OLYMPUS TFP FESTIVAL 2026 — When Photography Becomes Part of the Landscape

25–27 September 2026 · Pieria, Greece · The first OLYMPUS TFP FESTIVAL

What happens when photography leaves the studio and becomes part of the landscape?

The first OLYMPUS TFP FESTIVAL took place in Pieria, Greece, from 25–27 September 2026, bringing together photographers, models, fashion creators, styling, makeup and creative production in some of the landscapes and places that define the region.

It was the first edition — and that matters.

There were difficult locations, changing weather, long days, cold moments, unexpected interruptions, laughter, mistakes and many small details that never appear in the final photograph.

And perhaps that is what this first edition taught us most clearly:

A photography festival is not only about the photographs. It is about everything that happens before, during and after them.

How It Started

The idea was simple: to bring a photographic creative project into Pieria and allow photographers to work with professional models, fashion, styling and makeup while experiencing the landscape as part of the creative process.

Daniel Wojtunik brought the Creative Project Days – Olympus Edition to Pieria, bringing with him the creative direction, models and the fashion production team.

Olympus Media Productions undertook the organisation and production of the festival, with Giorgos Gizelis as Producer & Director.

TFP — commonly understood as Time for Prints or Time for Pictures — is built around creative collaboration between photographers, models and other professionals such as makeup artists, stylists and fashion creators.

The OLYMPUS TFP FESTIVAL takes that collaborative idea outside the studio and into the landscapes of Pieria.

The intention was never simply to organise a photo shoot.

It was to create an environment where photographers could work, experiment, learn, exchange ideas and improve their way of seeing.

There had also been an open TFP call for models for Friday and Sunday. In the first edition, however, that open call did not bring additional participation.

That became part of the learning process too.

Sometimes a smaller, more focused group can be more important than a larger number of participants.

Friday — Where the Production Begins

The first day began at Poseidon Palace, where the creative production slowly came together.

Before the cameras, there was preparation.

Styling, makeup, hairstyling, clothes and the final details of each look gradually transformed the hotel environment into a working photographic space.

Katerina Konti was responsible for styling, while Matina Karvounaraki worked on makeup and hairstyling and Eirini Tsoukala also contributed to makeup.

The looks included designs and outfits by Olga Karaververis, Celebrity Skin Strepkos and Effie Kostaki, with hats and headpieces by Katerina Karoussos and selected jewellery by AM by Agapi.

The models were an important part of the creative production, with Karolina Kloss, Athena and Marina Georgiadi.

Athena and Marina Georgiadi were represented by Top Class International Model Agency.

One of the models at the centre of the production was Karolina Kloss.

Karolina Kloss had appeared on GNTM 2026 just three days before the festival began. Her audition was broadcast on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, during the second night of auditions, where she received five “Yes” votes from the judging panel and advanced to Bootcamp. She also studies at the Gymnastics Academy in Athens while working in modelling, and her physical flexibility was part of what she demonstrated during the audition.

But what stood out to me during the actual photography sessions was not simply her modelling experience.

She was cheerful, alert and dynamic on set.

She moved very easily from one pose to another and often needed only a small amount of direction.

We had photographers with different levels of experience, and Karolina could respond comfortably to a wide range of directions — including the kind of simple instructions a beginner photographer might give while learning how to work with a model.

That made a real difference.

Instead of the photographer having to spend all his attention explaining every movement, Karolina could understand the intention quickly and give something back to the camera.

That created more room for the photographer to concentrate on composition, light and the image itself.

After her GNTM audition was broadcast on television, Karolina was in Pieria working on a real fashion photography production — surrounded by photographers, styling, makeup and the landscapes of Olympus.

Saturday — Weather Changes the Plan

Saturday morning began with light rain around Olympus.

The waterfalls were there, but the weather did not immediately allow us to go.

As photographers, however, we are used to adapting.

So instead of simply waiting, the group used the morning for a Photoshop Masterclass, working with images from the photography sessions at the hotel the previous day.

At the same time, we waited for the weather to open — or at least for the rain to stop enough for us to move towards the waterfalls.

And eventually, it did.

The programme changed, the equipment was loaded and we went.

That was another lesson of the first edition: a creative production needs a plan, but it also needs people who know how to adapt when the plan meets reality.

When we arrived, everyone seemed to pause for a moment.

The beauty of the location was overwhelming.

The waterfalls, the rocks, the water, the forest and the Olympus landscape created photographs that were genuinely beautiful.

But the same location that produced those images was difficult for everyone.

Photographers carried equipment over uneven ground. Dresses and shoes had to move through terrain that was not designed for fashion photography. The models had their makeup and hair already carefully prepared, with styling by Katerina Konti and makeup and hairstyling by Matina Karvounaraki and makeup by Eirini Tsoukala.

Nothing about the location was easy.

And yet everyone continued.

Karolina made the difficult environment look much easier than it actually was.

She continued moving between poses with very little direction, giving photographers plenty of options to work with.

The two models from Top Class International Model Agency also showed something that was equally important: persistence.

They were dealing with the same difficult terrain, the same weather and the same production demands, and they kept trying to make the best of every moment.

That attitude mattered.

There were moments when one person helped another, someone carried something, someone fixed a dress, someone protected equipment or simply gave another person a hand.

At moments, the whole production felt almost like a Formula 1 pit crew.

Everyone had a role.

Everyone had to react quickly.

And everyone had to help.

Looking at the final images, it is easy to see only the beauty.

Being there made it clear how much work was hidden behind each frame.

From the Waterfalls to Kourtis Estate

After the waterfalls, the group continued to Kourtis Estate.

The vineyards offered a completely different environment.

Among the vines, the old railway wagon and the railway tracks inside the estate became part of the visual story.

It was a cold day.

During the short moments when one model was not in front of the camera, the others wrapped themselves in a small blanket while waiting for their turn.

We were wearing hoodies and jackets and still felt the cold.

Looking back, this was one of the small organisational details we should have anticipated better.

It is exactly the kind of thing we want to improve in the next edition.

We are people who like to improve, evolve and learn from what actually happens on the ground.

Saturday was also the night of the full moon.

It was not completely visible. Clouds covered part of it, creating an atmosphere that was beautiful but never quite predictable.

As the sun disappeared behind the Pieria Mountains and the last daylight faded from the vineyards, we moved towards the Kourtis Winery cellar.

The atmosphere changed completely.

The warm colours, wine bottles, wooden barrels and cellar environment created a different visual language from the vineyards outside.

After the photography, Christos, a colleague of Apostolis Kourtis, guided us upstairs.

There, we tasted wines from Kourtis and local savoury pies, giving the group a chance to slow down after the long day and share the experience together.

Sunday — Karolina, Olympus and the Lyre

Sunday brought a different atmosphere.

The weather had opened completely, and we returned to the waterfalls.

This time we wanted to create images with different outfits, styling and makeup — and with sunlight.

The waterfall session took place again with Karolina Kloss.

The location already had a strong visual identity.

Then an ancient Greek lyre appeared in the scene.

The instrument was handmade by Christos Kyparissas, a local chef and amateur photographer.

The connection felt almost inevitable in a landscape associated with Olympus.

The lyre carries echoes of Apollon, the god of music and light, of Orpheus and his legendary music, and of the Nine Muses who have been associated with poetry, music and the arts since antiquity.

It was another reminder that a photograph can connect a place not only with its scenery, but also with its cultural memory.

Forelia — From Photography to the Table

From the waterfalls, we continued to Forelia.

The pace changed again.

There was photography in the olive grove, including the swing inside the estate, but there was also time to experience the place itself.

We tasted three different qualities of olive oil.

Kostas Kapsalis, one of the two owners of Forelia and part of the 2Roots team, explained details about the fruit, the oil and the differences we were tasting.

While Kostas was explaining the olive oil experience, Giorgos Kosmas, the other owner and partner, was preparing the food.

The table included local Feta cheese, tomatoes from their garden, eggplant salad, peppers, black pork sausages from Fotiadis Farm in Exochi, Pieria, filled with graviera cheese, traditional pork chops from Vria, Pieria, and red wine from Kourtis.

There were also black and green olives, homemade hummus garnished with capers, and small, lightly crisp rusks topped with black and green olive tapenade, adding more simple local flavours to the table.

The pork from Vria has appeared before in an Experience Pieria story about the flavours of Pieria, and it was interesting to encounter that local tradition again in a completely different setting.

It was not simply a meal at the end of a photo shoot.

It became part of the experience.

And that distinction matters.

Testimonials, Laughter & a Full Memory Card

The testimonials were actually already underway.

Everyone had had their turn, and eventually it was time for Daniel and me to sit together and share our impressions of the first OLYMPUS TFP FESTIVAL.

We sat down in front of the camera.

We tried to start.

And then we were interrupted.

We laughed.

We tried again.

Another interruption.

More laughter.

Again.

And again.

Until, in the end, we never actually managed to say what we had originally planned to say.

At one point, you can hear makeup artist Eirini Tsoukala speaking to us from outside the camera frame:

“I had a great time. You have to tell me about the next one so I can come…”

Daniel immediately answered:

“Yes. That’s the point — to do the next one.”

And I followed:

“Then we are waiting for all of you at the next TFP Festival Olym—”

And that was it.

MEMORY CARD FULL.

The recording stopped exactly in the middle of the sentence.

For the video, I kept the moment.

Instead of hiding the interruption, I added a “MEMORY CARD FULL” card with a deliberately funny spring-like sound effect that breaks apart with the cut.

It became one of those completely unplanned moments that says more about the atmosphere of the festival than a perfectly prepared testimonial ever could.

So rather than explaining it here, watch the video and you will understand.

In a way, that unfinished sentence became the perfect ending to the first edition.

Because the important part was never to pretend that everything was perfectly controlled.

It was to experience it, learn from it, laugh about it and then decide to do it again.

And Then Came Goodbye

After the BBQ on Sunday, the time finally came to leave.

By then, three days somehow felt like many more.

We had worked together, adapted to weather and locations, solved problems, laughed, learned and created images together.

The group that had arrived on Friday morning did not feel like the same group leaving on Sunday.

When it was finally time to leave, I felt the sadness of saying goodbye.

As we walked towards the cars, I found myself sharing that feeling with everyone around me.

It was not simply the end of an event.

It was the end of three intense days shared with people who had worked together, helped each other and created something together.

That feeling stayed with me.

A Small Group, a Big Experience

The first edition did not have a large number of participants.

And looking back, that may have been one of the things that helped us most.

There were photographers from Litochoro, Athens and Crete, while the models and creative team came from Athens and Thessaloniki.

The participation was small, but it was our first edition — and we learned a lot.

Everyone had more space to work, to communicate and to pay attention to what was happening around them.

Three days somehow felt much longer.

There was work, humour, mistakes, cold weather, changing plans, difficult locations, unexpected moments and plenty of laughter.

Most importantly, everyone was there to improve.

To learn something new.

To see differently.

To improve their skills.

And to develop their own art.

That is what made the group of 12 people so interesting.

At one point, I thought of them almost as the 12 Gods of the Image.

Not because everyone had the same experience or saw photography in the same way.

Quite the opposite.

Each person brought a different way of seeing, working and interpreting the same landscape.

Together, those different perspectives created something that none of us could have created alone.

What We Learned

A first edition is also an opportunity to discover what needs to change.

We learned that weather can completely alter a programme.

We learned that beautiful waterfalls can also be physically demanding production locations.

We learned that cold weather at the waterfalls and at an outdoor estate needs to be anticipated better.

We learned that an open call does not automatically mean participation.

We learned that a programme sometimes needs to change completely — and that the best response is not frustration, but adaptation.

That is why Saturday morning became a Photoshop Masterclass instead of the planned outdoor session at the chestnut forests.

We could not make it to the chestnut forests that day, but when the weather finally opened in the early afternoon, we headed to the waterfalls.

By around 14:00, we were there, ready to continue the photography outdoors.

We also learned something about the kind of people this festival needs.

This is not a photographic experience for someone who simply wants to arrive, take a few easy photographs and leave.

The locations can be demanding.

The weather can change.

The days can be long.

There are moments when you are cold, tired or carrying equipment through difficult terrain.

Anyone who wants to follow this kind of creative experience should genuinely want to learn, improve and evolve.

Creativity matters.

Professionalism matters.

But so do positive energy, humour, laughter and the willingness to help the person next to you.

And we learned that the next edition may benefit from a smaller and more focused group, with more time for each participant and more space for creative interaction.

Nothing is being rushed.

The first edition gave us experience.

The next one can build on it.

More Than Photographs

The photographs are important.

They are, after all, what remains visible from the creative work.

But personally, I came away from these three days feeling richer in emotions than I expected.

We created wonderful images.

But the environments where those images were created were not necessarily for everyone.

The waterfalls, the terrain, the weather and the long working days demanded something from everyone involved.

That is why I believe future participants should genuinely want to learn and evolve if they want to follow this new event of ours.

They should come with curiosity.

With creativity.

With professionalism.

With positive energy.

And with enough humour to laugh when things do not go exactly according to plan.

Because they will not always go according to plan.

And perhaps that is part of the point.

Photography is an individual art form, but a production like this is collective.

The final photograph may have one photographer’s name attached to it, but behind it there may be a model, stylist, makeup artist, creative director, assistant, location partner and many small acts of cooperation that made the image possible.

Daniel and the Creative Direction

Working alongside Daniel during these three days also gave me a clearer understanding of why the creative direction mattered so much.

Daniel knows his field extremely well.

What stood out to me was the attention he gave not only to the image, but also to the people creating it.

He was watching the details, the models, the photographers, the styling, the environment and the way the production was moving.

That kind of attention is particularly important in a project where photographers have different levels of experience.

The goal is not simply to produce a beautiful image for someone who already knows exactly what they are doing.

The goal is to create an environment where people can work, ask questions, experiment and improve.

That was one of the most valuable parts of the first edition for me.

Photography as a Way to Experience a Destination

There is also something else we wanted to explore through the festival:

photography as a way to experience and communicate a destination.

Not simply photographing a beautiful place.

But allowing the people, landscape, food, culture and atmosphere of a destination to become part of the visual story.

The waterfalls were not just a background.

The vineyards were not just a location.

The winery was not simply an interior.

The olive grove was not simply a place to take photographs.

Each environment contributed something to the experience.

That is why the OLYMPUS TFP FESTIVAL was conceived more as a creative trip than as a conventional photography workshop.

The Beginning of Something New

The first OLYMPUS TFP FESTIVAL was a beginning.

It was not supposed to be perfect.

It was our first attempt to bring a creative photographic experience into the landscapes, culture and hospitality of Pieria.

And perhaps the most important thing we discovered is that there is space for people with genuine, sometimes slightly crazy, passion for photography and creativity.

It takes a certain kind of person to want to photograph in a waterfall, carry equipment through difficult terrain, work around changing weather, wait for the light, help another person and still laugh when something goes wrong.

That is the kind of energy we want around this festival.

The first edition gave us that experience.

It also gave us a remarkable group.

We adapted the programme.

We did the best we could with the conditions we had.

And everyone worked to make the three days count.

The next OLYMPUS TFP FESTIVAL is planned for May 2027.

The experience of the first edition gives us a clearer idea of where to take it next: a more focused format, more practical interaction and an even stronger connection between photography and Olympus — between creative work and the destination itself.

We are not in a hurry.

The first edition gave us the experience.

Now we know more about where we want to go.

Watch the Experience

Watch the experience:
the people, places, photographs and behind-the-scenes moments that shaped the first OLYMPUS TFP FESTIVAL in Pieria.

Behind the Scenes — and the Final Photographs

The photographs throughout this story are intentionally focused on the experience behind the production.

Most of the images I captured were behind-the-scenes moments — the people, preparation, locations, atmosphere and small details that are usually invisible in a finished fashion photograph.

That is also how I wanted to tell the story of the festival for the Experience Pieria audience.

The aim was not to replace the photographers’ finished work.

It was to show what happened around it.

The preparation.

The movement.

The waiting.

The difficult locations.

The laughter.

The small problems.

The people behind the final frame.

If you want to see the finished fashion photographs, the final looks and the full creative work of the photographers and models, I encourage you to follow the creators themselves.

Their work shows another side of the same three days — the photographs that came out of everything you have just read about.

The full creative team and their links are listed below.

Creative Team & Credits

• Creative Direction:
  Daniel Wojtunik
• Organisation & Production:
  Olympus Media Productions
• Producer & Director:
  Giorgos Gizelis
• Creative Project:
  Creative Project Days – Olympus Edition
• Models:
  Karolina Kloss,
  Athena,
  Marina Georgiadi
• Model Agency:
  Top Class International Model Agency
• Styling:
  Katerina Konti
• Makeup & Hairstyling:
  Matina Karvounaraki
• Makeup:
  Eirini Tsoukala
• Designer / Outfit:
  Olga Karaververis
• Designer / Outfit:
  Celebrity Skin Strepkos
• Designer / Outfit:
  Effie Kostaki
• Hats / Headpieces:
  Katerina Karoussos
• Jewellery:
  AM by Agapi
• Location Partner:
  Kourtis Winery
• Location & Olive Oil Experience Partner:
  Forelia Olive
• Product Partner:
  Fotiadis Farm — Black Pig of Olympus
• Hospitality Partner:
  Poseidon Palace
• Communication Sponsor:
  Experience Pieria

Giorgos Gizelis
Travel Writer & Founder of Experience Pieria

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