Dilyana Gergova: My camera is a good way for me to communicate with people
You’ve seen her dozens of times. She shares her experience or experiments live behind the lens of her Canon in the Dynaphos studio. Or there again, talking to a colleague, trying to understand more about his view of the world through his camera. She has published numerous shots over 15 years. However, the ones she distinguishes herself are no more than 20. She is not yet sure if they are enough for an exhibition. But if she had to make one and give it a name, it would be something related to her imaginary world. We present to you photographer Dilyana Gergova - she has been shooting for a quarter of a century, but it turns out she doesn't have a full-face shot with a camera in hand.
First Steps in Photography
"I started shooting in my student years. At first, I would borrow my brother's camera; he'd let me use it. I struggled with it a lot, couldn't take good pictures. Then I bought a camera, which I also couldn't shoot with. And there was even a standstill where I was afraid to learn it. But when it happened, the camera somehow became an inseparable part and is always with me."
This is how Dilyana Gergova's story behind the lens begins. At that stage, she prefers to see landscapes through it. Her camera back then was a film Canon.
She took her first photo, which sparked a passion, on a long trip with friends. "The Great Basilica in Pliska - maybe that was my first shot where I had some composition. If you look at it now, you'll see it's tilted 10% to the side, with some thorns I tried to clean with editing software. But this photo was different from the others," Dilyana recalls. Landscapes soon gave way to her friends in front of her lens. And after the very first photoshoot, she realized that from now on, she would prefer to photograph people.
"Since I'm not someone who talks a lot with other people, I'm more anxious, I realized this was a good way for me to communicate."
Besides the transition from landscapes to people, Dilyana made another one - from a film camera to a digital one. She ordered it from abroad, and when her friend brought it to her, the Canon superzoom (with manual settings) immediately went into action. Later, with her university scholarship, she bought a DSLR camera.
"I remember - there was only one display model left, covered in dust – that was my model. And so, slowly, gradually, I acquired lenses"...
However, her passion doesn't turn her into a slave to technology.
"I've never been a tech fanatic: wanting to try the newest, most expensive. For me, the camera is a tool, and I use it to capture what I want," Dilyana says. She has owned 5 cameras. She now works with the Canon EOS R system and is a fan of prime lenses.
And for her 5-year-old daughter, who currently shoots with an instant camera but also likes to borrow hers, she smilingly admits that it's probably time to buy her own. With one extremely important characteristic: it must be shockproof.
The preparation process and the magic of the shot
Dilyana Gergova doesn't take many shots from a session, and especially for her conceptual photography, she summarizes: "I work for one shot." When asked how she knows when she has achieved it, she replies:
"As soon as I see it on the camera display, I know that will be the shot, and for me, it's more connected to a certain emanation and mood it carries."
She can find inspiration in an image, an illustration, a book, or even a specific motif or theme.
"Usually, I first have a tiny seed of an idea of what I want to shoot, then the idea transforms a thousand times. It's quite a slow process for me. But before I start shooting, I usually have made a sketch, I know what emotion and composition I'm aiming for in the shot."
Then she chooses the model. She doesn't hide that she likes the people she works with. But for each specific idea, she thinks in advance about who exactly it would suit.
Experiments and lessons
"I like to experiment, but I'm not very brave," Dilyana Gergova admits without hesitation. She enjoys experimenting most of all with light and with various improvised materials. Lately, she has collected all sorts of glass pieces from jewelry, from sink handles – glass, in different shapes, to introduce certain effects into the shot.
Otherwise, she doesn't insist that it be technically perfect. She prefers to provoke others to feel or reflect with it. "I want to take photos that people don't just pass by because they see a beautiful face, because there are many beautiful people everywhere, but ones that stop you for a bit longer, unlock some emotion, or create a specific association."
Why she works with Dynaphos equipment
"Dynaphos offers a wide variety of equipment. It's good to have access to different things, because they unlock your creativity in different directions – whether you shoot with continuous lighting or impulse lighting, you can create something interesting from anywhere. Ultimately, the equipment gives you opportunities," Dilyana Gergova points out.
And for 2023, her personal challenge will be to challenge herself - to try atypical things for her when shooting. I challenge her to reveal what she wants to gain from the conversations she has with other photographers in the Dynaphos studio.
"There's nothing in photography where you can say – this is done this way, only this way, it's correct this way. I invite people to show their style, their way of thinking."
Dilyana Gergova's first creative experience for this year will be in February. She is still planning it, but her goal will once again be a conceptual shot. Dynaphos wishes her many such. And finally, to stand in front of the lens with a camera in hand :)
More about Dilyana Gergova's work and how to contact her can be found on her website, on her Facebook and Instagram profiles, as well as by following our online events on our Facebook page.
