Over 100 professional and amateur photographers recently turned their lenses on the Cycladic island of Andros, racking up countless clicks and likes on Instagram.
They were all taking part in the #My_Andros Project which began with a three-day photography excursion to the island in late April and will conclude with an exhibition on the island in early July.
The 120 photographers taking part in the project belong to the highly active group Greek Instagramers Events which, from its founding in 2013 (by George Vergados, Elli Agiannidi and Voula Spyrea) has become an organizing force among the Greek Instagram community, providing a platform for artistic expression, and the exchange of ideas and experiences.
For the Andros project, the Instagramers were hosted on the island by members of the Andros Cycladic Tourism Network (CTN Andros), a network of tourism related enterprises on the island who also helped put together the program of activities.
The Instagramers were given a tour of a large part of the island, from Batsi, Gavrio and Aghios Petros to the villages of Korthi and those around the capital, Hora.
“The cosmopolitan roads and pretty alleys filled with energy and formed the perfect setting for the creative shots of the photographers. The enthusiasm peaked on Saturday evening in Girokomeiou Square at the traditional celebration organized for the benefit of the guests,” the organizers stated.
The images produced during this special three-day event have now been circulated on social media and can be found under the hashtags #My_Andros and #IslandGetAway.
Writing about the event, the president of CTN ANDROS Christos Balogiannis said in a statement, “Our aim was to give life to every corner of the island and to succeed not only in drawing attention to Andros and in a way rediscovering it, but to make use of the photographic material to promote it on a global level. The different angles and different approaches to the common theme created something truly magical, which we will all have the chance to enjoy at the photography exhibition that will be held on the island in July and which will transport the beauty of the island around Greece as it will be hosted in other parts of the country. A photo book will also be published and will be available from all of the members of our network.”
“Participation in the event was high and that shows that the desire and motivation is there, provided that opportunities are offered by those who have the means, so that we can all be mobilized together, to improve ourselves and upgrade the ‘product’ that we are offering,” said Lena Politou, the head of the Tourism Committee of the Municipality of Andros.
For her part, the co-founder of Greek Instagramers Events Elli Agiannidi (@elaki26) stated, “From the first moment we founded the group Greek Instagramers Events we’ve had the joy of working with municipalities and cultural bodies, with the aim of promoting our country through artistic activities such as photography exhibitions, photography trips, and artistic projects.
“For the Project #My_Andros we collaborated with 120 talented photographers who are members of our group and many of whom have Instagram and Facebook pages with thousands of followers all over the world. Through their social media posts they will promote, for many months, the island on a local and global level.
“We are very happy and excited about the success of this three-day photography trip in Andros as it was the first photography excursion of this size, and had particular organizational demands.”
Source: ANA-MPA
