Photographer Marina Vernicos has worked hard to shed the label of a ‘socialite’; coming from one of Greece’s leading ship-owner families, she has quietly pursued a personal career path, making a name for herself through her work, which has been featured in galleries and museums around the world, such as the Museum of Cycladic Art in Greece, Louvre Museum in Paris, Hangaram Art Museum in South Korea, plus galleries in London, Monaco and New York.

Her latest output, a collection of drone images from around the Sporades are a celebration of Greek summer and the breathtaking beauty of the northwestern Aegean islands, their coastlines, towns, seaside and rocks. This homage was showcased this week as The Guardian posted her photographs on their Instagram feed in a series titled ‘A Greek island odyssey – in pictures’ offering thousands of visitors a chance to marvel at the “transient beauty of summer in the Greek islands”.

The mini-exhibition features photos of both famous Sporades staples, such as the Lalaria beach in Skiathos, and of ‘hidden’ – rather not so well-known – beauties, like the small Kyra Panagia islet, belonging to the Holy Monastery of Megisti Lavra on Mount Athos, and populated by 10 residents.

Among the islands, Skiathos, Skopelos, and Allonisos have become very fashionable, after the international success of the 2008 film Mamma Mia! while others, such as Skyros, remain relatively untouched by tourism. The latter island, the largest and most southerly in the archipelago, is prominently featured in Vernicos’ work, with breathtaking shots of its Chora and the famous Agalipa beach (and familiar wrecked caïque), which is only accessible by water or a small trekking path through the woods.