MadePro Conference 2025 – where inspiration meets professionalism
The MadePro Conference once again brought together renowned names from the global photography scene and is the best opportunity in Bulgaria to meet recognized professionals in person, ask them questions, and draw inspiration from their experience. It created an atmosphere that encouraged all enthusiasts to discover their own style and path in photography.
MADEPRO Conference 2025 took place on April 25-27, with interesting masterclasses in the preceding days by Sacha Leyendecker (Sensual and Erotic Photography) and Noelle Mirabella (Childhood Photography).
The hall was full, and here are some of the speakers and demonstrations that made it happen this year.
Over the three days of the event, participants had the opportunity to meet inspiring speakers and experience powerful emotions. But the entire hall was brought to its feet by the multiple award-winner Noelle Mirabella (Cassandra Jones). Her deep sensitivity to human experiences and her professional background as a clinical psychologist shape her distinctive photographic style, inspired by the power of storytelling. She literally moved the audience to tears with her personal story and the captivating narratives behind the shots she presented. It was definitely the most emotional meeting of the conference, and the audience reacted quite emotionally. Her personality and her captivating work, which doesn't just share images but tells stories that provoke empathy, build connections, and remind us of our humanity, left a lasting impression.
Ewa Mazurkiewicz is a Polish photographer specializing in emotional maternity and newborn photoshoots, inspired by her personal journey as a mother. For her demonstration during MadePro, we provided lighting with which she showed how she captures the tenderness and warmth of the most intimate stage of a woman's life - pregnancy. She did this with 2 sets that we built on stage, for which the following were used:
Portable Battery-Powered TTL Monoblock GODOX WITSTRO AD600PRO II
Portable Battery-Powered TTL Monoblock GODOX WITSTRO AD400PRO
Portable Flash GODOX Witstro AD200PRO II TTL
Folding Softbox 30x140 cm
Silver Reflective Umbrella 150 cm Fibro
Translucent Diffuser for Umbrellas 150 cm
Pavlin Ivanov – Bashmotion and Bohos Topakbashian presented a behind-the-scenes look at a profession that requires passion, technique, and vision simultaneously. The audience was introduced to stories from personal life, practice, and a demonstration of how cinema and music can intertwine into powerful visual narratives.
Boris Urumov (with whom we have also had events in our studio) is a photographer and videographer with a strong sense of performing arts, who transforms every production into a powerful visual experience. During MadePro, he shared how he builds a complete visual identity for cultural projects through photography and video.
This was his second appearance on stage at the conference after Encho Naydenov invited him to model in his demonstration. The question he posed to the audience was whether we need the widest possible aperture and how we can create a more creative portrait. Here, the Godox Knowled MS60R also joined in.
Rafa Rodero is a marketing and sales expert for photographers, author of two books, and creator of mentoring programs that help photographers turn their talent into a successful business. In his lecture at MadePro, he gave practical advice and strategies on how to sell photos more easily and regularly, even in a highly competitive environment.
In an episode of the podcast by Zhivko Batakchiev, which took place on stage after the lecture part of the second day, Lyubo Sergeev was a guest. It was a conversation filled with valuable insights into the path to success, creativity, and the balance between artistry and business. Lyubo Sergeev spoke about the creative journey, professional lessons on how to build a personal presence in a competitive environment. Lighting from Dynaphos and Nanlite was used for the podcast.
LED Panel Dynaphos LDX100 BI
Kit of 4 LED RGB Tubes Nanlite PavoTube II 15X
LED RGBWW Tube KNOWLED TP8R
The conference concluded with Elina Kechicheva - the Bulgarian whose shots are behind iconic campaigns for DIOR and NIKE, impressed participants with her deeply personal visual language and the bold intertwining of aesthetics and content. From Burgas to Paris and the world's fashion runways, her path is an example of how talent, when combined with vision and perseverance, can revolutionize entire industries. At MadePro, she inspired not only photographers but everyone who believes that art can change perspectives.
All the inspiring speakers on the MadePro stage during the three days can be seen here.
In the foyer of the hall, participants had the opportunity to meet all sponsors and exhibitors, test various equipment, browse promotional materials, or simply have an interesting conversation with like-minded individuals or partners.
We also presented an opportunity to get acquainted up close with lighting from Godox and Nanlite, including the latest solutions: Our team there consulted interested parties on the capabilities of the lighting, which certainly garnered interest.
Again, we focused on lighting, but we also provided an opportunity to test Samyang and Laowa lenses at the stand. Some of the interesting new solutions that were available at the stand are:
Godox Knowled F400R Flexible RGB LED Panel
Godox Knowled F400R Inflatable Softbox for RGB Panel
Godox Knowled MS60R
In the gallery, you can see more shots from what happened on stage and in front of the hall.
Save the dates October 7-8! The next meeting with MadePro Connect will be in Veliko Tarnovo, and the topic is "Wedding and Children's Photography."
The dates for the next conference, traditionally in Pomorie, have also been set: April 24-26.
See you there!
