Exploring cultures and landmarks worldwide, Pateras’ lens captures the essence of human experience and the beauty of diverse narratives.
Exploring cultures and landmarks worldwide, Pateras’ lens captures the essence of human experience and the beauty of diverse narratives.
What’s it like to go around the world and explore every culture? Ever think about the rewards about being a professional photographer?
For one man, scenery is everything when it comes to exploring the world.
In the latest edition, our feature explores the storied career of Andrew Pateras, a name synonymous with capturing the unspoken narratives of our time. Andrew’s lens has persistently focused on the raw, unfiltered essence of human experience, earning him not just a revered spot in the annals of documentary photography but also a collection of accolades, most notably the Lifetime Distinction of Honour for Photographic Achievement from the International Freelance Photographers Organization.
His work has been and continues to be featured at many exhibitions worldwide. As Pateras’ work inspires both veterans and aspirants in the photography world, his legacy is a testament to the power of a single image to alter perceptions and foster empathy across the boundaries of nations and cultures.
Photography has been a passion for Pateras as his path started out as a hobby from a young age. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, he was exposed to various cultures throughout his travels.
“Photography started as a hobby. My dad had an old Nikon film camera that intrigued me. I always had a camera in hand,” said Pateras about how photography got his interest. “My parents started my interest in travelling in some early trips across America and then to Europe (Greece, Yugoslavia and Turkey). I then worked for a company called G Adventures which really made my travel addiction take shape.”
Travelling took his photography career farther above and beyond the limits to allow him to showcase his work, including many places of interest.
No matter whether it’s a place of interest or witnessing a natural disaster, photography spoke for itself.
Pateras experienced Japan’s earthquake in March of 2011 in Tokyo where he was purchasing a ticket to Nagoya. He described the earthquake as he was felt the ground shaking and ran to a door as the building was shaking.
“The biggest fear initially was buildings falling down on top of me,” said Pateras describing the earthquake at the time. “When I saw how strong Japanese buildings were, my next worry was the Fukushima reactor going critical which was only about 100 miles away from where I was.”
This moment led to Pateras having his name known because of what he witnessed on the ground in Tokyo after live TV interviews with Fox News and CBC.
Prior to witnessing the earthquake and afterwards, Pateras made his way to six continents capturing one of the most magical places including many famous locations in China and Greece.
His work showcases both landmarks and his interaction with the locals. He showcases what life is like both in a civilized and a tribal world on different continents.
“It taught me that there are billions of lives, each with a different story, different struggles and different happy moments,” said Pateras about his experiences around the world.
The Canadian photographer is of Greek descent who’s aware of his ancestral history and culture.
“My own heritage is also one of the world’s oldest. I am of Greek descent, and I spend every summer in Greece, teaching my sons about their history and their culture.”
Pateras visits Greece every summer where he spends time with his family. He’s taken the opportunity to explore Greece’s historical locations, some of which include The Acropolis, Nafplio (which was once Greece’s capital), and Mycenae, an ancient Greek Citadel.
He was a guest speaker at Florida Atlantic University, invited by the Hellenic Cultural Society of South Florida to lecture about “Capturing Greece”.
His work, whether it was Europe, Asia, Australia, or any other part of the world, was to remind the public including, travelers, natives, and anyone interested in culture of what life is like those particular locations.
The view of culture and customs varies by region with different language, standard of living, belief systems and state of mind.
The fascination of different landmarks that include The Great Wall of China, The Petronas Towers, Tiananmen Square, Niagara Falls, The Taj Mahal, The Temple of Poseidon, and The Ancient City of Petra are among some of the locations Pateras has travelled while exploring history.
“It taught me that there are billions of lives, each with a different story, different struggles and different happy moments,” said Pateras in his experience coming in contact with people from different walks of life.
Pateras’ interaction with people from different cultures has taught him the value of moments where everyone either has a happy moment or a time of struggle. Every culture has a different mindset and a different way of thinking, noting the differneces in Eastern and Western cultures.
Photographs tell the story from a visual standpoint. The Canadian native’s photography work has captured the most notable landmarks around the world.
China’s Macau, which was once a Portuguese colony, is considered to be the Las Vegas of Asia with casinos having a European feel. The building had a Las Vegas vibe that also included casinos like the Wynn.
Some people in remote areas didn’t always like seeing a camera pointed their way as some had never seen a camera.
“Because my favorite subject matter is people, I regularly had run ins with people that didn’t even like to see a camera. My time in the South China sea comes to mind. It was a very interesting gate that had military guards in Sanya on Hainan Island in China,” said Pateras about the problems that he sometimes ran into abroad. “All I did was put my hands on my camera around my neck and the guards started shouting and running towards me with AK47s at the ready.”
Some places didn’t always appreciate seeing a camera, where certain things would come to a misunderstanding.
Pateras’ has traveled to many very religious countries, such as Israel, where he encountered all three of the worlds largest religions in one place.
Photography comes with many rewards, going from place to place results in an expansion of creativity and abundance of images.
World travelling is something that Pateras has been able to thrive as a photographer by capturing the most monumental sights and events in the world.
What’s next for him in the photography journey?
“In the next 5+ years I plan to introduce my sons to more complex cameras and travel the world with them to give them similar experiences that my parents provided me. We are planning a trip to Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia) and a trip to Australia. These are in addition to our annual trips to Europe.”
Edited by Joseph Hammond and Newsdesk Manager
