Hilltop Viewer

Neither a road nor a footpath leads to this hilltop view 364m above Manganari Bay in south-east Ios. The climb, both rigorous and therapeutic, was mesmerising with its splendid scenery and fragrances of wild oregano, thyme and juniper. I’d been up on several occasions starting thirty years before, but this was Roxana’s first time. It was mid-September, the wind had stopped, causing the appearance of some cloud, and the colours were particularly vivid. From trekking gear to elegance in the space of minutes, the photographic equipment was mounted in the same time span. And what a pleasure it was to look at this lovely female in a setting as high as any of those other peaks near or far; the sheer sense of space and distance was mesmerizing. We’d talked about being here doing this for many months and now it was happening. The idea was to present both subjects as easily distinguishable, while at the same time showing how they naturally enhance each other. I’d also brought the panoramic kit and with it created the photograph Hilltop View of Manganari Bay, Ios, comprised of approximately 15 individual shots taken in portrait mode, i.e. with the camera placed vertically on the tripod, and later unified with software; a wide-angle lens would have shown strong distortions in the lateral areas with the sea pushed much further into the distance. Lady Photographer was an afterthought taken just before leaving, in colour it was dominated by excess blues. The way down on the eastern side was so steep that all thoughts of what we’d experienced at the top were quickly replaced with intense focus on where to place hands and feet.