I remember scrolling endlessly when I first came across their Instagram profile. I was mesmerized by the magical landscapes they had photographed, and through their lens, I was transported to these places. Powerful images, excellent shots, a remarkable life. These were my thoughts, and I felt I would love to talk to them. When referring to them, I called them “digital nomads,” because how else could you describe everything that Martina Laskaridou and Konstantinos Pappas, the farawayfarers, do?
When I contacted them for the interview you’ll read below, they were within Greece but outside of Athens. I thought, “What a pity,” because I would have loved to meet them in person and see the spark of exploration in their eyes. But even from afar, they managed to convey their spirit to me, they were incredibly sincere, and they answered all the questions: about the challenges they’ve faced, the budget, the smiles of children in Africa, the nights in the mountains, and the bittersweet feeling of having to return to the city for professional – and not only – reasons.
– What is it like to return to a noisy, urban (and usually dirty) environment after free camping in a dreamy place, where you feel one with nature? Doesn’t this transition from one condition to the other disorient you?
The return to the city has a bittersweet taste. Saying goodbye to a natural landscape always carries a silent feeling of nostalgia, but we return with joy, filled with the experiences we’ve lived and ready to get to work. The excitement and impatience that overwhelm us when we return to start editing the footage we’ve captured is a feeling that completes the experience we’ve had in each place. This transition from one condition to another is the necessary continuity, as it gives shape to each of our projects, so we can share them with the world. Returning to our urban home, which we equally love, is necessary to recharge our batteries and organize ourselves for the next adventure.
– Your first project post on Instagram was uploaded in September 2019 from Vietnam. But how did this idea start, and when? Had you done enough trips together before to see if you could support (in terms of collaboration/living together) the concept?
Indeed, we launched our Instagram page just 3 years ago. In our minds, it feels like much further back in time, as we had known each other, hung out, and worked together since 2015, and the truth is, from the very beginning, we knew we could only do something like this together. However, the decision to actually start the project took some time and came after our second trip together in May 2019. After returning from Namibia, we wanted to have a common “home” to share our images from around the world. That’s how it all began. Without a specific plan, but with a shared passion: landscape photography. This then turned into a common dream that is constantly growing. “To become as good as possible at what we do, with the goal of mentally transporting people to the places we visit. Through our images, our films, and our stories.”
– In recent years, there has been a global trend towards a nomadic lifestyle, but with a more modern perspective and obviously more evolved than that of the sixties. How does your worldview connect to this?
In recent years, there has been a trend of people returning to their “roots” and the desire to live in the countryside. This is very positive, as urban reality has changed. Nowadays, we observe greater awareness, many ecological actions, and sustainable initiatives from people who feel the need to protect their “home,” nature, and return to it.
– This all has a (presumably high) cost. How do you manage to support it?
At the beginning, when we had no financial ease, we limited our expenses as much as possible to gather the required budget for our travels and to purchase our equipment. Often, we had to work longer hours on external projects after office hours and on weekends. Now, things are a bit more flexible since we have our own office, but there is also extra pressure to coordinate projects and deadlines to organize a trip both timewise and financially. Nothing is easy, and nothing is given generously. The difficulties we face to organize a trip make it even more precious in our eyes.
– I’d like you to talk about the mental benefits of crossing tropical forests, endless deserts, sleeping by lakes, in the snow and on the sand, with a backpack on your back.
Landscape photography has brought us closer to nature in a much more meaningful way. We are much more sensitive and increasingly appreciate what it can offer us. Respect for nature is, for us, the alpha and the omega, guiding us to live each of our experiences. The value of being in all these otherworldly natural landscapes is even more significant for us. We feel absolute happiness in the simplest things one can experience while enjoying the grandeur of nature. A hike in a canyon, waking up in the morning on top of a mountain or in the middle of the desert, the animals we encounter freely in an African jungle, the people and cultures we meet—they all bring us back to where we belong and offer everything we need to feel complete.
– Has your enthusiastic curiosity about a place ever led to problems you hadn’t anticipated? Is there any incident that shook you so much that you thought, “Okay, that’s it. We need to stop doing this”?
Before every big trip, there’s a silent anxiety within us about whether everything will go well, along with the whispers from our loved ones. “Where are you going again, are you crazy?”, “Haven’t you had enough?”, “You’re asking for trouble,” etc. We’ve faced various unexpected situations and difficulties. The hyenas lurking in the ghost town in Namibia, where we wanted to photograph at midnight. The dreadful conditions we encountered in Iceland’s highlands, where we had to drive on off-road paths next to cliffs. The war in Yemen, which for others would be considered a forbidden destination, and the bad accident we had in Costa Rica that forced us to return with a wheelchair. None of these stopped us. They made us even stronger, more experienced, and more determined to never give up. To never stop living.
– If someone wants to live something similar to what you do, what advice would you give them and which destination would you ideally suggest they start with?
We believe that you don’t need to take expensive or long trips to have a great experience and connect with nature. However, if someone loves to travel long distances, they should have the corresponding budget, which for us is achievable and doable, as long as you have the will and set the right priorities to make it happen. If we can do it, anyone can. An easy and affordable destination to start traveling would be Asia, and specifically Vietnam. That’s where it all started for us.
– Which piece of equipment (other than the tent) could you never part with?
An inseparable part of every trip for us are our cameras. It even surpasses our need for shelter, which is our tent. Nowadays, we see the world through our shutter, and that’s something we could never change. We can’t imagine traveling without them. They are an extension of ourselves.
– Can you remember the most touching moment you’ve experienced during your travels?
The looks of children in poor countries, when they look at you with gratitude after you give them something, can break your heart in two. Looks that hide absolute poverty but at the same time, childlike carefree joy. Looks that pierce deep into your soul. The children in Yemen were playing happily on dirt roads. All barefoot, but when they saw us from afar, they would run to touch us and speak to us, even if just for a moment. Their eyes fixed on us, silently speaking to us through their silence. That’s when you want to bring down the whole world and give it to them. But you can’t. You settle for whatever you have on you – a chocolate and a few candies. And suddenly, they smile at you, and the entire world lights up.
– What does your bucket list of destinations include?
One of the most difficult trips we want to make is visiting the Kuril Islands. A group of islands in northeastern Asia, stretching from northeastern Japan to the Kamchatka Peninsula in Siberia. It belongs to Russia and is almost inaccessible, with oceanographers and National Geographic photographers being among the few who approach it. We hope to achieve it someday. The more earthly destinations on our bucket list are certainly parts of our beloved African continent for safaris in Tanzania, Madagascar, Kenya, and a tour of Latin America.
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