Even though Naomi and I left the Greek Cyclades a few weeks ago, I feel like in some way, they still haven’t left me. For a brief moment every morning when I wake up, I instinctively feel as though I should still be there, awaking to the soft golden light of dawn, the calls of the birds and the melody of the Aegean Sea. There’s a harmony in those early hours of the day, especially on some of the more outward and touristically quiet islands we visited. I truly believe we found a form of simplistic paradise there and it seems to have stolen a piece of my heart. Don’t get me wrong, Oia—the shining gem of the Island of Santorini and shown in it’s splendor here—is a paradise well deserving of the international attention it receives. Unfortunately, that same attention results in the influx of millions of people, causing the streets to become way too crowded to walk, the hotel prices to raise, the restaurants too expensive to justify purchasing simple meals, and the chances of having a personal connection with this beautiful city much less likely at all times other than the early morning hours. Is Oia beautiful, yes. Is it worth visiting and photographing, of course - but if you want to experience the real Cyclades, jump on a ferry boat and explore some more of these amazing islands as well! To learn the techniques I used to shoot and post-process this image, you can find all the info about my new tutorial video series by visiting: www.elialocardi.com
Tranquility
