I was photographically investigating “The game of life” that was taking place in a dimension that I am not allowed to reveal. A game, the participants of which were unaware of. That made it very interesting for a photographic investigator such as I, but, most of the time, very frustrating for the participants. It was a game of boomerangs, in which the thoughts, deeds and thoughts sooner of later returned back to their creators. Each one had the chance to create their own world, a world made exclusively from crystallised ideas, feelings and words. Of course their creators didn’t know that and, in their majority, they believed that everything that they were experiencing was the result of some unknown and uncontrollable external factors or powers. Of course the game had rules and laws which were unshakable and worked both ways -for better or for worst. 80% of the participants applied them unconsciously for worst. The laws were written and explained by various “helpers”, but the participants of the game had their attention turned elsewhere and didn’t seem to want to understand them. I don’t know who created the game or why or even how the participants were caught in it. All I know is that being an investigator, a watcher, one felt un urge to enter the game -driven by the confidence and certainty of it’s present state of control and understanding of the game, a control and understanding that they would have to abandon though as soon as they entered the game, which was one of the cruel tricks of it: forgetfulness. Many photographic investigators had been trapped in it with no chance of escaping. Have I ever been one of them? Was I even one of them? These thoughts made me wanna leave this dimension sooner than planned, and that is why my investigation was kinda short.
A photographic investigator sooner or later realises that she creates her world by her inner conversations and that it is only what it is done now that it counts. Now is the accepted time. Even though it’s effects may not be visible until tomorrow. The events and relationships of her life are her word become visible. She changes the dream willingly, changing herself. So she changes the world.
A photographic investigator knows -through observation- that there is a divine selection for every desire of every subject (because a photographic investigator sees everyone as her subjects). And if the subject knows how to claim it, it comes under grace and in a perfect way. It is indeed a great moment when a photographic investigator is present while this divine law is in action.
I arrived there by bus in the evening, just before sunset. The scenic route side by side with the setting sun was magical and that made the prospect of next day’s visit to the Maya ruins of Campeche even more wondrous… It wasn’t clear to me whether I would meet my subject in the mayan pyramids or in the hotel itself. The view was beautiful though and the smell of the sea compelled me to stay in the terrace. I found my subject when I went to the ground floor bar to ask for some coffee…
By the time I found myself again in Venice I was emerged in Florence Scovel Shinn books which fell into my attention by pure intuition, as it always happens with important things. By the time I was photographically investigating Alessandra, a beautiful woman with the most radiant smile, I was already applying fearlessly Florence’s affirmations and advices and witnessed them having incredible results. “Man must prepare for the thing he has asked for, when there isn't the slightest sign of it in sight.” Indeed. In one way or another we all have witnessed our destiny taking shape by our own doing, but forgot all about it... Let’s not anymore. She says: “Make an affirmation immediately upon waking. For example: "Thy will be done this day! Today is a day of completion, I give thanks for this perfect day, miracle shall follow miracle and wonders shall never cease." Make this a habit, and one will see wonders and miracles come into his life.” Today I chose to see around me a wonderful world full of beautiful people… And guess what… It really is!
Electra was one of my subjects. She moved to another country in seek of a better life. I photographically investigated her again in Athens, 2 years after her departure and she was more miserable than before, even though her economic conditions were very much improved. I remembered then a documentary I saw an idle summer night in my beach house, about the chilean community in Greece and the greek community in Chile. There was a woman -that at that moment lived in Greece- who was describing her family’s life journey and she was always saying: “Then the crisis came and we moved to another country”. But that happened 3 or 4 times… This came to my mind when I was confronted with my friend’s misery and I said to her: “Problems go with the people, not with the places”. It was revealed as an indisputable truth to me. I didn’t know that Socrates had said the same thing though… I read it this morning. So I quote: “Why do you wonder that globe-trotting does not help you, seeing that you always take yourself with you? The reason which set you wandering is ever at your heels.’ What pleasure is there in seeing new lands? Or in surveying cities and spots of interest? All your bustle is useless. Do you ask why such flight does not help you? It is because you flee along with yourself. You must lay aside the burdens of the mind; until you do this, no place will satisfy you.”
She came from the future just to observe. Her mission had the code name “Incognito”, but how could she be incognito? My mission was to photographically investigate her and I never fail. Perhaps a more suitable name for her mission would be… “Beware of the Photographic Investigator”. But how could it be? Nobody in the future knew I existed. I know, I have checked it out myself.
When Tandoori met Biryani it was a not very cold Sunday, a few days before the new year and the streets of Athens were not as busy as expected. Everything was new and for that reason it was a fine day. Indian food is only eaten in fine days (by photographic investigators, anyway…).
Venice is full of spirits. A photographic investigator who is experienced in psychic photography knows where to look for them and more importantly, how to look… This will not be revealed in this blog post. The only thing I can disclose is that they like to wander in rainy evenings in Rialto, especially when “acqua alta” is expected…
Born investigators do not look for subjects. Born visionaries don’t ask for visions. William Blake could see into the spiritual world, but how would a photographic investigator possibly grasp what he saw? Waking up this smallest day, this longest night, it was William Blake’s “assistance” that I seeked. But alas! It was a bleak poem that I found, “To the winter” it’s called. I guess it’s appropriate for today, the longest night of the world…
Vapalight, as you all know, is a special kind of light that follows a specific subject, also known as the Vapa model. The Vapa model always sits against the light with the intention to avoid being photographically investigated. Which of course is not possible. All these vain attempts of my subjects to avoid me have made my affection for them to become stronger and in an inexplicable way, urge me to favour them… Don’t ask me why, the world of a photographic investigator is a mystery that has to be faced to everyday (even by them)…
Newblood was the name of a nano-device that was injected in the blood and roamed around the body through the circulation. It’s objective was hidden from the public - we -the photographic investigators- though, knew that it was designed to intercept our access to the true essence of our subjects and thus make our assignments useless. They didn’t know off course that we had already devised an “antidote” -the nature of which I am not allowed to reveal (for obvious reasons). So, no harm done…
Most of the times a photographic investigator investigates subjects that are looking for something that is already -or always- available to them. We don’t complain, since this quest is what makes them “photographable” -all this wasting of energy likes to be captured- but sometimes we wonder “What if we told them that the wifi password that they are looking for is written in the blackboard behind them…?”. We haven’t come to a conclusion yet…
Photographic Investigators very often need special protection due the extreme dangers that they are exposed to daily. Each and every one has a special connection with an angel or archangel, without the help of which they would never survive the strain. Sometimes archangels are caught by the camera in the form of a bright light. To remind us that bright lights should always be looked upon fearlessly…
I was obsessed with that new TV series, A Discovery of Witches and suddenly, wherever I looked in Venice, I saw vampires, witches and demons… I also realised that there were bewitched places that could be seen only with the corner of the eye. Was it “Somebody else’s problem” (as Douglas Adams would say) or was it mine?
October is the Celtic month of Ivy and it brings the promise of the inner self and the spiral of life. I read that Ivy’s growth reflects the spiraling patterns of DNA, the gifts our ancestors gave us. For a photographic investigator family is very often a cause for frustration, but this time I decided to see things from the celtic perspective and contemplate on my positive inherited attributes, family traits that have served me well. Made me feel like entering a new, wondrous world…
Peace and Love were best friends. I was hired to photographically investigate an unexpected interaction between the two of them, in Venice (where else??). For some unknown reason Peace was trying to tear Love’s dress off but Love wasn’t gonna give up without a fight. So she stroke back with a force that lead to uncontrollable laughing on both sides (one side was their’s and the other was mine). And so it came to pass that Peace fought with Love for the first time in known history - and I was there to investigate the fight… Not bad at all…
It was the beginning of fall and I somehow got obsessed with the series "Stranger things". Maybe my 80's childhood was to blame, who knows... And then, in between my ET and Poltergeist memories there was this unpublished photographic investigation that I did in Giudecca, in May... What I was actually investigating is not of importance now, only the fact that I suddenly discovered an otherwordly ambiance to it -combined with the fact that the sea weeds made me think of the "upside down world"...
Things had changed. A trip to Graceland wasn't a romantic fool's dream anymore... You see, Graceland had passed in the hands of a mysterious organisation that made it invisible to this dimension -unless you had a very special map. And this map wasn't so easy to find. I was photographically investigating a courageous group of Graceland explorers who thought that knew where to find that map - I was after the map myself.
The theme of the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale is "Freespace". Free space is vital -if a photographic investigator (and any other investigator for that matter, but you must be an investigator) wants to achieve a free mind. Greenland's pavilion was one of my favourites. Not only for it's ample space and minimal concept, but for it's purity. There is a kind of mystical serenity that emerges through your core and enwraps you completely when you are walking in pure snow. The purity of snow triggers it. And this beautiful Greenland free space world, gave you the impression of walking on snow... And as a tropical island lover that I am, I can appreciate a good snow walk, believe me.
