August, the month of repose and languid days spent along the coast, is one well worth enjoying. And these creatives commemorate just that.
I have always admired the European approach to taking the whole month of August off to slow down under the sun-torched heat. Although I can imagine that living here could feel like a nightmare should you want or need anything done, how wonderful to all be on the same page about the importance of relaxation and holidays, and all the family-focussed time and al fresco dining that comes with it.
Here is a gathering of creatives – spanning photographers, designers, writers, and founders – who tribute the slowness of August in Southern Europe for a little desk-side escapism, bringing you a sliver of Southern European summer joy, whichever side of the screen you find yourself on. Find a selection of visual diaries that feel straight out of a Slim Aarons photograph – we can hear the popping of wine corks and whistling cicadas from here.
Lucy Laucht
Cornish-based writer and photographer Lucy Laucht is the author of the visually striking photobook Il Dolce Far Niente. You only need to read its Italian title and enjoy the colourful shot of sunbathers on the cover to understand the kind of sweet, slow life Lucy has commemorated via her lens. Lucy’s work is characterised by her elegant use of natural light and fine-tuned creative eye for the invaluable moments that would otherwise pass us by.
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Sam Youkilis
Sam Youkilis was one of the first accounts to really profit from posting video content, just as Instagram switched from being an exclusively static-form platform. Curating the most visually striking photojournalism from his travels across the world – recently spanning everywhere from Peru to New York, Thailand, and Lisbon – Sam Youkilis curates vignettes of the hustle and bustle of local life and its people via carousels of creative, unedited, iPhone-shot videos. Based in Tuscany, it’s the content of the filmmaker’s current home country, Italy, that really took off. His portraits of Southern Europe – specifically Italian locals who have lived along the coastline their entire lives – capture the essence of August’s simplest but richest pleasures.
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Youkilis is also the author of Somewhere, which documents the highlights from five years (2017 to 2022) of his work, and currently has an exhibition on show in Puglia at Castello di Carlo as part of PhEST, and also exhibited at C/O Berlin earlier this year.
Cecilia Renard
From the looks of her photographs, this Menorca-based photographer knows the island like the back of her hand. Each shot frames another quiet moment, from freshly cut flowers in a vase and a dressed table awaiting its guests, to pebbly beaches quiet during Menorca’s off season. Cecilia’s work is described as “an intimate diary” and spans personal projects to shots for Zara Home.
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Silvia Noviello
For a taste of Europe’s luxurious side, a glimmer into the glamorous rivieras Southern Europe garnered its cinematic reputation for, delve into Silvia Noviello’s page. Silvi films cinematic videos of weddings and travel destinations across Europe, like Amalfi Coast balconies that look straight over the Mediterranean Sea and luxury Lake Como abodes. Each post serves as great travel inspiration too; it’s never too early to start dreaming of your next trip.
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Italy Segreta
This publication is the essence of Il Dolce Far Niente, especially in August. Italy Segreta was founded by Marina and Cesare Cacciapuoti a passion project, sharing their love for Italian culture – very apt considering passion seeps into every story and visual the editorial platform curates, captures, and posts. It’s perhaps hard to argue with the fact that Italians do it best when it comes to good wine, freshly kneaded pasta, and turning a day by the sea into a full-thrown family affair, and Italy Segreta is a good spot from which to spectate.
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Crème La Mare
Fishing ports in Greece packed with restaurants serving fresh sardines, Turkish beach days, fresh tomatoes, and lovers in Naples: it’s all documented by Crème La Mare, the Instagram account and author of many city and town travel guides that focus on living local and enjoying the inherent and characterful pleasures of a new place.
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Valentina Barabuffi
Valentina Barabuffi is a photographer and co-founder of production studio Somewhere. Her work conjures up cinematic scapes of luxury life along the sunny, southern coasts, from freshly brewed coffee against blue horizons to peaceful rooms at boutique boltholes and breakfast spreads at expansive palazzos. Colourful in all senses of the word.
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La Via Mediterranean
Achilleas Petris is the creative eye behind the LVM – The Mediterranean Way Instagram account, capturing how the Mediterranean leads the way when it comes to creating a life worth living for ourselves; a life where we take the time to unwind everyday and cherish good food and small moments with loved ones. Achilles quotes Albert Camus to summarise his work: “It takes time to live. Like any work of art, life needs to be thought about.”
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Lead image credit: Dining Al Fresco on Capri by Slim Aarons. Credit to Enter Gallery and Getty Images.
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