NEW PHOTO STUDIO
IN KOKKINI HANI

       
  When Sami Moudavaris arrived in Crete some 15 years ago, he knew he had found the perfect place. Like most new arrivals to this island, he became enchanted with the climate and the lifestyle. But for Sami, there was something here that was even more important.

"It's the artistry of Crete that almost took my breath away," Sami recalled. "I must have shot a hundred rolls of film my first week."

Of course, taking pictures was nothing new for Sami – he's been a professional photographer, or, rather, an artist with a lens, for more than 20 years. But, suddenly, he had discovered a wealth of subject matter he never knew existed.
       
 
       
  "Every place I looked – the sea, the mountains, the old villages and their charismatic people – there was photogenic beauty, the likes of which I had never experienced before. And I did a lot of travelling before settling here."

Originally from the Middle East, Sami travelled the region extensively. Eventually he ended up in Holland, where he lived and worked for a short time. From there, it was a short hop to Crete – where his search for artistic quality, as well as quality of life, flourished.
       
 
       
 

This year, Sami has opened a year-round studio and photo shop in Kokkini Hani, called the Art Photography Center (www.samiphotography.com). From his headquarters, he specializes in commercial and social-event photography, with a particular interest in working with local restaurants and tavernas, providing colourful and appealing menu pictures. In addition, Sami offers all the peripheral services, including passport photos, digital photofinishing and fast film developing.

Sami and his wife, Sula, of mainland Greece, reside in Gournes. They have four children: twins Anna and Dina, 21, Anis, 10, and Irini, 3.