Dimitris Tosidis
Dimitris Tosidis, born in 1986 in Thessaloniki, Greece, is a photojournalist whose work explores the intersections of society, culture, environment, and sport. He studied at the School of Fine Arts of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and at UDK Berlin, later completing a Master’s in Risk Communication and Crisis Journalism.
Based in Metsovo, Greece, Tosidis works with agencies, international media, and NGOs, capturing humanitarian and environmental stories. His dedication combines visual storytelling with cultural preservation.
Over the course of his career, Tosidis has built an extensive portfolio of collaborations that highlight both his technical skill and his sensitivity to human stories. He has worked with the Athens News Agency, EPA, Deutsche Welle, Xinhua, and Kathimerini, producing coverage that ranges from breaking news to in-depth reportage. His assignments with the International Federation of Sport Climbing expanded his portfolio into global sports. At the same time, his work with NGOs has focused on humanitarian and environmental causes across the Balkans and Europe.
Tosidis’s reporting has consistently addressed pressing contemporary issues, including migration, the refugee crisis, and the challenges faced by vulnerable communities. His coverage of refugee movements in the Balkans, for which he received the Migration Media Award in 2017 and 2018, brought international recognition and positioned him as a leading voice on the subject. His project Diava, awarded the Athens Photo World Award in 2021, demonstrates his commitment to documenting disappearing traditions and sustainable practices. Alongside his fieldwork, he is an active educator, teaching photojournalism in both public and private institutions, where he encourages students to develop their own narratives with rigour, empathy, and ethical responsibility.
Central to Tosidis’s practice is Diava, the centuries-old seasonal migration of shepherds across the Greek mountains and plains. This transhumance has defined the cultural identity and landscapes of communities such as the Vlachs and Sarakatsani, shaping traditions and sustaining ecosystems. The practice illustrates the interdependence of human culture and nature, where routes carved by generations of shepherds form invisible cultural highways across the Balkans.
In recent years, Diava has been recognised as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. Today, only a few families continue to follow this path entirely on foot, covering more than 200 kilometres between summer and winter pastures. Tosidis’s images reveal the hardships and resilience of these journeys, capturing the endurance of both people and animals. More than a record of tradition, his work situates Diava within contemporary debates on sustainability, biodiversity, and cultural survival. By documenting this vanishing way of life, he underlines how ancient practices can inform modern responses to environmental change and land stewardship, ensuring that the memory of pastoral Greece continues to resonate within Europe’s shared heritage.
Living with his wife and son in Metsovo, Tosidis combines his professional career with community engagement. He believes photography can bridge generations, sustain memory, and foster environmental awareness.
Exhibitions
• Diava: Solo exhibition, Athens Photo World, Athens, 2022
• Anthropause: Group exhibition, Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, Thessaloniki, 2021
• Another Life: Human Flows, Unknown Odysseys: Group exhibition, Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, Thessaloniki, 2018
• Survival Paths: Group exhibition, Greek Parliament, Athens, 2016