Valentin Kirov
He has been involved in photography since 1970. In 1981, he became a member of the Bulgarian Photo Club (the oldest photo club in Bulgaria) and the Representative Photo Club at the Central Student Cultural Centre in Sofia, where an exceptional creative atmosphere prevailed under the expert artistic guidance of photographer Zhivko Arabov. The active photographic life in the country, as well as the strong creative competition within the club, led to the rapid development of a number of talents, including Valentin Kirov. Numerous participations and awards in national and international competitions followed. In 1984, he was awarded the title of photographer-artist, and in 1987, the prestigious AFIAP (Artiste FIAP) title by the International Federation of Photographic Art. He has over 100 participations in national and international competitions (under the patronage of FIAP, PSA, Kodak, Ilford, Polaroid, ORWO, etc.), from which he has received numerous awards. For three consecutive years, he won a gold plaque from the most prestigious competition in Japan - Asahi Shimbun, First Prize for Portrait at an international competition in Romania, Second Prize for Nude Photography in Belgium, the Grand Prize at the "Stilb" Experimental Photography competition in Yambol, Photography Biennial '83 - diploma and bronze medal, and more. He served as a jury member for numerous international competitions under the patronage of FIAP. In 1983, he began working as a professional photographer. From 1986 to 1988, he was a photographer and photo editor for the prestigious home furnishings and interior design magazine "Nash Dom."
In 1990, together with partners, he established one of the first private advertising agencies in Bulgaria. Later, he founded a new advertising agency with a primary focus on advertising photography. He worked for numerous magazines such as "Manager," "Everything for Women," "Wedding Catalog," and others. Professionally, he covers a wide range in the field of advertising photography: fashion, portrait, jewelry, furniture and furnishings, interior and exterior, product photography, and more. He is one of the founders of the Association of Advertising Photographers in Bulgaria. He teaches advertising photography at New Bulgarian University.
website: http://www.studioblick.com phone: +359 2 963 41 15
