Photographer Vagelis Poulis embarked on an epic journey from Greece to Australia, with a specific mission in mind, to photograph the Aboriginal Peoples and Uluru in the Australian outback. This was no ordinary trip, as Poulis carried heavy studio equipment, drove through the unforgiving desert and spent two weeks between solitude and making contact with Indigenous Australians.

In this candid Q&A with Neos Kosmos upon his return we explored the motivations behind his journey, the challenges he faced and the insights he gained during this incredible adventure that seems to be the beginning of new exploratory path.

NK: When did your interest in photography begin and what made you pursue it professionally?

My interest in photography began in my high school years, it was there that I first joined a photography group and was introduced to the magical world of the darkroom…it was love at first sight that led to a lifelong relationship. My relationship with photography continued unabated during my studies in Milan and London where I was always part of the photography teams at my universities.

I can’t easily define ever started my professional path, slowly I started to take on jobs and at some point what was for me a means of expression -and still is- became a profession.

NK: What are the biggest rewards and difficulties you have faced?

My greatest reward is clearly the joy I get every day from photography and the very interesting people and places I have met through my work, the camera is my passport. The difficulties are pretty much what every freelancer faces, especially in Greece… insecurity about finances and professional future.

NK: How does the situation in Greece make you feel as a photographer? Have things changed for the better?

Doing anything artistic in Greece is precarious and by many people it is considered that you just do your ‘hobby’ and you get paid for it, so it’s all good, we are also to blame for this entrenched perception, which I don’t see it changing easily.

NK: What inspires you in general and what mediums of photography do you use?

As I said, I started with analogue cameras and darkroom, I still use them. Professionally digital media is a one way street, I recently acquired my first drone.

I am inspired by landscapes and the dynamic changes of natural light…it gives me great joy to be able to capture that unique moment in time…the same goes for the people I photograph.

NK: What brought you to Australia? What places did you manage to visit?

Australia has always been a mysterious world for me, a terra incognita, a truly other planet…the great distance from Greece plays a part in this.

I have always wanted to visit Australia, so I was delighted to accept Roger Karge’s invitation when he proposed this trip/project to the Australian outback in order to explore photographically its unimaginably open horizons and get to know its people.

My base and starting point for my trip was Melbourne…we headed by road to Alice Springs via Adelaide, there, in addition to Coober Pedy and Alice Springs I visited the remote Aboriginal communities of Titjikala and Santa Teresa. I also visited the truly spectacular Uluru, Ayers Rock.

NK: How many days did you spend in the desert? If I’m not mistaken you carried almost an entire studio with you for this shoot.

In total in the desert I spent around two weeks with about 10,000 km of driving in the really for me unimaginable outback straights with dusty red dirt roads and blue skies.

Carrying gear… lights, tripods, tripods, stands etc… is always a challenge in itself, doing this in Australian outback conditions makes that challenge much greater, you have to have very carefully considered what you will need and what is unnecessary.

Approaching Aboriginal people seems difficult at first, you have to overcome cultural barriers to communication and get them to trust you…and given that none of the people I photographed had ever been photographed professionally in a studio setting before.

I had to clearly explain my goals and break the ice between us, when that happened I discovered people with a good sense of humour and a willingness to actively and happily participate in the project.

NK: What was your experience like? What moved you, what troubled you, what memories do you take with you?

I take with me the excitement of a country that is vast, this vastness really impressed me, what touched me is the people I met on this trip…in every trip, people make the difference. What concerned me is the great distance in living conditions that I encountered between the big cities and Aboriginal communities.

NK: Where are you off to next?

Next big stop is Australia again as this trip was only the first part of my project… an exploratory look. I’m looking forward to it.

For more from Vagelis www.instagram.com/vagelispoulis