19/10 - празникът на Свети Иван Рилски

Днес почитаме Свети Иван Рилски - единственият светец, за когото всички са единодушни, че е българин. 

На снимката - вторият етаж на Рилския манастир.

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Историята зад кадър:

Била съм на това място страшно много пъти (вече доста отдавна не ги броя). В повечето случаи на тази дата грее ясно слънце и е пълно с народ. Не и този път :) Валеше дъжд (и беше около 8 градуса по Целзий) и затова почти нямаше хора, иначе на този ден манастирът е претъпкан с хора от къде ли не - включително гърци, руснаци и какви ли не други (при това поклонници, не просто туристи на екскурзия). Като бонус, на този ден беше пълно с монаси и монахини от различни държави, дошли при своите колеги специално за празника.

За мястото:

Рилският манастир е най-големият на Балканския полуостров. Основан е от Св. Иван Рилски някъде в края на 10ти век (поне така се твърди) и днес в него се съхраняват мощите на светеца. Това е много, ама МНОГО популярен туристически обект, част от списъка със световното културно наследство на ЮНЕСКО. В самия манастир може да се преспи, но нямам представа нито какви са условията, нито какви са цените. 

Ако ходите, непременно посетете църквата, разбира се в подходящо облекло (без къси гащи или потници). Вътре в самата църква снимането е АБСОЛЮТНО забранено. 

Фотосъвет:

Най-хубавите снимки стават от втория или третия етаж на манастира (ако успеете да се промъкнете). Възможно е да ви трябва широкоъгълен обектив, защото мястото трудно се обхваща с един кадър. 

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Rila Monastery, at the day of st. Ivan Rila

Or what happens if you get on the third floor of the monastery (because someone forgot to put the restraining rope).

The story behind the shot:

I've visited this place many times. In most cases, on this day there is a lot of sunshine and crowds. Not this time, though :) it was raining (and it was about 8 degrees Celsius) and that's why there were almost no people, otherwise on this day the monastery is crowded with people from everywhere - including Greeks, Russians and many others (pilgrims, mind you, not just tourists on a vacation). As a bonus, this day was full of monks and nuns from different countries who came to visit their colleagues for the holiday.

About the place:

Rila Monastery is the largest monastery on the Balkan Peninsula. It was founded by Sveti Ivan Rilski (Saint John of Rila) somewhere at the end of the 10th century ( or so the legend goes) and today the relics of the saint are kept inside. This is a very, very popular tourist site, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List. You can sleep in the monastery, but I have no idea what the conditions are or what prices are.

If you go, do visit the church, of course in proper attire (no shorts or tops). Inside the church itself, photography or filming is absolutely FORBIDDEN.

Photoadvice:

The best photos can be taken from the second or third floor of the monastery (if you can sneak in since access is denied to visitors, actually). You may need a wide-angle lens because the place is hard to cover with one shot.

Честит 24-ти май!

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Честит 24-ти май! 

Кирилицата е едно от нещата, с които България трябва да се гордее. Винаги натъртвам, че е измислена в България и оттук, заедно с църковните книги, обикаля славянския свят. 

На всички, с отношение към образованието, културата и езика, честит празник! 

На снимката - старото школо, Трявна.

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Today Bulgaria celebrates the day of the Cyrillic alphabet and Slavic culture. 

The picture: the "old school" in Tryavna, Bulgaria.

More interesting facts:

The Cyrillic alphabet was invented in 9th century Bulgaria. It is originally created in Bulgaria (no matter what your dictionary says). I need to say it twice because I've heard all kinds of nonsense. 

Cyril and Methodius invented the Glagolitic alphabet. It was not meant for Bulgaria but for Great Moravia in Central Europe. The Cyrillic alphabet was created by St. Clement of Ohrid and he named it after his favorite mentor, Apostle Cyril. It is much easier to write :)

Constantine-Cyril the Philosopher as was the whole name of Apostle Cyril was a respected teacher at the Magnaura school (a.k.a. the most prestigeous university in this part of the Medieval world) in Constantinople before he started creating the Glagolitic alphabet.

Cyril and Methodius were declared patron saints of Europe in 1980.

So, we can say that this day is the time when we commemorate not only the people who created the alphabet but also culture, literature and anyone involved in it :)

Интервю с мен за БНР

Казват, че животът е низ от случайности. Аз срещнах своята, когато бях на двайсет и вече снимах от три години. Не съм я търсила, просто случайността сама ме намери. Просто реших да се регистрирам в сайт за #фотография и да намеря други себеподобни. Едно от първите неща, които публикувах в този сайт, беше молба за съвет и обяснение към един кадър.

Обаче вместо обяснение, там срещнах Идиот (има си име, човекът, но интерес на GDPR-a ще скрием самоличността на този човек под псевдоним). Та, Идиот ми заяви, че съм „тъпа фуста и трябва да бъркам манджи на печката, а понеже нямам нито подходяща техника, нито умения за редактиране на снимки, нито знам кое как се композира, просто да оставя фотографията за големите момчета“. Не беше от най-окуражаващите неща, които искаш да чуеш ако търсиш помощ и съвет, особено ако тъкмо си повярвал, че снимките, които правиш, може би заслужават да видят бял свят извън картата памет на апарата ти.

След тоя случай направих онова, което всяка уважаваща себе си жена прави, когато я нервират - ревнах с глас и прекарах три дни потънала в самосъжаление и станиоли от шоколад. А после реших, че ще докажа на Идиот, че много сериозно е сбъркал адреса.

Останалата част от интервюто, на линка по-долу :)

https://bnr.bg/post/101511938/bistra-stoimenova-stanah-fotograf-zashtoto-mi-kazaha-che-ne-me-biva

Изложба "Стари български столици и средновековни крепости"

 

По случай годишнината от създаването на Българската държава, Асоциацията на професионалните фотографи съвместно с Българския културен институт – Москва, събраха в колективна изложба кадри на професионални фотографи Йордан Йорданов, Бистра Стоименова, Иван Василев, Лилия Йотова и Димитър Калиновски.

Специални благодарности на Лили за организацията и на Димитър, защото направи самото клипче.

За непрочелите предишния ми пост, тук имам включени цели 19 кадъра и писах текста :)

Единици са държавите в света, които могат да се похвалят с повече от хиляда години история. Още по-малко са тези, които носят едно и също име от основаването си до наши дни.

България е една от тях, което я прави една от най-старите държави в Европа и света.

През 2021 г. се навършват 1340 години от създаването на българската държава.

Добре дошли в страна с красива природа, богата култура и още по-богата история, познала времената на богове и герои, нашествия и войни, победи и загуби, но запазила историята и наследството си. България е страна, където всеки квадратен сантиметър е пропит с история, а всеки исторически обект – напоен с легенди. Историческият разказ се превърнал в предание, а преданието се превърнало в легенда.

Тази изложба има за цел да ви покаже историята отвъд легендата. Приятно гледане!

19 мои кадъра в изложбата СТАРИ БЪЛГАРСКИ СТОЛИЦИ И СРЕДНОВЕКОВНИ КРЕПОСТИ

 

Още една изложба с мои кадри в нея ще може да бъде видяна тези дни. При това напълно безплатно, защото е онлайн. Поне за нас, българите :)

Този път фокусът е нещо, което ми е слабост - културните обекти. Който ме познава в реалния живот, е наясно, че дрънкам като латерна за исторически факти и събития. В тази изложба, заедно с колегите Йордан Йорданов, Иван Василев, Лилия Йотова и Димитър Калиновски от Асоциацията на професионалните фотографи, сме събрали красиви кадри на известни и красиви български крепости, както и снимки на всички стари български столици или онова, което е останало от тях. Кадрите бяха събрани в клипче, заедно с малко текст към всяко едно място.

Това клипче ще бъде част от електронната изложба, създадена с партньорството на Българския културен институт – Москва, със заглавие СТАРИ БЪЛГАРСКИ СТОЛИЦИ И СРЕДНОВЕКОВНИ КРЕПОСТИ, която е посветена на годишнината от създаването на българската държава. Годишнината е свързана с датата 09 август 681 г., когато по време на VI Вселенски събор в Константинопол, за първи път е споменато името на държавата България. Ако сте гледали филма "Хан Аспарух", мисля че една от първите сцени в първата част показва точно това. Дори са цитирали дословно историческите извори (о, чудо!) :)

В тази изложба успях да се проявя, защото имам включени не един и два кадъра, а цели 19. С кадъра от статията долу, стават 20. Текстът във видеото, както и в статията долу също е мой, така че и като културолог-писател ме има :) Клипчето ще бъде публикувано в YouTube в понеделник, 09 август и тогава ще споделя както руската, така и българската версия. Руският превод е направен с помощта на хората от БКИ. Същото клипче ще бъде прожектирано в културния ни институт в Москва като част съвместната програма на БКИ и Националното туристическо представителство "Научете повече за България". Не знам за вас, обаче аз съм горда, че мои кадри (някои заснети като част от Culture Crossroads, а други доста по-стари посещения на въпросните исторически места), ще представят българската история :)

А докато излезе клипчето, прочетете увода към изложбата ни в статията по-долу :)

https://bci-russia.ru/news/908/?lang=BG&fbclid=IwAR3cDnqLjRBI0o8Rl1UMxsYRvo3_R8g6PCnDzsms084Uy5CgfKB81CAxvF8

Весел петък!

Associate RPS distinction gained

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Днес искам да ви разкажа една история - за това, че когато обичаш да правиш нещо, ще получиш възнаграждение. История за това, че трябва да следваш знаците. 

Всичко започна с едно момиче, което имаше два свободни часа в претъпкания си университетски график, една реклама и едно случайно цъкане. Така, на майтап, попаднах на реклама за обучение във Falmouth University и реши да напише "фотография" в полето за търсене. Кой да знае, че това е най-престижният университет за фотография във Великобритания? Място, където не приемат току-така и хората чакат да имат 20 години стаж в бранша, преди дори да се опитат, ако нямат завършена бакалавърска степен по фотография. 

Обаче мен ме харесаха - заради качеството на кадрите ми - и буквално ме убеждаваха да се запиша, въпреки моите постоянни обяснения, че нямам пари да платя таксата. Нямах бакалавърска степен по фотография и не бях учила фотография изобщо допреди това. Обаче те ме приеха, заради добрите кадри, при това директно за магистратура. Дори се сдобих със стипендия. 

Две години по-късно станах член на Кралското фотографско дружество на Великобритания, най-престижното обединение на фотографи там, с повече от 150 години история. Тогава бях единствената българка там. Все още е така. 

В понеделник най-накрая получих и сертификата, според който Кралското фотографско дружество ми дава титлата Associate RPS - втората по значимост от общо три. За да я получиш, се минава през изпит, който не е шега работа :) 

В момента съм единственият фотограф в България, който има едновременно титла и сертификация и от Европейската федерация на фотографите, и от Кралското фотографско дружество на Великобритания. И всичко това, само на 29 :) 

А всичко започна с едно седемнайсетгодишно момиче, един компактен апарат и много желание - да докаже, че може и я бива. Желание да разказва истории в кадрите и да показва на останалите други светове. 

Така че, обичате ли да правите нещо, не се отказвайте за нищо на света. Понякога човек просто трябва да следва знаците и те ще го отведат там, където трябва да бъде.

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Today I want to tell you a story – one about how when you love doing something, you are bound to be rewarded for your efforts. A story about how you should follow the signs. 

It all started with a girl who had two idle hours amidst her densely packed university schedule, an ad and a random click. This is how, by chance I came across an ad about education at Falmouth University and decided to write ‘photography’ in the search field. Who would then know that this is in fact the most prestigious university for photography in the whole of UK? A place where they don’t simply accept anyone who applies, but there are people waiting to get 20 years of experience in the field before even trying to apply if they lack the BA in photography.

But they took me – because of the quality of my images – and literally needed to convince me to enrol, because I kept telling them I don’t have the money to pay the tuition fees. I didn’t have a BA in photography and had never studied photography anywhere. But they wanted me in, because of the good quality images, and I enrolled for a MA directly. I even got a scholarship in the process. 

Two years later, I became a member of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, the most prestigious association for photographers in the UK, an institution with over 150 years of history. Then I was the only Bulgarian there. It is still the case. 

On Monday, at last, I received the distinction certificate with which the RPS awards me the title of Associate RPS – the second highest rank out of three. To get this, you undergo a rigorous exam :) 

At the moment, I am the only photographer in Bulgaria who has distinctions by both the European Federation of photographers (FEP) and the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain. And all that, at just 29. 

And it all started with a 17-year-old girl, a compact camera and the drive to prove she is good. The desire to tell stories through her images and to show new worlds to other people. 

So, if you love doing something, never ever give up! Sometimes you just need to follow the signs and they will lead you where you have to be.

European Photographer certification gained!

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Обичам да казвам, че станах фотограф, защото ми казаха, че не ставам и не мога. Че съм "тъпа фуста" и да оставя снимането на големите момчета. Тогава бях на 19 и тъкмо се бях регистрирала в първия си фото сайт и питах за съвети (историята я има в едно от видеата ми за митовете във фотографията). Тогава бях на 19 и първо си поревах малко, а после се амбицирах и реших да докажа на ония "разбирачи", че мога. 

10 години по-късно, смея да твърдя, че съм дипломиран магистър-фотограф (Master of Arts, Falmouth University UK), член на няколко професионални организации (между които и Кралското фотографско дружество на Великобритания), а от четвъртък вечерта (когато излязоха резултатите) - вече съм сертифициран European Photographer към FEP (Европейската федерация на фотографите):

https://www.europeanphotographers.eu/qualification-results/?compo_id=111

Учила съм се по проба-грешка и успях да запиша магистратура фотография заради качеството на кадрите си. Никой не ме е държал за ръчичка да ми дава "позитивна критика" - точно обратното, виждала съм гадната страна на фотографията като занаят, където всеки крие от теб познанията си, все едно са безценно злато и няма друг начин да ги научиш, освен да им "лижеш Д-то" преди да ти спуснат заветната информация. Обаче знаете ли? Щом има желание - има и начин и онова, което успях да постигна за времето, през което се занимавам с фотография (от 2009-та насам) е живото доказателство.

Ако преди 10 години не ми бяха казали, че не ставам, вероятно никога нямаше да започна да се занимавам с фотография и днес нямаше да съм професионален фотограф. Обаче ето на - дори и нещо толкова негативно може да се окаже повратна точка в живота. 

А къде са "разбирачите" сега ли? От дребните ми наблюдения в наследника на оня сайт - на същото ниво. 

Защо ви разказвам тази история ли? Защото няма значение какво ти казват другите, а в какво вярваш ти и колко си мотивиран да го постигнеш! 

Какво смятам да правя оттук нататък ли? Имам още, по-високи цели във фотографията и когато (не "ако", а "когато") ги постигна, ще ви разкажа и историите зад тях. 

Днешният ден е една огромна крачка във фотографската ми кариера. Дай Боже да има още по-големи крачки! 

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I love to say that I have become a photographer because I was told that I am no good and I can’t do it. That I am a ‘stupid wench’ and I should leave photos to the ‘big boys’. I was just 19 then and had just registered to my first photo sharing website and I was asking for advice (you can find the whole story on my YouTube channel in one of my ’12 myths about photography videos’). Then I just cried a bit and after that decided to prove those ‘big boys’ wrong. 

10 years later, I dare say that I am a professional photographer with an MA in photography (Master of Arts, Falmouth University UK), member of a few professional photo associations (among which is the Royal Photographic Society, by the way) and since Thursday evening (which is when the results came in) – I am now a certified European Photographer by FEP (Federation of European Photographers):

https://www.europeanphotographers.eu/qualification-results/?compo_id=111

All I have learned, I have done by trial and error and I managed to land a place in the MA photography programme because of the quality of my work. There was no one to hold my hand and give me ‘positive criticism’ – the very opposite of that. I have seen the nasty side of photography where everyone regards it as a craft which you could potentially steal if they share some insights with you and there is no other way but to kiss @ss in order to get that information. But you know what? When there’s will, there’s a way and what I have achieved throughout the years I’ve been into photography (I started in 2009) is the living proof of that.

If these people hadn’t told me that I am no good 10 years ago, I would have never become so obsessed with photography and would not have become a professional photographer at all. But there we are – even something as negative as that could prove to be a turning point in one’s life. 

Where are the ‘big boys’ now’? Judging by my checks in that website’s successor – at the same level they had been 10 years ago. 

Why I am telling you this story? Because it doesn’t matter what the others tell you. What matters what you believe in and how motivated you are to achieve it!

What I am planning to do next? I have more, higher photography-related goals and when (yes, ‘when’, not ‘if’) I achieve them, I will the backstage stories as well. 

Today is a big step for my photographic career. Hoping to have even bigger goals! 

Bistra Stoimenova Photography

Culture Crossroads

Happy Easter

Христос Воскресе! 

Когато си фотограф, не можеш просто да качиш случайна снимка на яйца и козунаци, трябва да са си твоите, актуални тазгодишни яйца и козунаци :) 

When you are a photographer, you cannot simply post random Easter greeting - you need your own images - so happy celebrations everyone :)

Весели празници на всички и се забавлявайте! 

#bistrastoimenova #photography #easterbunnywashere #eastereggs #kozunak #easterbread #celebration #orthodox #orthodoxeaster #traditions⁷

Today is a huge religious holiday in Bulgaria

Today is the day of Dormition of the Mother of God

In honor of the holiday, I'm posting a picture of the highest statue of the Holy Mother of God in the world. It's 14 feet tall and the chapel below it-17. It's located in Haskovo, Bulgaria.

Truth be told, this is an old photo but I still love it :) 

About the place:

Getting there is easy. There are signs all over the town because it's one of the main landmarks. If you climb up the bell tower you can enjoy a panoramic view of the town. The chapel is open every day, but in order to enter, you have to be properly dressed.

The story behind the shot:

This shot is an accident. I had some bad luck that day, I ended up on location right at noon when the sun shines directly from above. With that sun, the statue remained in shadow, so I didn't expect miracles. Before I left, I decided to take a shot of the sun and the statue to make a silhouette. 

However, this was far beyond my expectations...

Photoadvice:

To create an image like this, you'll need a closed aperture (the biffer f/ number, the better) and bright sun. The rest is a matter of luck. 

Two on the road

Two on the road 

A calm and typically rainy evening at Falmouth, UK

I know I haven't been around these months but I'm trying to get to grips with everything. So, an Instagram picture is the perfect way to bring the page back to life.

The story behind the shot

In case you don't know, shops and restaurants there close at 9 p.m. local time. So, if you are used to the Eastern European way of life (where the night just starts at 9) you will surely be a bit shocked. As I was back then. 

The UK weather stereotype goes that it rains everyday. Not here though.This place has the climate of a greenhouse. It's awfully humid and full of greenery that I wouldn't have believed could grow in there (I'd rather think it would be in Greece). When it rains though, it's not torrential rain. No big raindrops to tap on your windows. Nothing of the sort. It resembles a thick, persistent mist that gets you soaked in no time. 

While hiding from such a rain, I got bored and started to take pictures of what I saw. This one is one of my favorites :) 

#bistrastoimenova #phonesnap #photographylovers #photography #uk #uklife #falmouth #falmouthcornwall #ukevening #bluehour #cityscape #citylife #citylights #streetphotography #phonephotos #phonephotography #cornwall

Честит осми март!

Честит празник, мили дами! 

 Happy international women's day! 

#womenempowerment #womensday #womensday2020 #womensday2020❤️ #women #flowers #bistrastoimenova #photography #8ofmarch #осмимарт #деннажената2020 #деннажената 

Color palette

Sighisoara old town, Romania

A walk through the alleys of Sighisoara in a gloomy and rainy afternoon. You must have seen this shot here and there, if not - now's the perfect time to stop and read.

I mentioned a long time ago that Romanians are not afraid of rain at all. Photographers, on the other hand, hate humidity in all it's forms. However, when everyone around stares at you because you carry open an umbrella and you wander around the desolate and gloomy alleys of an unknown town, attracting unwanted attention is not the best idea.

The story behind the shot:

This is the old town of Sighisoara, and by the time I got to that part, it was already raining unpleasantly. The alley was narrow and beautiful, but one has only two hands... What happens in that case? Lean against a door and shoot, run to the next one and so on. It doesn't seem to be raining in the picture, but in truth it was well, not OK.

Photo advice and safety:

There is no camera that loves water. So don't get too wet. Wipes will not go unused, as well as a raincoat (though I hate them).

Watch out for the empty streets too. Sighisoara is a medieval city and this makes a walk through the quiet areas a bit creepy. You don't know who's watching you.

Read more about the place on the Culture Crossroads project page.

Happy Liberation Day!

Happy Third of March to all Bulgarians and people who feel for Bulgaria in some way :)

Today, we celebrate 'Liberation day'

Here is some info about the history of the place.

The Crossroads point:

The monument on Shipka peak as seen from Orlovo Gnezdo (the literal translation for that in English would be Eagle Nest)

The place is a very dramatic an symbolic for all Bulgarians because 141 years ago it was the place where the fate of the whole nation was decided. It is a place where we honour the heroism of those who fought there to make us safe.

In 1877, during the Russian-Turkish Liberation war, that place was attacked by the Ottoman army.

The idea was that one Turkish pasha (Siuleyman) had to go to Northern Bulgaria to help another pasha (Osman) with the Russian siege of Pleven (which is in Northern Bulgaria). Had he done that, the Liberation War would have ended with defeat for the Russians and devastation for the Bulgarians.

This is where Shipka comes to the fore – to go to Northern Bulgaria, Suileyman had to cross Stara Planina (which stretches across the middle of Bulgaria) but driven by anger he foolishly chose the highest mountain pass in the area – Shipka pass.

The defenders on the homonymous peak above the pass were around 7 500 Bulgarian volunteers and Russian soldiers against more than 27 000 Turkish soldiers and bashibozuk (the Turkish version of volunteer army, known for their cruelty). In a dramatic 3-day fight when even the ammo ran out, the defenders fought till the last one standing and even threw the dead bodies of their comrades against the enemy. They managed to stand their ground until some reinforcements were sent and that slowed down the Turkish army and basically tilted the scales in favour of Russia. Today, it is said that that fight won the whole war and won freedom for Bulgaria

The monument has long and tangled history (which deserves a post of its own) so for the time being I'll only mention that it was built on donations and opened to visitors in 1934. It is open all year round, the exact working hours vary according to season.

More info on how to get there, tickets etc. can be found on their website:

http://www.shipkamuseum.org/en/

Happy Spring

Happy 1 of March everyone! 

Or as Bulgarians say Chestita Baba Marta! Wishing you to be red and white like a Martenitsa! 

The Crossroads point:

Today Bulgarians celebrate the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Unlike Western cultures where Spring is a young and beautiful woman, our Spring is the so called Baba Marta - an old and fiery-tempered granny. She is best-known for her ill temper. When March starts, all want to keep to Baba Marta's good side :) 

The legends:

According to folklore, Baba Marta is the only sister of the 11 month gods and is particularly angry with her two brothers - January and February - because during the winter they drank all her wine  :-D 

So, even though March is technically a spring month, the weather is heavily dependent on Baba Marta's mood swings. One day she's happy and the sun shines, the next day she's furious and blizzard comes around.

On this day, Bulgarians greet each other with the wish: Happy Baba Marta! Let you be red and white like a Martenitsa!.

Another legend ties Martenitsa to the dawn of Bulgarian history. Back in 680 AD, when Khan Asparuh (the first Bulgarian ruler and founder of the Bulgarian state in traditional historiography) was fighting Byzantium, his sister was taken captive by the Byzantine emperor. She sent a pigeon with a message to her brother about the Byzantine army coming to the Bulgarian stronghold on the bank of the Danube river and tied the slip of paper to the animal's leg with a white thread. The pigeon flew but was shot crossing the Byzantine lines. Still, it made it to Asparuh's camp. He read the message and saw that the thread had turned half white and half red. He took that as a good omen, tied the thread around his wrist and rode into battle... To win and to establish the Bulgarian state - 1300 years later, the country has not yet changed name (not even once) and still stands in its original place on the map.

What is a Martenitsa?

The symbol of the holiday is called a Martenitsa (from the name for the month March in Bulgarian). It is either a bracelet made of white and red thread or two anthropomorphic figurines - called Pizho (the male one) and Penda (the female one) . You can see them below. Usually Pizho is a red figurine and Penda - a white one. The Martenitsa is worn as an amulet  all March and is taken off only after one sees a stork (the messenger of spring in Bulgarian folklore) or till the month is over. Usually, the martenitsa is then tied to a fruit-bearing tree, so that it would bear more fruit the upcoming year. 

Fun fact is that Martenitsa is worn all over the Balkan peninusula - in Romania, Greece, Macedonia, parts of Serbia. Bulgarian nationalists explain that with the territory occupied by the First Bulgarian kingdom (which covered the territories of the present-day countries above). Truth is that it's a wonderful tradition to keep. 

Fun fact 2 - a joint application of Bulgaria and Romania put Martenitsa on the UNESCO World Heritage list (of intangible heritage) in 2017 :) 

So, happy spring and be healthy!

Здрасти хора,

Понеже снимката с доматчето се получи много интересно, реших да направя едно клипче, в което да покажа как осветяването променя кадъра.

For the English-speaking fans - following my tomato picture, I decided to show how lighting changes the image. This video is in Bulgarian only but you can understand what's what from the video, I guess...

New Year, New Plans

Hey everyone! 

I know the blog has been dormant for quite some time BUT I promise to change things in 2020. 

This post should have appeared a month ago, but for objective reasons, the new year for me starts a month later. For starters, I would like to thank everyone for taking your time to be by my side throughout this difficult period. Thank you and for continuing to follow me on my journey in the world of photography!

Last year I started with some pretty serious plans and I have to admit that 2019 was packed with a lot of events (most of them were quite interesting, with one or two horrid exceptions). A lot of things happened (such as becoming a Master of Arts in the field of Photography and getting my degree in Cultural Studies), I visited many places (for some I have shared some info, for others - not yet). However, there were plans that could not move out of the drawing board (I am only one person, after all, and the day is only 24 hours).

So now is the time to share what I intend to do this year.

In 2019 Culture Crossroads was left in the background (not because I don't have something to share, but because I was pretty busy creating the images on location) so in 2020 I'll try to have more things to appear like on the page, and also on the blog and website of the project. About that, a little later.

The first and largest of the new things is my modification to the 365 day photo challenge. Since I doubt being able to take pictures absolutely every day in the new year, I invented something different.

There is another option of the photo challenge where one shot should be done every week, a total of 52 images. However, this was seemed too restricting to me, so I created the 52 week triple challenge.

The idea is that every week there will be three alternative topics and depending on my opportunity to shoot, there will be between one and three photos, depending on my mood and inspiration that week.

The list of topics can be downloaded from my website in case anyone wants to join :) I will announce the topics each Monday and whoever wishes can share their images in a comment under the post. Photos will also be posted on my blog as well as on Instagram.

Ironically, last year the challenge ended exactly in week 5 (because my busy schedule became even busier). Therefore, this year, we will start straight from week 5 :)

Another change is that more photos and videos will appear on the Culture Crossroads project page - both videos from the places and behind-the-scenes footage. However, to be able to see those in due time, you will have to follow the project page and my YouTube channel.

I have planned a series of videos for this page, this time for the fieldwork in travel photography, as this genre takes out a huge part of my time. As usual, there will be options in Bulgarian and English :) I hope you'll like it :) Generally, this was the plan last year, but obviously I will do this one so now's the time.

The second project is linked to Dmitry Glukhovsky's Subway Series (Metro 2033, Metro 2034 and Metro 2035, in case anyone is interested). More about that when the project starts. There will be lots of pictures again and a lot of work to be done.

The Title? Metro 2020 :)

Finally, I am currently developing a mini photo project that is directly linked to shooting places from old photos. The Target? Old Sofia. Whoever managed to visit my exhibition in may 2019 has already seen some of the images, but I plan to keep going. For the fans and followers of the page, I will start sharing the images I already have :) The project video presentation can be found here.

I wish all of you a 2020 filled with much success health and smiles!

Sea views - Happy Saint Nicolas day!

The story behind the shot:
This shot is one of my favorite examples of why one shoudl take pictures until the last second available. There are people who have a specific shot of mind, shoot it and then put the camera away. I'm not like that. In my opinion, pictures are taken all the time, until there is virtually no way to do it. Until the last possible moment, because a you never knows what's waiting a few meters away. Now that's a wonderful example.

This shot is the last of a very long series. And captures the last rays of sun of a very long day. We got up early so we can go to Chora Sfakion (the biggest town in a pretty remote area of Crete) and be able to see the Samaria Gorge. The didn't see gorge, unfortunately, but I almost ran out of memory cards. Simply because the views were amazing. So at the end of the long day, with dying batteries and a pretty full memory card, I had already quite tired.

This shot was created shortly after the ferry sailed back to the port and we disembarked. Then I just couldn't help but take a few pics of the sunset. I have a whole series, of course, but this one is maybe one of the most interesting shots I made that day.

So don't put the camera away when you decide you've found the shot you need. You never know what you'll find just round the corner.

And to all who celebrate today - happy name day :)

More information about the place - on the Culture Crossroads project page.

Djavola varos

Silent witnesses

The Devil's city (Djavola varos), Serbia

The story behind the shot:

The Devil's city is one of the popular places for a trip in the country of our western neighbors. The place is about 300 kilometers from Sofia and looks quite like Melnik or the Stob pyramids phenomenons.

The Serbians have taken care of the visitors and you can find almost anything in place - from a toilet (don't laugh, this is something you cannot find at each and every rock formation you visit) to cafes and small chapel. The walk to the place is also quite pleasant. The rock phenomenon itself is not particularly big, but it is worth it. The catch? That it's not quite easy to shoot. For the sole reason that there are not many opportunities to shoot the place from more than one angle. If you don't want to break your neck, that is. Otherwise, people made trails and places to relax, made the place safe for even very young children, basically did their best.

The place itself is known for its poisonous water. I'm not kidding, the concentration of heavy metals in it is so big, that it is not potable, nor fit for washing and kills everything in its path. Even the trees around her are very strange, like enchanted monsters. The place looks like an haunted forest, indeed. 

The Legend of the place invented by the locals is also not to be missed. Followers from Bulgaria can see it in the video (I decided to play the tour guide, so it's better to hear it from me). English-speaking fans can read it on the Culture Crossroads project page. 

Photoadvice:

Wear sturdy shoes (I almost always say it, but there is no way to avoid this now). As for lenses - I always say it again, but the wider, the better. Otherwise, this place can be shot with almost anything. This is one of the few shots from the place that is interesting to me. The other will go at some other time.

More about the place itself, the rock phenomenon and few links and tourist information, on the page of the Culture Crossroads project.

Postojnska jama / Postojna cave train ride

Week 4 - themes

Here are the topics for week 4 - all of them exciting:
a) the colour BLUE
b) city lights
c) from a high angle