My story

Hey, Sotiris here, or Streetsot if you know me from Instagram.

I am a street photographer born and raised in Athens, Greece. Streetsot is a combination of two words, Street (from street photography) and sot (from my name sotiris) making a combination of street shot, streetsot.

My photographic journey has had its ups and downs over the years I’ve been into photography. It all started when I saw a great Black Friday deal on an entry-level Canon DSLR back when I was a university student. Having no knowledge of photography, I bought the camera and made a promise to myself to learn the ins and outs of this little black box that makes memories immortal.

After reading some books and watching videos, I learned the exposure triangle (ISO, shutter speed, aperture) and how to use the editing software Lightroom. I went out and started making photos. The more photos I took, the more hooked I became with my new hobby. I learned new techniques, how to correctly frame my subjects, and even some color theory.

Landscape photography

Having learned how to use the camera and after taking quite a few photos in my area, it was time for me to explore more. I started traveling to other countries with the sole purpose of making new photos. I was hooked, and I could not really control it. All my extra money went into flight tickets, hotel bookings, and photography gear. It was landscape photography that made me want to travel to more places to capture more images. Athens, being the city it is, could not fulfill my need for beautiful landscape shots, although I do have some really nice landscape photos from my city, just not many.

After shooting landscape and travel photos for three years, I fell into a photographic depression. I wasn’t happy with my photos. They were beautiful, but something was missing. I stopped taking photos for a while, trying to find motivation to return to photography, but I couldn’t. I searched and asked in forums how to regain my motivation, and that’s when I realized what was missing from my photos: emotion.

I understood that while I had the technical knowledge to take beautiful landscape shots and could arrive on time during golden hour, the formula for great landscapes felt too predictable. If I got those two aspects right, all that was left was having a beautiful place in front of me. While I don’t necessarily mean that landscape photography is easy, for me, it felt like if I had a stunning sunset, lake, or mountain in front of me, the photo would turn out beautiful with little effort. My photos stopped requiring thoughtful input, and I began making robotic movements with my fingers to capture the shots.

That’s when I decided to take photos that, first and foremost, speak to me—and maybe some of them would speak to others as well. I wanted my photos to have an artistic identity and thoughtful input. I wanted them to make me feel more and think more. So, I started photographing family and friends—capturing special moments or objects that I wanted to keep forever. My passion for photography was officially restored.

Street Photography

It was around that time that I got into street photography. Looking back now, I’d say it was a natural progression, and I’m glad I didn’t quit when I was feeling down. My street photography journey has been amazing so far.

For me, street photography is like hunting for gold. You go out not knowing whether you’ll find gold or come back empty-handed. It requires thought to create interesting photos in the streets. You need a strategy, a plan, or a vision, if you like. Street photography can’t be accurately defined, and it’s up to the photographer to determine its exact meaning. For me, it’s not just about capturing everyday moments but also making them artistic—turning ordinary moments into something extraordinary by artistically framing the subjects and telling a story in a fairytale-like way. Photography, for me, is an emotional expression. I try to capture a feeling—whether it’s joy, sadness, or contemplation—and fuse it with my artistic vision.

As far as gear is concerned, after trying all the major camera brands, I currently shoot with Fujifilm, as it aligns better with the work I do. But more on another post on that matter.

Apart from street photography, I am working on some photography projects that I might publish in the future.

I would be more than happy to discuss your photography journey and how it has helped you evolve into the photographer you are today. Don’t hesitate to contact me on my Instagram.