I take a lot of direction from athletes (no matter the sport). I think competition and worth ethic is what drives athletes to the top and the same applies for my photography (whatever the top for me is). Or any person who has risen against all odds. I find a lot artists/street photographers to be a bit too politically driven, conceptual and lazy. Society rewards people for what they stand for, their identify, but not the work produced. I could care less about pushing my world view. I get a long with people of all political walks of life and identities. I’m a grunt, not an activist.
I watched the movie Nyad last night. It’s about the swimmer Diana Nyad who at the age of 64 completed a swim from Cuba to Key West on her fifth try. That’s who inspires me. She is gay woman but the movie didn’t make her identify the center of her universe.
Chris Athanasiadis 