coworker, a competitor, a fan, is giving me tons of fuel to continue doing what I do and put more and more energy to it.In my opinion, it's a job that if you don't love, like truly enjoy and be satisfied from it, it is very difficult to succeed .

—Was gefällt Ihnen an Ihrem Beruf am wenigsten?

—A common answer to this , is I guess dealing with couples that your communication had difficulties. But what greater challenge than having to cooperate with people that you have very opposite points of view? I am a person who I really enjoy challenges, since they really push me forward, even if they make me feel stressed!

—Was ist die Zukunft der Fotografie?

—Well this, I will never know. The big question here is weather someone can adapt to the new stuff. Cause this is what keeps a freelancer alive, the ability to adapt to new challenges.

—Was das Besondere an dem Fotografiegenre, auf das Sie sich spezialisiert haben?

—I wouldn't say that I specialize in a specific genre, more like I incorporate stuff from some styles.For example, I love the emotion, the surprise, and the feel that you're looking through a keyhole on someone's life, that Documentary Photography has. Additionally, Traditional photography, like big family pictures, are timeless and a request of all couples, so I love to give them these shots.Black and White, in my opinion, gives also a filmic mood on wedding photos, making the people in them looking like protagonists of a 50s , 60s movie! And, have I ever told you my love for Cinematography?!Last but certainly not least, Landscape Photography it's a big passion for a lover of travelling like me! This style of photography , I really aim for when shooting Prewedding, Next Day or Engagement Sessions. Humans are a part of their environment and I love to show the connection between them.

—Wie gehen Sie mit Kritik um?

—Well, I'm a people's person, so I really like to be liked! I accept criticism but I will always try to find out why someone's opinion of me or my work is not in accordance with them. I'm an unrest soul and I most certainly will try to change my image towards the better!

—Gibt es irgendwelche Trends in der Fotografie?

—Of course, and they're changing by the minute. It's important to also take into account the different cultures and religions, since trends differentiate a lot according to those.

—Was sollten die Kriterien für Kunden bei der Wahl eines Fotografen sein?

—That's a question that I can give some advice, but the part that each couple puts the importance on is completely subjective!First, is the style of the photos, from an aesthetic point of view, as well the moments that each photographer captures. For example, you like vivid colours, or moody, desaturated ones? You dream of looking like an instagram influencer, a romantic princess, or a contemporary woman? You have some amazing poses in mind, or you want to see some shots of you and your loved ones, interacting as you usually do? Look through some photographers' portfolios!Then, when you find your top 5, read carefully about the services they offer, and info about pricing, delivery etc., and you will find your perfect match!

—Was ist bei Fotoaufnahmen strikt verboten?

—Nothing! Come as you are!

—Welche Details werden häufig übersehen, die ein Fotograf aber erkennt?

—Unwanted people on the background, some details on the clothing that can be fixed and light directions, are some things that our couples usually don't see, and it's the photographer's job to notice!

—Was beeinflusst den Wert eines Fotos? Welche Elemente sind wichtig?

—That is a question with very subjective answers , since each couples values different elements! What I can say from my experience, is that a type of photo a couple is crazy for, another one doesn't really care!

—Welche Person verkörpert für Sie das 21. Jahrhundert am besten?

—This question restrains a lot my thinking! Depending on the filed, there are quite a lot people that are symbols of our century, and I'm sure many more will be born!

—Was würden Sie gern fotografieren?

—Well people- obviously-, landscapes, urban sceneries. I enjoy still life photography, but not in all forms.

—Gibt es für Sie in Ihrem Beruf Tabus?

—Taboos, in my opinion, are holding society back. So, no, but I do respect people's preferences.

—Mit wem würden Sie gern fotografieren?

—Hmm, I'm open to collabs :) !

—Worüber machen Sie sich Sorgen und warum?

—To be honest, in these times, about Covid and only.

—Was war der eindrucksvollste Moment in Ihrem Leben?

—I'm not that easily impressed!

—Wer inspiriert Sie in Ihrem Leben und warum?

—Several artists, people who overcame difficulties. Luckily we live in an era that many people can share their personal stories through social media.

—Wie definieren Sie Erfolg? Wie messen Sie ihn?

—Success for me, is close to happiness. Of course happiness is moments, but I would measure it by the amount of harmony you have in your life. Like a balanced person.

—Gefällt es Ihnen mehr, wenn man Sie mag oder wenn Sie respektiert werden?

—I always thought of respect as a form of putting someone high, like taking into account his status. I don't really like mind who take their status that seriously, I would prefer to feel equal among others. So, I like to be liked, cause of my behaviour and opinions.

—Was war der größte Fehler bei Ihrer Arbeit?

—Not gonna lie, in the past I have done too much of a compromise to not make a customer unsatisfied. But now I have made things more clear for my prospective customers, so we don't end up in confusions later!

—Was nehmen Sie mit, wenn Sie auf Reisen gehen und warum?

—It's my partner, since we both love to discover.

—Haben Sie Apparate oder Ausrüstung, die Sie lieber nicht hätten kaufen sollen? Warum?

—No, there are gadgets that I really want to buy!

—Wie bilden Sie sich weiter, damit Ihre Bilder noch besser werden?

—Through researching new styles and photographers.

—Welche Arbeiten haben Sie als Fotografen am meisten beeindruckt?

—Andrei Tarkovsky, even though he's not a photographer, had really influenced me on my imagery. Other people are Wim Wenders, Paolo Barretta etc.Now, for wedding photography, I do admire Jordan Voth, Michael Pappas and a lot more other artists.

—Was hätten Sie auf jeden Fall wissen müssen, als Sie mit der Fotografie begannen?

—The amount of editing :D

—Was möchten Sie mit Ihren Fotos zum Ausdruck bringen?

—The most common answer – a story. Really though, I want to capture the events of the day, with an approach that insorporates my style, and the couple's personality.

—Was motiviert Sie weiterzumachen?

—The fact that I make art. And as I said before, positive feedback!

—Hätten Ihre Eltern strenger sein müssen?

—I think they were perfect, not strict at all (I was quite a revolutionary child, so I think it would have been difficult to try and set more limits!).

—Wenn Sie zurückschauen, was hätten Sie besser machen können?

—Maybe I would have follow my heart, instead of losing some time doing things that I felt that I had to do. Because in the end, it's very difficult to succeed in something you don't put all your focus on.

—Was halten Sie vom Leben auf anderen Planeten?

—Well, I feel that universe is too big to be alone!

—Wer sind Ihre Helden?

—Everyday people.

—Wovor haben Sie keinerlei Respekt?

—People who are not humanists.

—Was tun Sie in Ihrer Freizeit?

—Going on long walks, music lessons, excersising.

—Welche Seite Ihrer Persönlichkeit bleibt dem Publikum verborgen?

—This would be too public to tell!

—Wann sind Sie mit Ihrer Arbeit in jeder Hinsicht zufrieden?

—When I feel inspired with my work, and my customers are smiling!

—Glauben Sie an die traditionellen Rollen von Mann und Frau?

—Not a lot, but of course our growing up shapes us a lot.

—Schließen Sie schnell Freundschaft?

—Real friends, not that easily.

—Wo würden Sie gern leben?

—I like a lot where I live. Nowhere is perfect, and I feel pretty good with my home land!

—Gibt es ein Leben nach der Heirat?

—Marriage doesn't change your routine. Marriage it's a love oath.

—Lieben Sie Hunde oder Katzen?

—Cat person here!

—Das Beste im Leben ist:

—Love? That's what I think at least.

—Gibt es etwas in Ihrem Umfeld, das Sie ändern möchten?

—I wish that people had more critical thinking. Myself included.

—Haben Sie ein paar Tipps für angehende Fotografen?

—Do it with passion, try, and don't stop believing in what you do. Nothing comes without hard work!

—Angenommen Sie erhalten den Auftrag, einen Film aufzunehmen. Welches Genre würden Sie für den Film wählen?

—I think a Drama.

—Morgen werde ich...

—My Covid quarantine routine!