Vera Gotseva with a philosophical story about what it's like "to shoot on the road"
Photographer and journalist, known by her pseudonym Lomovera, as well as for her innovative photography courses and trainings, Vera Gotseva stood before our camera in our F2Studio, to reveal to a live audience what it means "to photograph on the road."
The live stream, simultaneously broadcast on Youtube and Facebook channels of Dynaphos, enriched the photographer's story with psychological and philosophical content. Her professional biography includes 9 exhibitions and numerous photo publications in media both domestically and abroad. This is not by chance. Besides having a philosophical background, Vera Gotseva also shared her preferred focus in her work - psychological and social photography.
What does it mean to photograph on the road?
"To photograph on the road is not simply to literally move in a car, stop, take out a camera and shoot something, put it away and continue, but rather to be led by an inner process where the inner direction is just as important as the external navigation."
From this starting point, Vera Gotseva invited us on a journey on the road with a camera in hand. She shared that before starting to lead the now popular 10-year photo weekends, where a small group of people travel across Bulgaria, photographing and experiencing the journey together, she herself underwent her own journey of photography. Lasting several years, it became a project named: "Postcards to My Father." In it, Vera Gotseva photographed various places she had visited with her father before he passed away.
"It was during this personal journey that I understood what it means to photograph on the road."
And from then until today, she asserts that the theme "to photograph on the road" has been an inseparable part of her.
What story do we tell and how do we see the shot?
For Vera Gotseva, the most important question is what story we are telling. According to her, on one hand, we create situational photography – what we encounter on the road. And we must be as open as possible to tell it.
"But in fact, all the time we are telling our internal story. Perhaps the most important thing at the beginning, when one 'hits the road,' is to realize what story they want to tell."
And to see the shot on the road, we need to practice so-called "conscious photography," Vera Gotseva continues, adding a dose of humor.
"If we are driven by this internal story of ours and realize what motivates us, besides gasoline or diesel, we begin to see the shots on the road."
And according to her, very often the interesting shots are not those that others expect to see, but quite the opposite - those that are in the shadow, or at least not in such a brightly lit part.
What to bring?
We bring what we can shoot with, no matter what it is. This is the universal answer to the question of what to pack "on the road for shooting." Vera Gotseva always has her phone and her Sony with a few lenses. But, true to the psychological aspect of travel, she states:
"Besides the equipment, we also bring with us the ability to be surprised and to be as honest as possible about what is happening to us as an internal process."
In summary of the meaning of "to photograph on the road," Vera Gotseva explained:
"To photograph on the road means to actually tell your own story in the most conscious way possible – and, of course, if you can, with the best technical means. To be aware that even though you are open to other people's stories, landscapes, and situations, you continue to tell your own story."
And why seek light and shadow; what "movement" on the road means, how to practice conscious photography, and what colors tell us – watch the video from the live stream of the event "Photography on the Road with Vera Gotseva" here or here.
You can learn more about Vera Gotseva's work on her professional website, Instagram, and Facebook. And about our streaming setup – in the article in our blog, entirely dedicated to it.
