Travel photographer Minko Mihaylov: I love to shoot at sunrise. There is light and no tourists
He isn't a tourist, but he travels constantly. When he's not on the road, he's planning his next destination. And in his backpack, he carries two cameras and lenses. We introduce Minko Mihaylov – the Plovdiv native, in love with his hometown, who has won over 50 gold medals from prestigious international photography competitions and dozens of other awards, and who continues to seek the beauty of the world to share it with others.
In the beginning, there was macro photography
His journey as a photographer began nearly 30 years ago. He did it with a film Zenit camera, which wasn't even his. At that time, he was a biology student, and he and his wife passionately roamed mountains, lakes, and rivers in search of rare plant species.
"My wife and I explored the 'Chervenata Stena' reserve above Asenovgrad, looking for orchids. My first photos were of these legally protected flowers. The thrill came from being able to reproduce the beauty I saw on film. I copied it, then showed it to others. These photos ended up in a brochure, and that gave meaning to everything."
Minko remained on the macro wave when he switched from a film to a digital camera. He chose Pentax. With it, he began to photograph more landscapes, portraits, and wild animals. He also developed a passion for street photography.
The passion for travel photography
Travel photography captivated him because it combines many genres.
"I like it because of its diversity – it has everything. And wherever you go, everything is interesting. That also provokes you," Minko admits.
And so, provocation after provocation, his traveler's portfolio became increasingly filled with shots. The shots became professional, and from an adventurer, Minko Mihaylov transformed into a passionate travel photographer, for whom the most interesting photo journey is always the last one.
His funniest stories have happened in India.
His last trip for 2023
India was his last trip for 2023. At the end of November, in the Dynaphos studio, he presented for the first time to the public his photo narrative of this vast country. The 60 photographs that we enjoyed digitally told stories both from the tourist buzz of the Golden Triangle and from the less glamorous, but still colorful, different, and even incomprehensible to Europeans, daily life of local people in the Sacred Cities of the Ganges.
"Every photographer wants their shots to tell stories or to speak for themselves. I'm happy if someone standing before my photo fantasizes, if my photo provokes them to imagine something. But I'd be even happier, for example, if they're browsing my photos online – and they return and open one again. That means something resonated with them."
Minko's shots definitely stirred the emotions of the audience in our studio. Laughter, wonder, even bewilderment and a touch of sadness were evoked by the moments that captured the photographer's stories from India. Some of them – told in black and white, behind whose graphic nature surged the vividness of emotions. Like the shot of a young man among two buffaloes – one of Minko's two favorite photos from this trip.
"It wasn't staged – the young man was playing in the Ganges with the buffaloes, which were clearly his, because he was bathing them, soaping them. Well, it's clear that tourists were photographing him. I did a whole session, and even returned the next day to photograph him again," smiles the photographer, who captured the young man's world in the gentle and seemingly frozen-in-time-and-space care for the animals in the sacred river.
Expect more about the photo journey in the video on our YouTube channel at the beginning of next year. And here, we continue to journey through Minko Mihaylov's story with
His favorite time for shooting
Minko's favorite time for taking photos is sunrise.
"Because you have light and no tourists. Otherwise, the light at sunset is great too, but there are too many tourists," explains the photographer.
Two years ago, fate challenged him precisely in this regard. During a photo trip through Namibia, COVID closed its borders. Minko's group remained inside.
"It was a difficult situation, a bit extreme in places. I felt like we were the only tourists... But we could go to all the places we wanted to see."
In his travel life, through the lens and beyond, Minko has already seen dozens of countries. But he doesn't turn every trip into an exhibition. So far, there have been three: Asia, Morocco, Plovdiv.
"The shots from Plovdiv – they are my favorite. This is my hometown, my beloved city, the most beautiful city. I have won awards with photos from it. And they make me very happy. Otherwise, I have won many prestigious awards over the years. All of them bring me pleasure; after all, it's an attestation of the work done."
When asked when he will hold his next exhibition, Minko replies that it happens when he focuses on a theme for a longer time. Because he needs time for contemplation. After he has put down his lens.
Why Sony
When he sets off on a journey, Minko only knows some things in advance. Others he leaves to the moment. What he wants to be sure won't cause him problems, however, is his equipment. He trusts Sony Alpha 7 IV and Sony 6300.
"Every photographer will say it – there's no camera that takes the picture itself – it just has to be perfect, and I shouldn't have technical problems related to focus or anything else. Working with Sony gives me security and peace of mind."
For security and peace of mind, he always carries two cameras. If it's dusty, wet, and muddy, he carries them in his backpack, ready to take them out if needed.
"Otherwise, I carry both at once – on one, I keep a wide lens, on the other – a portrait or telephoto lens, so I can react quickly."
The next photo adventure
Minko Mihaylov admits that it is difficult for him to title his photographic journeys himself. He explains that they are like an addiction to him. Here is the latest, with which the new year 2024 will begin:
"My next adventure is in January in Cuba. I'm going for the second time. It's ideal for street photography."
We eagerly await what Minko Mihaylov will tell us from there. And if, while reading his story, you also felt like embarking on a journey around the world, you can first travel through his photographs in the gallery accompanying this article and through his professional profiles on Facebook and Instagram.
