The invisible beauties of Vasilena Grigorova's lovingly captured colourful moments
Every act of love deserves to be noticed. When you put your heart and soul into something, when you spare no time, energy and money, you achieve that feeling of satisfaction that truly pleases you and your loved ones.
Photography has been captivating many people lately, perhaps because one likes to enjoy their experiences longer. Nowadays, it is not difficult for almost anyone to capture a moment and enjoy it for years afterwards. But turning your moment into a feeling for everyone to enjoy, transforming a moment into a feeling - not everyone can do that anymore.
That's why today we're going to open the secret diary of an amazing woman who allowed maatinsideyou fans to touch her soul and the invisible beauties of colorful moments captured with love.
She is an accountant, a profession hardly associated with photography. About the path and the balance between precision and creative and endlessly fun pastime, learn more from Vasilena Grigorova in the following lines:
Who is Vasilena Grigorova, for those who don't know you? What do you do?
- Hello! Nice to meet you! My name is Vasilena Grigorova, 41 years old. I'm originally from Kyustendil and currently live here with my family. By profession I am an accountant with about 20 years of practice. I like to deal with dissimilar things, I like to be busy all the time and live "on a pedal", I am open to new ideas and reforms. I'm not comfortable when comfortable :)
Photography is my hobby, I don't do it professionally, and to say the least I love taking pictures. I am an amateur, dedicated to my passion. Photography is my other world where I love to travel without stopping.
What can you tell us about Kyustendil? What do you love most there?
- Kyustendil is a picturesque and beautiful city, and after almost twenty years away from the city, I rediscovered it again. For those who have not visited this magical place, I will try to describe it briefly. The city is a famous spa and tourist centre, an archaeological and architectural reserve. It is famous for its healing mineral springs and the wealth of historical and natural attractions. Centre of scientific activity related to fruit growing. The fruit-growing tradition of the Kyustendil region has been kept alive over the centuries and passed on as experience and culture from generation to generation, from clan to clan.
In the 80s of the 19th century Konstantin Irechek in his book "Travels in Bulgaria" described the Kyustendil region as follows: "...The Kyustendil field is a garden of plums, large yellow pears, bulky juicy apples, sweet cherries and sour cherries, small yellow plums, peaches, mushmulkas, mulberries, walnuts and many others. Nice vineyards can be seen on the hills, the wine here is wonderful. In the summer months the old walnut groves, the dark foliage of the gardens and vineyards, and the golden fields, together with the meadows and woods at the foot of the mountains, give the suburb a certain southern character in the heat of the day and the loud singing of the crickets on the starry warm nights."
Every Bulgarian, when he hears Kyustendil, immediately imagines cherries. And this is no coincidence.
It is well known that this region produces the best Bulgarian cherries, apples and many other fruits and vegetables. Heavy with fruit and colour, autumn in Kyustendil is always beautiful, and the "Fertility Festival", which has been held for years, brings together its bountiful gifts with the endless creative imagination of craftsmen and artists.
But that's not all. Every year the day of the vernal equinox is celebrated. "Kyustendil Spring'' is the country's first contest for the most beautiful girl. The celebration is a combination of youth and beauty, Christian traditions and the awakening of nature from hibernation. Since March 21, 1966, it has been declared an official holiday of the city.
Kyustendil annually dedicates several days of June to the Kyustendil cherry under the title "The Cherry Festival". A cherry fair is held, with the participation of community centres from the municipality of Kyustendil, as well as a market of Kyustendil cherries, with the participation of local farmers.
There are also many more celebrations and festivals that you can learn about when you come to explore the town and feel its atmosphere.
In the thousand-year history of our city, the past, present and future are completely entangled and you cannot untangle their threads. The Hisarlak Fortress is one of the greatest sights.
There are numerous archaeological finds here, which testify to the long and constant use of the fortress in antiquity and the Middle Ages. It has been declared an architectural monument of national importance. Other interesting places worth visiting are the Vladimir Dimitrov-Maistora Art Gallery, the Roman Baths, the House-Museum of Dimitar Peshev, the Iron Bridge and more, and more...
All these places, holidays and events I love and celebrate, but to be honest, I prefer to discover those little beauties invisible to most people. And by photographing them, I want and strive to show through my eyes exactly those random and unique moments.
I love my city in all seasons because it is always beautiful, with lots of parks, greenery, space and tranquility. There is amazing nature around and unique views. Really here "the eye rests" and one indulges in a complete recharge.
How did you get into this type of photography? What does it bring you? What does it give you?
- I can't say exactly when I started taking pictures. I remember as a child looking at and exploring my father's old Russian film camera with interest. I would say that the first steps in photography, purely as technical knowledge, were given to me by him. Later I took pictures with my phone until I bought a digital camera, which I'm using now.
I like every genre of photography and I believe that one should not concentrate on one thing, but on the contrary, try the new and different. Overall, I admit my weakness is landscape and travel photography. I love travelling, exploring new places, learning about new cultures and customs, and in fact, this is the very thing that inspires me. "A man is a man when he's on the road."
The love of the forest, the mountains and the sea......It cannot be described in words. It's in the soul of each of us, I'm sure. It is deeply encoded in our human nature.
And nature..... she is the greatest artist. By taking pictures, we try to capture and preserve every moment we touch, for the time when the moment will touch us.
In the beginning I was just shooting for myself. Eventually I decided that I wanted to be able to convey what I see to other people. The emotion, the feeling, the sensation of each moment is a unique experience and we just have to have the eyes to see it.
I am a person who sees and admires the beauty in every moment. I enjoy the sunrise and that is enough to start my day great. I salute all the people who "have eyes" for the small everyday beauties around us, noticing the unnoticeable and taking pictures to share it with others.
Photography is magic... It is the freedom to be yourself and express your individual point of view. It introduces one to a new and infinite world... a totally different dimension. I want to say to all who love it: no matter how, professional or amateur, never and for anything in the world stop taking pictures!
How do you choose what to shoot? Do you make a plan of places you want to go to shoot or does it all happen on Prima Vista?
- Actually you have them both. Even if I have a plan that I follow, I always find another hundred different viewpoints that catch my attention. For example, we organize a trip to see a waterfall, but along the way we discover a few more places to stop, enjoy, photograph. The weather conditions are very important, and if they don't allow the planned object to be photographed, then there is absolutely always something else worth photographing. I've noticed, travelling with the person next to me (I'm with him most of the time - and this is the time to thank him), that wherever we go, we are pleasantly surprised and highly impressed.
I recently photographed an abandoned church around Kyustendil, which was not the object of the walk, but we came across it quite by accident. It was as if one day time just stopped. The place was magical. The feeling was very different from anything else in everyday life.On our way, we met some elderly people who were stranded with their car. We helped them, and they let me take pictures of them...and it actually turned out to be some pretty good spontaneous shots.
Another story that happened recently. And we come across a group of paragliders.... I change the focus and subject of the photos super fast. The moment of the unknown is always with us.
The stories are many. Now that I think about it, I've seen a little and failed an awful lot, still. But nothing happens without a plan.
You always consider the season, the weather, the position of the sun. Dozens of questions are constantly going through your head. - Will it rain?
- Will the picture be "clear"?... When I shoot a sunset or a sunrise... There is no moving here. Everything is planned, you take into account the time, the hour, the location and you go early, set up the equipment and... wait for the right moment. Of course, it is quite possible that this moment may not be today, it may just be some other day, but I always go again in the hope that I will catch the moment. Now you may ask: What is this perfect moment? - Actually... We're not going to talk about the perfect shot, because what or who is...perfect? For you, for me, for someone else? There is no such thing. It's all about feeling and perception. When one wants something very badly, it just happens! The camera is almost always with me now, precisely because of these unexpected moments that should not be missed.
What's the biggest challenge you've faced while shooting in nature?
- There are always challenges when you are in nature. Whether it's "catching" a quick squirrel, the last minutes of a sunset, the heat of a storm, or a subject in a hard to reach spot, it's always interesting. Even hitting the right time, light and weather conditions is a challenge. It happens sometimes to stand in one place for a long time, it may be raining, it may be cold, or you may have to walk miles to the target in bad weather. And with the clear knowledge that it's entirely possible that it won't work out. Getting in sync with nature and blending in - that's the biggest challenge.
I am an adventurer at heart, I love adrenaline and challenges make the moments even more emotional. Sometimes people who are with me are quite nervous about my shooting position and the location I have chosen - a cliff edge, a swinging bridge over a tributary river... The moments are really many - slippery floor in a cave, overhanging cairns, sheer cliffs, long hikes, high altitudes, crossing a river in cold weather, bad weather conditions, etc. In such situations I seem to forget about the dangers and my own safety, and concentrate only on the pleasure of shooting.
What do you believe in? How does a photographer stay motivated in his work and keep looking for new horizons?
- I believe in good, I believe in people, I believe we can be better! I believe tomorrow will be a better day!
I believe in hope and that there is always opportunity!
I believe that if I dream of something, then it is achievable enough!
I believe in those who tell me they love me!
Photography is a love and passion that never fades and motivates you to a continuous improvement. You want more and more....and more. It is one's view of the world in a unique way.
I'm not a photographer by profession, but I can say that the work is exciting and creative. It is romantic and seemingly light, but that is only seeming. Behind every successful shot is a lot of hard work and preparation. Times are tough for everyone today. But I am convinced that one, through creativity, imagination and out-of-the-box thinking, combined with their punctuality and perseverance will succeed, they just have to believe in themselves!
The photo material used is from the personal archive of Vasilena Grigorova.
For more information contact Vasilena at the following links: