Notes to myself

Do you remember your first days around here?

For me it was March 25, 2018 when I wrote my first post and I had almost forgotten how hard and discouraging those first weeks were. An endless list of zero or close to zero rewards till the 40th post when @curie discovered me and I discovered the dream :)

But why am I telling you that now? Well a couple of days ago my partner @traisto wrote her first post (you can read it and encourage her here) and with that excuse I remembered my first days and took a look to my first posts.

Oh god I didn't had a clue what I was doing! Let me show you the first twenty from those posts adding a few notes to myself. It might amuse the older and maybe teach something to the newbies!

And since this is all used material I'll use the #showcasesunday tag, an initiative of @nonameslefttouse meant to revive old and potentially undervalued posts.

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  • Mar 25, 2018

My first post is a flower for you!

Hello everybody.
Since this is my first post I thought it would be nice to offer a little anemone to all the fellow Steemers!
I captured this beauty a couple of months ago. It is a native plant in Crete, Greece giving colour to the winter scenery of the fields.

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Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Focal Length: 60 mm
Aperture: ƒ2.8
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/500 s

OK that was cute but now it looks so childish and the editing of the picture is totally of!


  • Mar 26, 2018

Summer is coming!

This morning I wake up with the feeling that summer is not far away, so I want to share with you a picture of a top vacations destination in Greece.

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Paros is one of the Cyclades island group in the central Aegean Sea. The shot is from Naoussa,a beautiful fishing village in the northern part of the island, caught between day and night, at the blurred moments of the dusk .

Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal Length: 10 mm
Aperture: ƒ6.7
ISO: 100
Shutter: 4 s

Long before I find @travelfeed and learn how to write a proper travel post!


  • Mar 27, 2018

Alive food!

Today I have a picture for you of my lentil sprouts, just before they become a delicious meal!

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Sprouts are excellent food, full of antioxidants, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals, extremely beneficial for our health.
Plus I love their taste!

Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Focal Length: 60 mm
Aperture: ƒ5.6
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/13 s

@naturalmedicine here I come :) But I have a long way ahead!


  • Mar 27, 2018

Landscapephotography : Alonissos Greece

This is my entry for #landscapephotography sponsored by @juliank and @photocontests.

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Alonissos is part of the Sporades complex, a lovely, quiet island mostly known for its incredible natural beauty and the amazing beaches.

Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal Length: 10 mm
Aperture: ƒ8
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/125 s

Finding out about contests. Not much luck there either, at least not till @photogames begin!


  • Mar 28, 2018

Argos, Greece: cycling between village and city status for 7,000 years!

Walking around Argos today, you can't suspect it has been inhabited since the Neolithic period! It is the biggest town in Argolis and a major centre for the area but all you can see is a small city not any different from many others in Greece.

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And yet it has been continuously inhabited as at least a substantial village for the past 7,000 years and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network!

Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal Length: 10 mm
Aperture: ƒ8
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/20 s

Adding a few historical facts but still haven't a clue :)


  • Mar 29, 2018

Working bee!

One of my bees in action!

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Among other thinks I am an amature apiarist and I have to say working with honeybees is an experience very close to meditation :)

Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Focal Length: 60 mm
Aperture: ƒ2.8
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/250 s

Nice picture, bad edit.


  • Mar 29, 2018

Colourful drinks!

A very vivid image...

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from a very distant past...

Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length: 55 mm
Aperture: ƒ5
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1/3 s

This could have been interesting, talking about that distant past, but ...


  • Mar 30, 2018

Greetings from Athens, Greece.

A sunny spring day, perfect for walking and cycling in front of the new Acropolis Museum.

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The picture is taken on Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, one of the most beautifull pedestrian routes of the world, at the bottom of the Acropolis.

Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal Length: 10 mm
Aperture: ƒ8
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1/250 s

I took a lot of nice pictures that day and I think I never did a complete post about it! Maybe I will :)


  • Mar 30, 2018

Model portrait.

A lovely portrait that came up during a jewelry shooting.

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Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Focal Length: 60 mm
Aperture: ƒ8
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/125 s

Trying with all kinds of pictures but I haven't realize yet that in order to attract upvotes with a single photo it should be something really special!


  • Apr 1, 2018

Naxos, Greece at dusk.

Dusk is my favorite time of the day for shooting, especially when I have to do with little villages and white houses. Those blurred moments between day and night are precious and magical! At this shot you can see Chora, the capital of Naxos, the biggest one of the Cyclades island group in the central Aegean Sea.

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Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length: 24 mm
Aperture: ƒ10
ISO: 400
Shutter: 3.2 s


  • Apr 2, 2018

Would you like some souvlaki?

If you have ever visited Greece it is almost certain that you have tasted (at least one) souvlaki. This is a plate of chicken souvlaki skewers served with pita bread, fried potatoes, dips and some salad in a restaurant at Yiálova, Messinia.

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Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length: 42 mm
Aperture: ƒ 5.6
ISO: 1600
Shutter: 1/60 s


  • Apr 2, 2018

Catwalk!

This is Vera, the cat that barged into my life and turned me into a cat lover in the blink of an eye! She left as unexpected as she come, leaving behind 3 offsprings that you may see in another post.

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Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Focal Length: 60 mm
Aperture: ƒ7.1
ISO: 1600
Shutter: 1/640 s


I am slowly starting to flirt with spamming. 4 posts in a day and no upvotes 🙁

  • Apr 3, 2018

City on the lake!

Kastoria is a city in northern Greece laying on Lake Orestiada. The proximity with the water element as well as the surrounding mountains, are creating a magical scenery. I took this shot on a chilly but very calm and sunny aftrernoon.

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Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length: 19 mm
Aperture: ƒ10
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/200 s


  • Apr 3, 2018

Lake Orestiada, Greece.

Sky, mountains and water, the basic ingredients of Greece!

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Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length: 42 mm
Aperture: ƒ10
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/200 s


  • Apr 3, 2018

My entry for the Abandoned Shit contest - "Water"

Schinari is a quiet and calm beach on the east coast of Kythnos, one of the Cyclades islands, in Greece. It is an idyllic scenery with a large sandy beach and crystal-clear water.

And this!

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This steel structure is an old rig that used to transfer iron ore from the mines that operated on the island during a long gone era. Now it's a tourist attraction or just too big to be removed, your choice!

(I hope you like it @customnature)

Camera: Canon EOS 40D
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal Length: 15 mm
Aperture: ƒ9
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/100 s


  • Apr 3, 2018

Nikos and his violin.

Nikos is a well-known Greek violinist working on traditional music. This picture came up when I was assigned by a magazine to illustrate the interview he gave.

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Camera: Canon EOS 5D
Lens: Canon 80-200mm f/2.8 L
Focal Length: 85 mm
Aperture: ƒ8
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/180 s

My biggest "hit" so far! A 0.60 reward is a big deal when the next bigger one is 0.05 :)


  • Apr 4, 2018

He really loves his bike!

Sometimes (not often) advertising photography can be fun. The day I took this picture was one of them. Dimitris (the one with the bathrobe) is a well-known Greek comedian and thanks to the surrealistic concept and his exuberant personality we all had a superb day!

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Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L
Focal Length: 85 mm
Aperture: ƒ11
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/125 s


  • Apr 4, 2018

Street of the Knights!

The street of the Knights at the medieval town of Rhodos, is one of the most visited attractions in Greece. This shot come up just at the beginning of the night. The lights of the street were very low and the sky was lit by the full moon. I was alone although it was summer time and voilà!

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Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Focal Length: 10 mm
Aperture: ƒ8
ISO: 400
Shutter: 30 s


  • Apr 4, 2018

Sea daffodil.

Pancratium maritimum, or sea daffodil usually grows on sandy beaches around the Mediterranean sea. This shot is from eastern Crete, Greece. I visit this beach every fall when they blossom, it is an irresistible spectacle I cannot bear to loose!

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Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Focal Length: 60 mm
Aperture: ƒ 5.6
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/400 s


  • Apr 5, 2018

Anemone

Anemone
by
Grace Marie Grafton

The root stirs
and the petal cannot hold back its flare.
The sun is a flower,
we’re sucked into its core,
bees of the universe.
Nothing is perfect
yet if one of us could be
as perfect as the poppy,
who would need more than
three days to bloom?

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I wanted to share this Grace Marie Grafton's poem with you, along with one of my anemone pictures!

Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Lens: Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Focal Length: 60 mm
Aperture: ƒ2.8
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/600 s

Ha ha I had completely forgotten about that. A poem? Really? I must have been completely desperate :)


Anyway I think that's enough for today. I don't know if you enjoyed it, but for me it was a very interesting and fun reminiscence. I still can't understand what made me keep going with rewards between 0 and 0.05 but I am so glad I didn't give up and I am still around :)


All the pictures and the words are mine.

Thank you for reading and if you want to know more about me you can check out my introduction post.

Commenting, upvoting and rebloging are highly appreciated!

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I can't imagine HIve without your lovely photography,a nd stories of greece! I'm off to follow your partner now..

Thank you so much @riverflows for your wonderful words! I guess it is for people like you that I stayed around :)

It's always fun to look back... and wince at the past, whether they be amateur photos, badly edited photos, or even bad fiction. (My very first post was a terrible, terrible introduction in the form of bad fiction, haha!)

I'd just like to say that even though you say that some of these are badly edited, I don't think so... maybe I don't have a proper photographer's eye, but I think all of these are lovely. Especially that bee! I personally don't think it's a bad edit at all. 🙂

Thank you very much @kaelci!
Maybe the edits are not so bad, but I feel that I can do much better now :)

Wow! This is a great motivation especially for us newbies here on Hive. Keep inspiring us! 😊😊 Great photos too by the way 👌🏽

Thank you very much @kissmyaxe94 and welcome :)

You’re welcome and thanks for welcoming me 😊😊