Ivaylo Donchev gifts impressive shots of the grown-up child prodigy in athletics
A series of impressive on-field shots of the grown-up child prodigy of Bulgarian athletics, Lilyana Georgieva, with a Nikon, were gifted by photographer Ivaylo Donchev after he gave a practical lesson to his colleagues behind the lens on how to photograph an athlete. The choice of different viewpoints to emphasize the model's character and the emotion of the moment – from warming up, through training flexibility, balance, concentration, and endurance, to the start and running on the track – everything is attention to detail, Ivo explained.
He demonstrated how to work in a well-lit hall and in an insufficiently lit one, as well as with flashes and various light modifiers. He explained how to build a trusting relationship with the athlete and how to achieve drama in the shot.
"I'm as excited as when I'm at the start of a competition. Maybe even a little more, because I train every day for running, but not for photography," admitted the 23-year-old athlete, who has 15 long-distance running records to her name and this year became national champion in the 1500 and 800 meters.
She won over the photographers with her natural smile, and Ivaylo Donchev – also with her spirit. As the first licensed Red Bull photographer in Bulgaria, he knows how to recognize winners, who always overcome their own hesitations before achieving a high sports result.
"We agreed on how I would photograph her at the Olympics," said Ivo, who had prepared a Bulgarian tricolor flag for the finale of the training photo session, with which he draped Lily and truly moved her.
The event "On the Starting Line with Lilyana Georgieva and Ivaylo Donchev", organized by Dynaphos, took place at the end of November in Asics Arena in Sofia with the assistance of "Academica 2011" and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. With the assistance of Nikon Bulgaria, those who participated in the training had the opportunity to test various Nikon camera models and Nikkor lenses in a dynamic environment.
Ivaylo Donchev's shots, which he gifts to Lily, will be used for her 2024 calendar. Some of them you can see in this article, and more are expected on Dynaphos' Facebook page. You can also follow his overall work on his professional website.
The photos from the event in the gallery to the article are by photographer Dilyana Gergova.
