These picture are very dear to me because I shot them using the hands of my late mother, Frossoula Kremezi. It was during one of the last times she stayed with us here, in Kea.
To pit the olives you can use the appropriate tool, which has to be a really strong one, especially if you pit hard, green olives.
I prefer the following method: I place a handful of olives in a plastic bag and flatten them with a meat mallet or a pestle. Then I remove the pits that slip out easily. The olives are ready for chopping.