FMI - final - the canvas - why things look like that?

Once I started working on the final version of the canvas to be printed, I needed to make a few changes. My initial idea was just to have the two images side by side and have the text explanation put in some corner of the image. However, it turned out that it is impossible since the old images are not that contrasting and if I put some text there, it would not show at all. My images, on the other hand, were too colourful so any text would simply get lost there. 

Plus, I needed to add the title of the exhibition and the logos. Once I started devising the text for each image, it dawned on me that I have a ton of things to say that cannot be put on the canvas along with the images. If I had done this, each image would have been accompanied by a separate pane which tells the story of the place (similar to the way things are displayed at museums). However, I didn't want my viewers to feel as if they have entered a museum (my impression is that most people hate reading for some reason). So I decided to put everything I need to say in a website. 

Then there was another problem - how to make people access it? Putting the address on the pane would not do since people would need to type it and most would give up before trying. So I needed something easy - that is how I came up with the QR code idea. 

Having so many elements in the picture meant that I would need to give up my idea of having only the images on the pane. So I decided to go for plain white background and to have the old photo above the rephotographed one (the other option was to have landscape panes but that meant the photos would be even smaller due to the A3 size of the pane and I didn't like that). hence I went for portrait orientation. 

The white background allowed me to put all the elements that need to be on the pane and to make them readable (black on white is easy to read, after all). 

The only horizontal panes are the ones I call "doubles" which were the last to be created. I really wanted something striking as a poster for the exhibition. So I started experimenting and came up with this:

I was impressed with the result and decided to include 4 of those (of the places that showed the most change and were shot at the same angle). These are the only panes that have no text on them (since the text is available on the other panes next to them) and I used these to make people 'wow' at their sight. So far, I haven't met a person to see these and not to be impressed by how much the places have changed. 

I didn't do doubles for all places since it was impossible at some places and I didn't have that much space to showcase them. Besides, the idea was to put them as the main focus of the exhibition and having too many panes like that would bore people. 

Project development - night VS day

One of the biggest challenges during this module turned out to be the selection of a suitable time for shooting. My initial idea was to take night shots only and the location allowed it. I live in Sofia so getting to the city center at almost any time of the day is not a problem. 

However, the blue hour turned out to be too short for me to tour all locations so I had to change plans a bit - especially when I noticed that some churches, even though they are amazing in terms of architecture, are not lit at night so I had to reconsider if I wanted them in the portfolio. 

When I went to Bucharest, things changed even more because I couldn't take my tripod with me (the airport authorities wouldn't have liked it). Besides, I was in a foreign country and roaming around the town alone so it wasn't exactly a good idea to stay for a long time after dark. I can go home at any time once I am in Sofia, but I wasn't OK with testing my luck in any other foreign capital. I am simply not that adventurous. 

The results of my walks around Sofia and Bucharest proved my hypothesis that some places look better at night whereas others are much more stunning during daytime. 

On my way to the hotel, I passed by that church in Bucharest numerous times, so naturally, it was one of the first locations I visited. At day it looked interesting enough, having architecture that has nothing to do with the rest of the churches around the old town. I loved the contrast between it (the locals told me it was a very old church) and the surrounding Communist-style buildings. It again reminded me of Saint Petka Samardzhiiska church in Sofia and its location.

The strange sculptures around it added to the surreal feeling. As if the church was not considered interesting enough and they added the 'artsy' part to brighten things up. As you can see from the daytime image, the church looked interesting, given the fact that its architecture drastically differs from anything you can see in Sofia, BUT still somewhat dull to me. It was a good shot but I aimed for the 'wow' factor so I decided to take as many images of the place as I can (it was so close to the hotel that I took one image on my way to the old town and another on my way back). 

The last evening in Bucharest, I managed to capture this - shot handheld in the blue hour. The place looks eerie and unwelcoming at night, its tall structure in total contradiction with the surrounding squat rectangular buildings. Even though this image is taken from the apse of the place (couldn't make it to the front entrance as the snow was more than knee-deep down the slope), it makes a better representation of the church as this is the view most tourists see (and neglect). 

The case with Saint Petka Samardzhiiska church (below) was even more interesting. I pass by this place literally every day so I have perfect idea of how it looks like at almost any time of the day. So my initial idea was to take some images of it during the blue hour because there is a wonderful contrast between the small church and the towering Stalinist architecture above it. 

I was quite pleased with the night result but decided to try out a day approach. At one point I wanted to create a series of the same place during the day and then at night and display the images side by side. That idea failed due to lack of time and the lack of lights in some places. Street lights ruined other images so I had to choose either or for each location. 

This one was so close to the stop I usually get off the tram, that I must have taken at least 100 images of it during this module, all during almost any type of weather and time of the day. However, I noticed that from all images, only those two stand out. At dusk the place looked dull because they turn off the lights very early in the morning and on relatively late in the evening. 

During the day it looks somewhat overlooked - even tourists who swarm the area each day rarely take the time to walk around and see the contrast. The church is tiny whereas the Triangle of Power above it is huge. No wonder why no one notices it.  

At night, however, things change and the church lights up with the rest of the complex. The lights of the passing cars put an emphasis on the busy crossroads and the angles of the buildings above it show even greater contrast.

Even though the day image is good - interesting cloudy sky and good light - the night image has more impact, at least to me, so I chose to put the night image in the portfolio. 

Project development - finding the unseen angles

Being a photographer means much more than just taking pictures. One of my beliefs is that you should strive to be unique and to show your own perspective, preferably something other people haven't thought of. This goes with double force for places that are famous tourist attractions and have been photographed very often. 

During this module I tried to find some unseen angles of places that are usually well-known in Bulgaria. One of my motivations was that I wanted to create something not that cliched and to try to show the places in a new perspective. 

However, it didn't work out well with all locations. Some, on the other hand, had a lot of potential for development. This place, the Russian church in Sofia, proved to be really fruitful in terms of angles. 

I have a soft spot for all kinds of reflections - especially puddles but not only - so once I am on location, I always look out for reflective surfaces. This church is surrounded by them - glossy shops, fancy restaurants with French windows and amazing view. I walk around that place almost on a daily basis on my way to the university and the city center. But before starting this module, I have rarely noticed the reflections, at least not through the lens. 

The thing with reflections is that they are the natural double exposure in camera and they offer a great variety of options. I love using real reflections to manipulate the viewer and add in new aspects of the image. For example, the two images of the Russian church show two different aspects of the surrounding area. 

The first one is in a shop window and my main motivation for taking this pic was the surveillance camera sign in the top right corner. The area is really fashionable and houses one of the most expensive hotels and restaurants in Sofia so the contrast between the surveillance of the camera and the overseeing of God looked almost comical to me when I saw the sign. 

This church get photographed every day by thousands of tourists and I was dead-set on not using the most famous angle of it. So this one was a natural choice. Still, there was something in that image that troubled me. I disliked the cars in the foreground and the blueish look of it all. So I decided to come back and retake it. 

Reflection in the window of a shop opposite the church

A few days later, I was passing by the church and looking at the French windows of the shops and restaurants (and my own reflection, too, as a natural woman) when I saw how well the church and the surrounding area was reflected in the window of this restaurant - an expensive Spanish tapas bar and diner. It was big enough to have not only the church but the surrounding buildings (the building on the right is the Natural Science museum, built in the 1950s) and the contrast between the two. I didn't have my camera with me so I decided to come back and use this angle.

When I came again, I was surprised to find out that the window itself added another two layers of the image - the tapas and wine sign and the tables in the foreground and the church next to it in the reflection made me think of that Biblical story of Jesus driving away the merchants from the temple. The chandelier lights from the inside showed on the reflection and added another layer because they looked so much as the chandeliers used inside churches. 

To me this angle (and obviously this window) worked much better than the previous one, both in terms of perspective and message. To me, there is much more to see here and much more to interpret. 

Since I love experimenting (and I wanted to create another interesting image of the place), I continued roaming around to see if I can do better. Then I saw the flowers and decided to use a low angle. 

Most tourists take a pic from afar - because the church has a wonderful small park around it and they plant different flowers in it each season. So the place is very picturesque. This year, they did even better as the flowers are lovely. So I got close (almost in the flowers and totally ignoring the keep off the grass sign for the sake of art) and did this. To me, it is much more tourist-oriented, looking more like a postcard but still it is an angle I haven't seen colleagues to use so I love the end result. 

Project development - the context in photographs

As a photographer, I aim to tell stories (I've said this more than once in this blog). When I started the religious theme, I noticed that whenever I take a picture, the story of the place plays a crucial role in the choice of location. To me, stories matter as much as images and in images taken for the sake of Culture Crossroads, I aim to add a story of the place, but not only the story of the image (how I created it). 

When I started working on the religious theme this module, one of the first motivations I had was telling a story. Sofia has a long and turbulent history and most of the buildings in the city centre are bearers of its past. In a place that has been inhabited for no less than three thousand (yes, three thousand!) years, places are packed with history, ergo with stories to tell. 

Once I chose the old vs. new topic, I noticed that the history of the place became even more important. During the seminars I noticed that I am talking about the story much more, than about the image itself. 

The images below are a wonderful example of my tendency to not only try to tell stories with images but also put the story in words:

Saint Petka Samardzhiiska church in the centre of Sofia

The image above shows a church which barely escaped demolition - Saint Petka Samardzhiiska church. It is a 12th century small church, build on even more ancient remains. In the 1950s when the big Stalinist-style center was built the church was destined to be demolished. The complex, known as the Triangle of Power led to the destruction of the Roman Serdica and the whole layer of the earliest history of  the city. They destroyed a whole street that used to house the trade shops in town (the so-called Targovska street), famous for its Viennese-style architecture AND they demolished the forum of Roman Serdica AND the larger part of the palace of Constantine the Great. If that is not stupidity, I don't know what is. 

So, having destroyed all that, the Comrades, destined the church for demolition too. Until a delegation of government officials and their wives came from Moscow to inspect the new government's work. While the men did their job, the wives entertained themselves. One of these was an art historian and wanted to tour the city in search for frescoes. She found that church and demanded to see it. Even though it was already destined for demolition and locked up, somehow the Bulgarians managed to find the key and open the place, The woman was in awe because the frescoes were unique in the whole of Europe. She asked what the church would be made of, hoping to hear the phrase 'a museum' and was appalled to hear that it was to be demolished. 

She made an effort to preserve the church (talking her husband to press on the Bulgarian Comrades for that) and they somehow bent to the wishes of the wife of the high official. The whole architectural plan was changed and now the church sits in the middle of one of the busiest crossroads in Sofia. All that, thanks to one woman who just loved art...

Saint George rotunda

This church - the Saint George rotunda - shared the fate of the previous one - it was also destined for demolition. The reason was simple - it was located in the middle of the Presidential complex. The Comrades wanted to destroy it so that the government officials can go to the hotel next door in style (by car, that is). Problem was that this church was just in the way. Moreover, they discovered the palace of Constantine the Great and decided to preserve at least the part that was inside the building. The church, however, was a different story since the new ideology regarded religion as something degrading. 

Here the church was saved by society - it is an example of different styles of iconography and you can see four centuries of frescoes and their development during the centuries along its walls. It is still quoted in art historians' textbooks and history books as a unique example. 

The archaeological museum in Sofia, a former mosque. 

This building is another example of the turbulent history of Sofia. In the 19th century, it used to be a mosque. It was built as a mosque by a high official and used to be a toponym of a whole neighbourhood. When the Liberation of Bulgaria became a fact (in 1878) most mosques in Sofia were either demolished or turned into churches - the same way Ottomans turned churches into mosques 500 years earler. 

This mosque, however, was too big to be demolished. Another mosque in Sofia had already been turned into a dungeon and city jail so this one was destined to be a theater. At the time, Sofia had no theater so this seemed like a good idea, especially given the location of the place - in the ideal center. 

What saved the place was the speech of the Bulgarian Patriarch who gave an angry speech in front of all National Assembly members, stating that 'I will not turn a temple of God into a den of sin'. So, once excavations around Bulgaria were carried out, the place became the storehouse of the findings. Naturally, it was turned into a museum at the end of the 19th century. 

Saint Alexander Nevski church

One of the most imposing buildings in Bulgaria and one of the symbols of Sofia, Saint Alexander Nevski church was built around the end of the 19th century. Paradoxically, one of the most famous place of worship in Bulgaria is dedicated to a Russian kniaz and warrior. The architecture is a cross breed between that of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and that of traditional Russian churches. It is one of the biggest churches in Bulgaria and the place where the Patriarch announces the birth and resurrection of Christ. BUT it wasn't always as venerated. 

At the beginning of the 20th century, the church was hated for the Russian saint that was its patron. The reason were the political problems and numerous wars Bulgaria took part in. It even had its name changed because of this. During World War II. it was bombed because of its golden domes. The gold was a gift from Russia (15 years ago, when the domes had to be restored, the Russian church again donated 10 kilograms of gold for the restoration) but also a target for Western pilots. They were told to bomb yellow domes and yellow pavements. Paradoxically, the church is in the middle of the city center, all paved in yellow tiles, famous for their durability and beauty. 

Today, the church is one of the most famous places in Bulgaria and the mark of the ideal center of Sofia. The area around it, though, is quite secular - since it doubles as a concert space and public parking. 

WIP development - finding an approach part 1

My idea to do my work in progress portfolio on religious buildings made me much more focused on my task than during the previous module. Even so, having a clear idea of what I want to photograph, didn't help me to get clear what aspects of it I want to photograph. 

Religious buildings, especially those in the city center, have a long and tangled history intertwined with that of the surrounding buildings. I am usually the type of person that starts telling the story of the surroundings so I wanted to have places that tell a story in my portfolio. However, since the overreaching theme was religion, I also wanted to try my hand out at creating more serene images that convey the feeling of communion with God. However, shooting inside the churches was not an option so I had to work out another way to convey that sense. 

It turned out that the serene approach worked with some locations better than others. For example, this place is the biggest church in Sofia and a symbol of Bulgaria too. It is such a famous place that it is somewhat if a cliche. However, I managed to capture this image - a reflection in a puddle that I love very much. 

I love the way this image looks because it definitely shows the place from a unique perspective - as a reflection in a puddle. I have a soft spot for puddles and whenever I see one, I try to find a reflection in it. The light in this image (shot handeld during the blue hour and in a snow storm) and the water give the impression of serenity and make the image surreal. It is not only a picture of a church and depicting its architecture. This is a replica of an older image I created, more or less in the same style but at different time during the day. 

However, it turned out that this was the only place I managed to photograph and get this effect. Not because there are too few puddles on the streets of Sofia but because only this pic worked out that well. 

All other places looked different and had different stories to tell. Still, my initial idea was to try and find a similar way to represent the other places of worship. The next place I tried to photograph like this was the Russian church in Sofia - it is an amazing place in terms of architecture and I very much hoped that I can find some reflections around it to achieve the same effect. 

I saw this reflection of the church in a nearby shop window and was attracted to the contrast between the church and the surveillance camera sign in the right corner. The only problem in this image was that it had totally different impact and idea. This image is more about the contrast between the old and the modern, the religious and the secular, whereas the previous one is more serene, not so straightforward and more open to interpretation. 

At that point during the module, I had no idea what exactly to focus on. Truth be told, I wanted to have it all. To show the different aspects of religious buildings. To create a coherent portfolio, however, I needed to focus on one aspect. 

Still, I had no idea on which aspect to choose. I wanted very much to create serene images like the first one BUT somehow things didn't always work out well. So, when I had the chance to visit Bucharest, all of a sudden, inspiration struck. 

It is a Catholic church in the centre of Bucharest, one of the places that made me think the first time I visited. The reason why this place speaks to me, is that the church is squeezed in between blocks of flats, obviously created during the Communist era, and looks a bit out of place. Imagine people living there, looking through the window and seeing the bell tower. It reminded me of a church in the centre of Sofia so this place was totally on my to-shoot list. 

When I took this image it dawned on me that most of the images I already had are similar to this. There is some contrast, there is a story. The places I wanted to photograph all had dramatic stories and weren't simply places of worship but buildings that needed to have their stories told. I've always been a fan of history so anywhere I go, I try to learn more about the things I see. 

This image changed my mind and I decided to go with the flow and create the images I wanted and focus on the contrast between the old and the new in the modern city. I found an approach but I was yet to find out what I needed. 

WIP develoment - part 1 - roaming around Sofia

The first step in building my portfolio of places of worship for this module was to go around the streets of my phone town - Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. 

One of the main reasons I chose this as a location (apart from the obvious convenience and proximity) was the fact that Sofia boasts as one of the oldest cities in Europe, having history spanning across 3 millenia. Moreover, the place was occupied by more than one empire during that time and these left its religious imprint on it and all of these places of worship coexist withing a very enclosed space - we have Roman basilicas, medieval chirches, a 15th century mosque, a Catholic cathedral. a synagogue and an Orthodox cathedral all coexisting withing less than two square kilometers. To add more to the story, these are only the places of worship that are still in operation - there are a few others that have been turned into something else or have undergone some transformation over the years. 

The historical centre of Sofia is rich in architecture, as even the Orthodox churches differ in style. Each nation that passed though our land left its mark on the architecture. Byzantine-style basilicas and rotundas, Bulgarian medieval churches, then a Russian style cathedral that became the symbol of the town and most recently - a Catholic cathedral. All churches have stories to tell but the story does not end with Christian churches - the downtown houses a mosque and a synagogue less than a kilometer away from the Christian churches.

The place is known as 'the triangle of tolerance' because Bulgaria has very short history (if present at all) of religious hatred. On the contrary, no one would make a fuss of how you call God unless you get radical.

What is more, since Sofia has such a long history, these places coexist in a modern urban environment all piled on top of one another - the main underground station incorporates the remains of the palace of Constantine the Great (the one who declared Christianity an official religion in the Roman empire), the upper layer of the same place houses a 12th century church with unique frescoes and above that there is the Stalinist 'Triangle of Power' architectural complex that houses the Presidency. Council of Ministers and part of the Parliament. Around the whole thing circles one of the busiest boulevards in Sofia. Speaking of layers...

The buildings from the 'Triangle of Power complex' which were built directly on the remains of Roman Serdica and the palace of Konstantine the Great. It is a very dramatic story and I'll it in the information post about the WIP images

When I set out to create my portfolio for this module, I ventured on documenting religious buildings around Sofia. The reasons were two - the story above and that I want to spread it to the world, since very few people know it and the time and weather restrictions. Winter is not exactly the season to travel to the other end of the country by car so this sounded like a reasonable option. Besides, it is my home town so I have the opportunity to roam around as I please without being restricted by one-time visits or having to take weather into account.

So I started with the idea to capture both the different types of religious buildings AND the turbulent history that goes with most of them AND to try out a more artistic approach - looking for unseen angles or strange weather conditions... Quite a few things for a single portfolio, I admit, but I decided to go by my old technique "take as many images as you can and then compose a coherent portfolio of the lot".

This is one of my favourite images from the series at the triangle of Power complex. This little church survived by pure chance as it was saved by the wife of a party official from Moscow. The whole story about the - in the post about the WIP images because this church is definitely on my list

The same church but a few weeks later and a bit before dusk. As you can see, the view is not that stunning. at least to me. 

I noticed that some buildings look better at night while others are more stunning at daytime. For example, this church looks much more impressive at night than during the day, because of the lights. I made an effort to revisit the places and see the difference in appearance at different times of the day. My walks proved that different places look well at different times of the day.

During the first evening, I managed to create some interesting images - such as this one - of the rotunda that sits in the middle of the Presidency building which looked stunning at night (and a bit dull during the day) because of the light that put an emphasis on the architecture and angles of the church and not on the building in the background which looms large at daytime.

This image was my first choice - the contrast between the 13th century building and the Stalinist architecture around it and the Byzantine palace at the foreground, combined with the yellow light (it was so yellow, that I couldn't correct it) told some of the story of the place. 

Then, as I exited the place, it came to me that I can create another story - because this church is just in the middle of the Presidency building and the access to it is actually monitored. 

My first roam around the downtown proved to be fruitful since I chose the blue hour and most places are very nicely lit. However, not all of them were lit as I needed and it turned out that the blue hour is not long enough to cover all locations. So, on day one, I managed to get around only a few images that worked.

Even though the place looks stunning at night, it is not lit (that was a surprise to me since it is a very beautiful place and all other buildings around it were lit). 

It turned out that few of the places I aimed at were lit the way I needed them to be - for example, this Russian church stands at the center of Sofia and is one of the most beautiful buildings in town. However, it isn't lit at night so the only interesting angle I managed to find was a reflection in a nearby shop window. Otherwise, to me the place was not enticing enough at that point.  

The walk at night delivered some interesting shots but some places I wanted to capture were not suitable for night images so I needed to revisit. One of them was this - 200 years ago it used to be a mosque but now it serves as the National Archaeological Museum. It's story is also very tangled so I totally wanted it on my portfolio. However, I couldn't take any decent images of it at night because two street lamps sit on either side of the entrance and make night shots of the building at night impossible. 

The entrance during day time - I love the contrast between the architecture of a mosque, the inscription above the door that reads 'archaeological museum' and the Bulgarian flag on top.

I didn't have the opportunity to photograph the mosque that is still in operation because I went there during prayer time and it seemed inappropriate to me to take out the tripod so I will do this a bit later. Same goes for the synagogue and the cathedral in Sofia so I'll definitely need to put my portfolio in order and re-shoot at some locations. 

Critical contextualization of my work - inspiration talk - part 2.2 - foreign artists far from home

Speaking of inspiration, it does not end with local artists. One of the photographers I look up to is based at the other end of Europe. 

His name is Frank Leinz and he is also an avid landscape and travel photographer. I came across his works by pure chance, someone from my Facebook friend list had shared an image of his and I immediately became a fan. Truth be told, I often use Facebook to scout for amazing photographs and use groups as both a means to promote my work AND a way to learn. 

Frank is a also a travel photographer BUT unlike Krasi Matarov he is not a fan of camping at the place for days to get the perfect shot. I love his ability to create dream-like scenes, regardless of the weather conditions, season or location:

Fig 1 –  Leinz, Frank – Mystery Castle,  2016

Leinz was obviously lucky with the mist and the drama in the clouds but apart from that, there is something subtle in the image. It is still a very popular location, Burg Eltz castle in Germany but it doesn't scream out loud "I am a commercial" or "I am a cliché" and I try to incorporate this into my approach, too. This is a very popular 'photographic' place but as you can see from the pic, there is no one in the frame. No humans, not even a silhouette. 

We have that trait in common as we both tend to leave people out of the frame. I have had this habit  ever since 2010 - it all started with a excursion to Italy during Easter when more than 10 million people had the same thing in mind. To avoid having crowds in my shots, I had to devise a way to avoid having people in the frame (wasn't that at image editing good to clone them out). Ever since, I always try to keep the 'human population' in an image to the minimum. 

One of the reasons I came up with is that some scenes look better without a living soul around to give you the impression that you are the only one seeing this now, as if you are in the image itself. Another reason is that to me, images with lots of tourists in them may have some documentary value BUT they look rather like the snapshots most tourists come home with than the images I aim at. 

Fig2 –  Leinz, Frank – Beangil Sea Cave,  2016

The image above is taken at a very popular beach in Portugal, favourite to all visitors but still, Leinz made sure that no one is 'blocking' the view and if you see the place, you are the only human being in the frame (if we count out the photographer that created it). 

Ever since I applied for Falmouth, I've tried to experiment with putting a human element into the frame to get more 'artsy' images and I started questioning this habit. 

This image is one of my attempts to put people in the frame (which would normally be left without them) to get more impact:

To me, this image really works - because the place, Rila monastery in Bulgaria, is also very famous all over the Balkans. I have visited multiple times and I've tried to keep people out of the frame. The last time I went there, in December 2017, I added this image of the person getting out of the monastery. My initial idea was to keep him as a silhouette. One of my motivations was that I haven't seen anyone do something like this and I was looking for unique angles.

Another thing I admire about Frank Leinz' work is the use of long exposure in some images, such as this one:

Fig 3. Leinz, Frank - Pure, 2016

It is a classic landscape technique, especially effective in scenes when there is some water and kind of a cliche but I keep adoring the dreamy impact it has, maybe because the human eye cannot catch that slow motion. 

Another reason I fall for images like this is that I lack the patience (and the opportunity/ logistics) to create something like this. I would really like to try it but I rarely have the time to wait that long at a location (and I suspect I lack in equipment, too). 

Still, I will try to make an effort and see if the technique would work for me. 

References: 

• Frank Leinz’s Facebook page

Available at:

https://www.facebook.com/fldesign.info

[accessed 13 April  2018]

List of figures:

Figure 1 – LEINZ, Frank – Mystery Castle,  2016

Available at:

https://www.facebook.com/fldesign.info/photos/a.502329203234609.1073741828.502320593235470/892397237561135/?type=3&theater 

[accessed 13 April  2018]

Figure 2 – LEINZ, Frank – Beangil Sea Cave,  2016

Available at:

https://www.facebook.com/fldesign.info/photos/a.502329203234609.1073741828.502320593235470/857367027730823/?type=3&theater 

[accessed 13 April  2018]

Figure 3 - Leinz, Frank - Pure, 2016

Available at:

https://www.facebook.com/fldesign.info/photos/a.502329203234609.1073741828.502320593235470/810809369053256/?type=3&theater

[accessed 13 April  2018]

Critical contextualization of my work - inspiration talk - part 2.1 - foreign artists close to home

My fascination with travel photography started a long time ago and one of the people that sparked my interest was George Meis. More than six years ago, I came across some of his bookmark series in a small bookstore in Crete. I was mesmerized by his style, the locations and the colourful images so I immediately became a fan and started collecting the bookmarks (I am also an avid reader so it is a pleasure to not only have them but use them on a daily basis).

When I started doing Culture Crossroads, even before I was aware of it, Geogre Meis was one of the first people that came to my mind. Mainly because he does what I intend to do - he is Greek and has toured roughly all of Greece, photographing what's on offer regardless of time of the day, weather conditions and location. 

Fig. 1 Meis, George – Zakintos,  2017

George Meis does not stray from iconic locations, on the contrary, he is famous for capturing these places in a new way (which is an approach I also try to incorporate).

What I love about his style is that he shows Greece the way it is - sunny and hot (most of his images feature dull blue cloudless sky - from photographic point of view and endless blue sea). I am sure he could have created other images, similarly striking to those Krasi Matarov creates but instead, Meis creates images that correspond to what a visitor might encounter - especially if you go on vacation.

In this sense, the works of Meis are more similar to what I intend to create - document what I see on the spot rather than wait for months for one killer image. Meis has traveled around Greece and like me, his style tends to be more similar to the hunter approach - preferring to go around and "hunt" for locations, scenery or moments.

I also love that Meis seems to be more moderate in terms of image editing - no elaborate stacking, no multiple exposures, only (seems to me) colour enhancing. Meis' images seem bright, full of life.

I do not always agree with his choice of framing though - such as this image of the iconic town in Santorini island, Oia:

Fig 2. Meis, George –  Santorini,  2017

This image, shows the iconic location for landscape sunset shots at Santorini but obviously when Meis went there, the scene was nothing like amazing. Nevertheless, he still took a picture and it can be seen on the home page of his website. This one, at least to me, is not good enough - it does show Meis' signature style and post-processing technique BUT to me this is simply not good enough. I would have waited for either the blue or the golden hour. Even though, the image as presented is an unconventional way to show an otherwise clichéd location (this terrace in Oia must have been photographed by millions of tourists), I would like to create images that stand out.

After all, Meis has spent the better part of his life working to turn his name into a brand whereas I doubt many people know me so I am rather reluctant to do this (yet).

Still, I love his documentary-yet-pleasing approach and the bright colours (somehow, fail to see the world in monochrome) but as for the excessive contrast (which seems to be quite boosted in some images) I'd rather tone it down. Another matter is, that sometimes the Mediterranean sea looks  in surreal shades of blue that are perfectly real, if you have been there to see for yourself, as with this image of the harbour at Rhodes:

Fig.3 Meis, George – Rhodes,  2017

To me, the images of Meis speak of a warm welcome, beautiful landscapes and long tangled history. I've been in love with his work for such a long time that I am afraid my critical assessment of it is rather biased. I'd love to create images that document what I see and that are true to what I see (without the excessive over-editing) but I would also want that dream-like qualities of the images of Krasi Matarov.

More on inspiration and influence - in the next post. 

References: 

Geogre Meis official website
Available at:
http://meisstudio.gr/about/
[accessed 11 April  2018]

List of figures:

Figure 6 – MEIS, George – Zakintos,  2017
Available at:
http://meisstudio.gr/about/
[accessed 11 April  2018]

Figure 7 – MEIS, George – Rhodes,  2017
Available at:
http://meisstudio.gr/about/
[accessed 11 April  2018]

Figure 8 – MEIS, George – Santorini,  2017
Available at:
http://meisstudio.gr/about/
[accessed 11 April  2018]

Critical contextualization of my work - inspiration talk - part 1 - local artists

Throughout the years, I've been inspired by a pot of people but there are a few that stand out. 

The first one that has left his mark on my work is the Bulgarian photographer Krasimir Matarov, working under the pseudonym Krasi St M. I especially admire him and his work because he started from scratch, just like me. 

Krasi is originally a Russian language teacher and up till 2012 he was just a hobby photographer. He said (we actually know each other) that he learned editing before anything else, even before owning a camera. His career took a turn when he won the 2013 Sony World Photography Awards in the Open Nature category. The winning shot was this one: 

Fig. 1 a screen grab from the BBC news website Krasi used as his cover photo in 2013

 After the victory, Krasi switched jobs and became a full-time photographer, tutor and lecturer. I've always been interested in his career path, mainly because this is the desire of most photographers - getting famous and making money from what you love. Krasi started with macro shots but it soon became clear that landscape and travel images are his true element.

Fig 2. Krasi St M – Kardzhari dam,  2018

What I admire about his style is that he manages to discover the unseen angle or setting in even the most banal of locations - such as this one, known as 'the photographers' turn' in Bulgaria, a favourite place for photographers to try their hand at landscapes. 

Krasi manages to create a dreamy-like atmosphere and his images just draw you into the scene, make you crave to be there, see the place as he did. This is exactly the same thing I am aiming at. I love the way he manages to capture the subject, such as this image of Chinque Terre (not sure which one of the 5 villages is this, though)

Fig. 3 Krasi St. M - Chinque Terre, 2018

His images are always dramatic, almost never plain or dull. Unfortunately, our approaches differ in two ways - travel duration. For example, Krasi can afford to spend a week or two at a certain location, just to be sure that he has got the perfect shot, whereas due to travel expenses, I cannot afford to do so (and that goes for almost any location, I'm afraid). He also climbs mountains and sleeps in a tent (and totally lack that adventurous streak). 

Hence, sometimes I just need to visit a place several times to get the desired effect. For example, this image of the 'photographers' turn' is good but it is nowhere near the one Krasi created, in terms of impact: 

The two boats do make something of the image and emphasize the curves BUT apart from that the weather was not on my side. 

I admire Krasi for his stunning landscapes but sometimes despise the over-editing in some of them. He often stacks images to create a more stunning view (some of the most amazing works in his portfolio are actually made of 4 to 10 different exposures post-processed in a hundred and one ways for maximum impact). To me, this kind of over-editing is indeed eye-catching BUT somehow the objectivity of the image is lost. 

Especially in what I am trying to do, this kind of landscapes will not work well - when you advertise tourism, you should at least try to stay closer to the actual place (which is one of the reasons I do behind-the-scenes videos) so that people see I have my way of portraying things but they are there, they exist and have not been photoshoped into something different. 

I agree with Krasi that toning the images sometimes results in better impact and when it comes to capturing customs or the character of a particular event, he is definitely someone I look up to. 

Fig. 4 Krasi St M –  Yordanovden,  2017

This image portrays an amazing ritual that marks the beginning of January. In Kalofer, a small mountain town in Central Bulgaria, they have the tradition of ice horo which means that all men from the town dance in the ice-cold (and as you see, often frozen) waters of the river that runs through the town . His images of the ritual last year are one of the best I have ever seen portraying it. He toned down all tones except the blue to emphasize the cold and manages to get a shot of the dancers entering the icy waters of the river. 

I admire Krasi's ability to capture the air of the ritual, no matter if it is something indiginous and authentic, such as this Bulgarian ritual, dedicated to Saint Haralampi: 

Fig. 5 Krasi St M –  Untitled,  2018

This is a ritual done in Bulgarian churches once a year (I don't know much since I found out it existed from this image) and Krasi managed to capture the mood in the church during the ritual without looking like an intruder. This is an ability I am also trying to master. 

Krasi is especially good at creating iconic images, that capture the characteristic features of a particular place, person or area, such as this Mongolian eagle hinter: 

Fig. 6 Krasi St M –Mongolia,  2017

I also aim to create images that would wow the viewer. In this one there are a lot of elements - good composition, interesting subjects, and a touch of action. Such images tell a story so I definitely look up to Krasi for inspiration though we may disagree on post-processing (especially on landscapes). 

Still, he is not the only one that inspires me but I'll talk about this in a follow-up post. 

References: 

Krasi Matarov’s Facebook page

Available at: https://www.facebook.com/KrasimirStM/ [accessed 11 April  2018]

List of figures: 

Figure 1 – MATAROV, Krasimir - Untitled, 2013
Available at: https://www.facebook.com/KrasimirStM/photos/rpp.374656352553372/1954188034600188/?type=3&theater
[accessed 10 April  2018]
Figure 2 – MATAROV, Krasimir - Chinque Terre, 2018
Available at: https://www.facebook.com/KrasimirStM/photos/rpp.374656352553372/1954188034600188/?type=3&theater
[accessed 10 April  2018]
Figure 3 – MATAROV, Krasimir - Kardzhari dam, 2018
Available at: https://www.facebook.com/KrasimirStM/photos/a.600574433294895.1073741825.374656352553372/1900995666586092/?type=3&theater
[accessed 10 April  2018]
Figure 4 – MATAROV, Krasimir – Untitled, 2018
Available at:
https://www.facebook.com/KrasimirStM/photos/a.600574433294895.1073741825.374656352553372/1852494461436213/?type=3&theater
[accessed 10 April  2018]
Figure 5 – MATAROV, Krasimir - Yordanovden,  2017
Available at:
https://www.facebook.com/KrasimirStM/photos/a.600574433294895.1073741825.374656352553372/1774221942596799/?type=3&theater
[accessed 10 April  2018]
Figure 6 – MATAROV, Krasimir - Mongolia,  2017
Available at:
https://www.facebook.com/KrasimirStM/photos/a.750552084963795.1073741840.374656352553372/1444946392191024/?type=3&theater
[accessed 10 April  2018]

Collaborations - how to promote a budding project part 2

Having 'done my homework' with social media, I started looking for other ways to promote my works and the project as a whole. The first idea that came to my mind was to try and collaborate with someone. My first and most logical choice was to write an email to the Fading Sofia project and ask they if they need better images for their website, the idea being that I use their information and make sure to include a link to their page whereas they use my pictures and include a link to my page. 

Here is how their home page looks like - if you click on a point, you see the location and an image of the place so I'd love to have my images there. 

In a previous post I wrote that the site was down and probably that mail was lost somewhere so I might need to write up again as the site functions anew. It is very well indexed on Google and the project as a whole aims to tell stories so I'd love to work with them. 

Another collaboration opportunity I noticed was the recent launch of Balkanium magazine. I came across it in a sponsored post on Facebook and I checked it out. 

To give you an insight of what the project is about, I will quote their info page:

'Balkanium is a photography magazine that was started as a documentary photography master degree project in Belgrade, Serbia. Main intention is to show interesting moments of life and people of the Balkans, that will spread a bit more positive view of this region and life in general. Also, people and countries of the Balkans are not enough connected, beside classic media information’s that are mainly focused on political themes and events. We thought that we should build a platform where we can learn about each other more through photo stories about different people and themes around us. Professional photographers will be here to create that bond and platform.

Balkanium tends to make a team of photographers, one from each Balkan country. If You are interested You can read more here. Balkanium stories exist to try to break some prejudices, make someone’s day, and share quality information’s in the sea of others.

Anđela Petrovski

Photographer and Founder'

I wrote a quick email and explained that we can help each other since our projects have a lot in common and explained that I seek to popularize my project on their magazine as well and they were delighted to have me. Now, there is an open call for photographers to submit articles and I am about to send out my first story for publication within the next few weeks. 

Another collaboration I found useful was with the colleagues from Patepis.com - the biggest travel website and blog in Bulgaria. This is a screengrab of my most recent post there - it is a really long post so that's just the admin note on my work. 

I personally know the admins and they have been publishing my works for the past two years. I use Patepis.com to promote my work as a photographer (because the site is really well indexed on Google) but also to indulge my passion for writing - so it's a win-win for both sides.

What is more, the stories in Patepis.com are in Bulgarian only which balances with the English-only project and gives my Bulgarian followers something to read. 

Another recent collaboration is with the Bulgaria Official channel -  they also plan a campaign for popularizing Bulgaria and asked me to join the team since they love my stories and images. I asked if I can use their platform to popularize my project and they were OK with it. Actions are to be taken there since the project there is in the planning stage. 

I also became a member of the Bulgarian Association of Professional photographers and they, too said they will give me the opportunity to showcase my work, once I have a larger portfolio of things to show and when the project gets more audience. 

What needs to be done is to launch the website and start advertising the project to the places I visit. I've planned to print out some business cards to hand out to people to let them know what this thing is.