After their adventure in the Himalayas, Ivan Miladinov and Veliko Karachiviev are preparing an exhibition and a film
Landscape and outdoor photographer Ivan Miladinov and videographer Veliko Karachiviev are preparing an exhibition and a film after their adventure in the Himalayas. The works will be the result of their journey in the mountain of eight-thousanders with 20 kg backpacks and a camera in hand. In front of an audience at Dynaphos' studio and a live stream via our Facebook page last night, the two spoke about the extreme conditions under which they filmed. Ivan - with one camera and two lenses, Veliko - with a camera and a tripod.
“I decided I wanted to photograph all 14 eight-thousanders - this includes peaks in Nepal, eventually in China - Tibet, and Pakistan. And actually, the big problem comes from the fact that to a large extent, some of them are difficult to access from the point of view of the countries they are located in - they have restricted access. The other thing is - there's a huge boom - not only among photographers and in travel but also in mountaineering. Records are broken every year by more and more people. And a light bulb went off in my head that something big is happening right now, a turning point.”
For this moment, the two prepared with equipment, technology, funds, as well as logistically, physically, and mentally.
“My philosophy is that things have to happen for me to photograph them... So from ordinary tourists, we turned into something between a tourist, a masochist, a photographer, and a mountaineer,” Ivan Miladinov summarized his experience of climbing Everest for the photos.
His equipment: 2 cameras Sony A7R V and Sony A7C, two lenses Sigma AF 28-70 mm f2.8 DG DN and Sigma AF 16-28 mm f2.8 DG DN, which he claims are "the best balance between weight, image quality, compactness." To these, he adds 4 batteries and a power bank for electricity-independent charging. Besides the undeniably important choice of equipment, the conclusion is also in another direction:
“I have always believed that for a photo, the most important thing is the person behind the camera. But when conditions are on the edge, it's important what you're shooting with and how you're dressed.”
It turns out that the weather in the Himalayas is also changing, according to locals. Just like the tourists' interest in the place. As a result, the lives of the people there are changing "drastically," they are becoming "increasingly solvent because tourism supports them." And the path to the peaks is becoming highly commercialized, testify Ivan and Veliko.
“There's a terrible crowd and it ruins the pleasure a little. Because - you've climbed to 5 thousand meters, but another 200-300 people have climbed with you on the same day. It's cool, but you can't feel nature that way,” says Ivan Miladinov, who also didn't hide his disappointment that local hoteliers view people like them as "walking wallets."
Despite all this, despite the difficulties during the trek, associated with acclimatization and climbing with weight on their backs, despite the bad weather - the foggy veil, the clouds, and frequent rainfall - the two are glad they managed to get their shots. For Ivan - overcoming his back pain. For Veliko - dealing with insomnia at 4 thousand meters and "something between a panic attack and claustrophobia," which brought him back to lower villages several times. He is still trying to explain what affected his psyche:
“I remember what I felt and I can't explain why. I have some explanation, of course. The main reason - I felt it even then - was the bad weather. For a week in front of us, no peak was revealed - mainly because of the fog and clouds that blocked everything. And I was very angry. I had gone to 4 thousand meters and whether I was in Gorublyane or the Himalayas - it was all the same: I could see 10 meters in front of me. And this was all day long. At most, a small peak would appear from time to time... And this really got me down at first. When the weather cleared up and all the beauty was revealed before us - then one forgets everything.”
Having set off with Ivan to try and make "a travel documentary about this journey," Veliko adds:
“Filming a movie with one camera and one lens is quite complicated. I had brought another camera as a backup, but halfway through the trip, I left it in one of the huts because it was too heavy. So I really ended up with one camera and one lens. And a tripod, of course. That was the equipment - I didn't have a gimbal, I didn't have a drone. I really wanted to take a drone, but it turned out to be forbidden due to the constantly low-flying helicopters.”
He plans to start working on his film soon. And he sincerely hopes to have it ready for the Bansko Film Fest in September.
“I filmed with Sony's S three because it allowed me a lot of flexibility for night shots and shooting at high ISO. And one lens (I had taken two, a small "Samyang," but Ivan and I realized that we didn't need a wide-angle in the Himalayas - I used a GoPro for wide-angle): the Tamron 35-150 mm lens - it turned out to be quite versatile.”
What will be in Veliko Karachiviev's hour-long film remains to be seen. Just as we will look forward to the exhibition that Ivan Miladinov aims to present. About his most beautiful shot, how he captured it, and why he believes that "the truth about good photos is patience"; what a bridge over 60-70 meters looks like through Veliko's lens, for which you queue with a hundred other people to cross; and what - "wardrobes" that come towards you and you later see are Sherpas... And much more from their emotions and experiences during their adventure in the Himalayas - listen and watch the live stream here.
And you can get acquainted with their work beyond the Himalayas project at Magic Hour Dreamscapes- Photography by Ivan Miladinov and on Veliko Karachiviev's website.
The photos in the article are by Dilyana Gergova.
