Viewing Small-Town Pennsylvania Through the Lens of an Immigrant

By

Niko Kallianiotis, a Greek-born photographer who has lived in Scranton since 1999, has been documenting small-town Pennsylvania through his camera since 2015.

Niko Kallianiotis, a Greek-born photographer who has lived in Scranton since 1999, has been documenting small-town Pennsylvania through his camera since 2015, writes Michael Hardy for Wired magazine.

During his journey, he did not shy away from focusing his lens on the closed shops and abandoned factories that can be found in many small towns around the state. But he also documented the way life goes on in these hard-hit communities.

Coming from a small town in Greece, Kallianiotis instinctively identifies with that type of life.

“What I’ve encountered is people getting along – Latinos, African-Americans, white, black, everyone,” he said.

Kallianiotis also noticed the similarities and differences between small towns in his current home and his native country. One of the main differences he said is that small towns in Greece are still dominated by local mom-and-pop stores. In Pennsylvania, these stores are mostly gone, replaced by big box retailers like Walmart and Home Depot.

He said that wealthier Greeks keep a closer connection than their American counterparts to the parts of the country that are economically disadvantaged.

“I want my photographs to start a conversation about this area, and maybe provide an entrance into a discussion that can benefit everyone,” he said.

Read more about Niko Kallianiotis in Wired magazine by clicking here.

Tags:

Connect With Your Community

Subscribe to stay informed!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Advertisement
Creative Capital logo