Gortys Photos

Gortys Photos - The church of Saint Titus

The church of Saint Titus in Gortys under the light of the fullmoon in August 2000

In Greece the brightest full moon of the whole year is the full moon of August. It is a chance for romantics to enjoy a night out, as well as an opportunity for various celebrations to be staged in various archaeological sites in Greece.

The night of August 16, I (Yannis Samatas) together with two good friends from the UK, Tim and Brigid Todd, visited Gortys and took a number of photos whilst we enjoyed the opportunity to explore the site. There is a law that does not allow the use of a tripod without a special license, so every suitable stone and Brigid's hand bag were used to stabilize the camera for the long exposure times needed because of the low light conditions.

A fast film -800 ASA- was used and mostly no flash. Flash was used in a few shots only and it was handheld away from the camera. Brigid was a great help both as a model in the chapel and as a valuable photographer's assistant. Her calls of "now" were for no other purpose than to co-ordinate the camera shutter release and my operation of the flashlight some distance away!

It was an experiment for me and I am glad that some nice photos came out of it. The atmosphere in an archaeological site at night is totally different from that during the day. The full moon, the fresh breeze and the sounds of the night enhance the magic of the place.

• Read more about the church of Saint Titus
• Read about Gortys