Rethymno during a summer’s night is a real gift for photographers – not only is it bustling with people walking, biking, and talking animatedly to one another and into phones, but so much of the Old Town is lit and coloured beautifully thanks to the prevalence of shops selling all sorts. I really liked how the spot lights on this mini art gallery picked out the couple walking past, and how their jeans matched the blue of the Mediterranean sea in the paintings.
This is a fairly archetypal village street scene in Crete. Lots of the older generation in the villages tend to spend part of the day in the summertime sitting in their porches or in the street and watching the world go by, or just contemplating things. The ladies in particular still often dress in the traditionally iconic all-black clothes, just as their predecessors have done for centuries, in keeping with the largely traditional way of life which has been preserved in Crete’s villages. The village of Lappa – where this photo was taken – dates back to around the second century BC, and legend has it was founded by the heroic (and notorious) Ancient Greek king Agamemnon. The modern village Argyroupolis, sited down the mountain from Lappa, is home to natural springs.
Goody’s is the only ‘conventional’ fast food diner in Rethymno, and is well positioned at the Square of the Unknown Solider to take advantage of the hustle and bustle of the harbour strip. It’s always teeming with people, and is very popular with families. There was a McDonald’s on the harbour strip for several years but it didn’t last very long – at least Goody’s, despite being fast food, is a Greek business, and not a massive multinational. I can’t say I’ve sampled the food myself, as the quality of the local food (plus the great home-made pizza & pasta restaurant just up the road) is just too good.
Froyo (frozen yoghurt) was THE must have snack in Rethymno in summer 2013, with a good half dozen (at least) cafes springing up to take advantage of the trend. This particular bar was perfectly sited on a corner in the Old Town near Rethymno’s harbour, offering its customers the perfect location from which to watch the city’s comings and goings.
These two ladies were enjoying a bit of a catch-up at a taverna in Rethymno’s harbour during the mid afternoon lull between lunch and supper, when all the tourists go walkabout. You can see one of the taverna’s waiters off to the side also taking the opportunity to catch his break!
I didn’t have a flash on me when I took this, and because of the strong sunlight I had to overexpose the background in order to have enough light on the ladies in the foreground. I used a little dodging in the foreground, and the radial filter burn tool in the background to recover some of the blown highlights.
Moped delivery rider during the mid morning rush in Rethymno Old Town. I was impressed that he managed to keep the ciggy on the go whilst he manoeuvred through the melee!
A view into Chaplin’s bar on a late afternoon in Rethymno. Chaplin’s in one of a series of bars on Eleftherios Venizelos street, which is a strip which runs from the town’s harbour to the marina, and is the hub of much of the town’s vibrant nightlife. As can be seen from the photo, Chaplin’s caters for different music tastes compared to lots of the other bars on the street, offering a classic blend of the rock and roll greats.
I managed to capture the highly rare sight of a cat taking a nap here (!). I loved the look of his positioning underneath the poster advertising the jewellers, particularly as the model in the advert is very striking with her electric blue eyes matching the azure blue of sign for the ‘Sun Beam’ shop next door.
This is one of Rethymno’s side streets which links Eleftherios Venizelos (the marina strip) with the centre of the modern area of Rethymno. This street is full of shops selling all manner of tourist gifts – belts, bags, natural sponges and knives seeming to be the most popular.
Mannequins often prove a useful focal point in street photos (particularly as they stay still, so you can take your time framing them), and the ‘interaction’ and contrast between a mannequin and a real person in a photo can often be fun. As I composed this I realised that with the shopkeepers standing outside of their respective shops and the mannequin in the foreground there was an unbroken line of female subjects in the photo.
Digby Fullam 