What thirty students taught me about presence, light, and trusting the image before it makes sense.
There’s something quietly powerful about watching someone discover movement, not just in their body, but in how they see the world. At Photoglobe, the photography school I’ve been running since 2013 here in Thessaloniki, I’ve watched this unfold again and again: someone adjusting their camera for the first time, unsure of what they’re doing, and then, suddenly, they lean in, follow a shadow, let go of control, and begin to see differently. That shift is where everything begins.
This June, we’re celebrating that shift, captured through thirty different lenses, in a group exhibition called Attempts of Motion (Απόπειρες Κίνησης). It opens June 14 at Tabya Art Space and runs for ten days. Each photograph is the result of someone trying something new. Not necessarily something technical, but something internal, trusting their instincts, embracing uncertainty, letting movement speak without always needing to explain it.
Motion is a theme that invites contradiction. Some students approached it with clarity: a cyclist gliding past the Thessaloniki waterfront, a figure mid-spin, a streak of light etched across a dark frame. Others found their way in more quietly: someone walking away, a shadow that lingers, a blurred expression that leaves just enough unsaid. What ties these works together isn’t a style or subject. It’s the willingness to stay present, to respond to the world as it shifts.
Photograph by Kelly Patsika – “Promenade” | Thessaloniki waterfront, slow shutter speed
There’s one image I feel especially connected to, not just because of what it shows, but because I’m in it. One of our students, Rania Petrou, was experimenting with motion blur and long exposure. She needed a subject, so I offered. I remember spinning gently, feeling a little unsure, a little exposed. The result stunned me. The camera didn’t freeze me; it transformed me. It reminded me why I teach.
That spirit of shared experimentation is the heart of Photoglobe. We don’t teach people to replicate an aesthetic. We teach them to pay attention. Some arrive with years of experience. Others bring only their phone and a sense of curiosity. All of them are welcome. And all of them leave having found a new way to look.
Photograph by Thanos Dogranlis – “Ignition” | Long exposure, steel wool fire spin
Since opening our doors in 2013, we’ve welcomed more than a thousand participants from Thessaloniki, Athens, France, Germany, the United States, and beyond. Our students vary in age, background, and experience, but they share a common drive: to create something meaningful, even if they’re not yet sure how. Over the years, we’ve curated exhibitions around themes like Memory, Diversity, and Woman. Attempts of Motion must be our twenty-third group show. And in many ways, it feels like our most vital yet.
There’s something deeply moving about seeing all these works together. They don’t shout. They don’t demand attention. But they invite it. And if you linger, they begin to unfold, one detail at a time.
Photograph by Myrto Perifanou – “Rooftop” | Blurred moment between two figures, handheld camera
If you’re in Thessaloniki, I hope you’ll visit Tabya. Walk slowly. Let your eyes wander. Nothing in this show asks to be understood right away. It only asks that you meet it where it moves.
Sometimes the most meaningful motion isn’t dramatic. It’s quiet. It’s honest. It’s someone picking up a camera and, for the first time, trusting what they see.
Attempts of Motion
June 14–24, 2025
Tabya Art Space, Konstantinou Melenikou 14, Thessaloniki
Opening Night: June 14 at 19:00
Free Admission
photoglobe.gr
Vasiliki Eleftheriou is the founder and director of Photoglobe, an independent photography school in Thessaloniki, Greece. She teaches portrait and creative photography and is committed to supporting new voices through inclusive, experiential learning.