An Interview with Despina Kyriacu

Tim Parkin

Tim Parkin is a British landscape photographer, writer, and editor best known as the co-founder of On Landscape magazine, where he explores the art and practice of photographing the natural world. His work is thoughtful and carefully crafted, often focusing on subtle details and quiet moments in the landscape rather than dramatic vistas. Alongside his photography and writing, he co-founded the Natural Landscape Photography Awards, serves as a judge for other international competitions. Through all these projects, Parkin has become a respected and influential voice in contemporary landscape photography.

Flickr, Facebook, Twitter

I saw Despina's work at a gallery in London and had wanted to talk with her about her photographs for a while. This year we finally met up at Joe Cornish's gallery in Northallerton for an interview about her history and working practise.

Tim: How did you get into photography and art, as you went to art school in Hull? What inspired you to get into art when you were younger? Was it photography to begin with or not?

Despina: I used to use those Kodak instantmatic cameras that had the vertical flash bulbs. I took photos of anything in my parents garden so in a way I started from childhood and as I was always good at drawing at school, I veered towards art. Then I did a two year art foundation course - it was a design course for two years at Barnett College. I was trying to find my way in and which direction to go into and because of the way I drew they encouraged me to go into fine art.