Ivaylo Donchev: Photographing an extreme athlete is about building trust – both of us only get one shot

When photographing an extreme athlete, the most important thing is to be able to connect with the person because we only have one attempt. This is what Bulgaria's first licensed Red Bull photographer claims. Starting his photography journey as a skateboarder, today he dreams of trying every sport he professionally views through his lens. We present to you Ivaylo Donchev.

Interest in photography started with skateboarding

His interest in photography emerged when he was 15-16 years old and actively skateboarding.

"It was like an interest to document what my friends and I were doing on the skateboard – everyone wanted to see their trick from the side, how it looked," Ivaylo recounts.

The amateur photos he took then with the family analog Konika bring back his excitement, as he remembers how they would go to get a combined contact sheet with all the shots to choose which ones to print on paper. 

He admits that taking photos came easier and more naturally to him compared to others. However, he owes his serious "encounter" with photography to Dolores Alvarado. She became his first teacher and mentor behind the lens.

"She gave me my first camera – a Praktica. She taught me how to develop photos, how to copy them. With that camera, I started shooting only black and white. And I looked at photography with thought. Because when you shoot analog, you first have to imagine the shot and then take it." 

The path to professional photography 

Almost 20, Ivaylo already had a clear direction for his photography, although he went from the benches of the mathematical high school in Sliven to the desks of the University of Forestry, preparing to be a landscape architect. But a difficult period in his life led him to the Netherlands, where he returned to photography. 

"There, I enrolled in documentary photography. I found myself in the heart of World Press Photo, and that opened my mind to many things related to photography."

In the Netherlands, he also bought his first Nikon, which he gradually equipped with lenses. He says he "got used to the system," although he has tried others, and he still relies on it today.

"I'm super happy, I don't need to change it. And since I've never been technically oriented, I don't have that in me – what to buy, what to change it with. I can shoot with anything. For me, it's important to do my job, and the tool doesn't matter."

Technique and inspiration

His current tool is a Nikon Z8, and his second body is a Nikon Z6. He has equipped himself with lenses that cover the entire range from 15 to 200 mm. With this arsenal, he has amassed a serious archive of various sports representatives. He admits that he "super much" loves his job "because of meeting people, because of the whole experience when traveling." Among his other revelations are those about the "special" shots he likes the most. With one of them, he achieved global recognition.

"This photograph is of one of the best skaters in Bulgaria and a very close friend of mine – Vladimir Ivanov - the Gibbon. We were both in a foreign country chasing our dreams. Back then, he was sponsored by a Spanish team, and we spent a month in Zaragoza shooting. In one of the spots where he was warming up, I saw a pattern. With these pathways of lines he was moving along, it was really cool, and I told myself - there's something in this shot." 

Three years later, with this photo, Ivaylo reached the semi-finals of Red Bull. He has been their licensed photographer since early 2021. 

Success

After the recognition from Red Bull, he feels that people in sports circles are starting to trust him more.

"The other thing is that I work with the best extreme athletes. I meet many Red Bull athletes both in Bulgaria and outside our country. And this is the biggest change in my professional field. My horizons for work and contacts are expanding."

According to him, however, "not every project can be the dream one," and sometimes he says he makes compromises. And his definition of success sounds like a definition of being free. 

"Success is being able to choose who you work with, having the freedom of creativity, and setting your own price."

The most important thing is building a connection with the person in front of the lens

Through skateboarding, Ivaylo understood that people on both sides of the lens must focus solely on their part of the job. This is especially true for extreme athletes, for whom it is dangerous. That's why he invests time in getting to know the people he will photograph and the sport itself.

"When they see that I know their sport, they switch off the part of thinking whether I will cope with my part of the job. Because we only have one attempt. Both of us. By building such a connection, I feel people relax and trust me." 

Projects for the future

Ivaylo still skateboards, but rarely. He dedicates time, energy, and passion to new sports because – as he himself claims – he wants to try every sport he photographs. And to continue discovering the story of the person in front of his lens. 

At the end of August, he will be photographing a rally in Croatia. His autumn projects begin in Bulgaria. Among them – also with Dynaphos. Stay tuned!

The photos in the article are by Ivaylo Donchev and were provided by him for publication in the Dynaphos blog. More about him can be found on his author's website.