How 37 Years of Mediterranean Dawn Became a Collection

My obsession with the lens began in 1972, aboard a Greek cruise ship called the SS Fiesta. I was five years old. While my memories of that voyage are faint, the stories my parents told — and the photographs they brought back — became the blueprint for my life’s work.

My father was the catalyst. His passion for Greek mythology and the art of the camera was contagious. He didn’t just show me Greece; he helped me see it through a lens. At 19, armed with his professional camera kit and a sense of wonder, I retraced those ancient paths. I didn’t know then that a week-long tour of antiquity sites would evolve into a 37-year career.

In 1991, with the support of the Prince’s Trust, I launched my first studio — Apollo Photographics. Since then, my commercial photography has taken me around the globe, working with international brands and publishing houses.

But throughout those decades of commercial work, my heart stayed anchored in the quiet corners of the Mediterranean: the sun-drenched masonry of a Rhodes alleyway, first light hitting a mountain monastery, the stillness before the tourists arrive.

Aeonian — the Greek word for eternal — is where that lifelong pursuit finally has a home.

What You’re Actually Hanging on Your Wall

I believe we live in a world that is far too loud. These images are my attempt to preserve the moments that exist before it wakes up — Byzantine chapels at 4:30am, ancient harbours in pre-dawn blue, coastal light that lasts for maybe fifteen minutes before it’s gone.

When you hang one of these prints, you’re not hanging a decoration. You’re hanging 37 years of knowing exactly where to stand, and exactly when.

Every photograph in this collection was taken by me, personally. Not stock imagery. Not AI. Not a team. Me, at pre-dawn, in locations most people never see.

My work has been published by National Geographic, TIME Magazine, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Hallmark, IBM, Clarks, and Unilever.

Today I live and work in Somerset, England, with my wife, three children, and a dog called Willow who has no interest in early mornings whatsoever.

If you have questions about any of the prints — which size works for a particular wall, which image suits a particular room — reply to any of my emails or drop me a line at [email protected]. I read every one.

— Simon

My commercial work & projects can be found at www.simonplant.co.uk