Constantine was born and raised in Athens Greece. At the age of 19 he moved to London to study. He completed his studies with a Master’s Degree in Design at Glasgow School of Art. He became a British National soon after and following a short time working in the US settled in London. His career in Design spanned 3 decades with a final flourish in the commercial world, in Mumbai India, at the very time of the county’s toil into its economic and cultural awakening. It is here, where this chapter of his creative endeavours began.

So what’s the story Constie?

I held a camera for as long back as I can remember. Like many of us, who grew up in the 70s it was a Kodak Instamatic100. To the annoyance of my teachers, I carried it in classes and the schoolyard. The arrival of Nikon FM in the 80s was a pivotal moment for me, as it coincided with access to good darkroom facilities at college. My love for photography was cemented during that time.

Most of my early photography was shy of strangers. I photographed buildings, objects and people in familiar environments. My design work was always hungry for visual stimulation, reference material, image manipulation and the need to present work in interesting and concise manner. Photography became another tool of my trade and although always enjoyable, the outcomes often sterile. With access to darkrooms less feasible and the need to shoot in slide film more important, the day job was always in the way.

Then in 2000 the Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro was born and clicking without worries about frame count was now possible without the need to sell the house for the early D monsters professionals where using. This coincided with a trip to NY For the first time I was keen to shoot from the hip. Garry Winogrand, Bruce Gilden, Daido Moriyama where my early influences and over the years I learned to get close to the people I am clicking.

India eventually became the place where my love for photography met my love for the country. People photography is about making choices. In fractions of time. Each fraction of choice I make, therein lies a beautiful India, an India that is not the Taj. I lived and worked in Bombay India for 3 years. During that time, I fell in love with the people, their customs and the country.

All this however is not the India that makes India what it is today. It is in the melting pot of century old traditions and beliefs, squaring up to the aspirations of an emerging middle class. Much of this plays out in the streets of the cities, the towns and the markets.

That story is told here. Not the Taj.