Landscapes 2025 | Photography

It's the Fourth of December and the last month of the calendar. My very own calendar. Something I've wanted to create for quite some time now. I'm very happy with how the final product turned out. And it fit perfectly into the year 2025. The selection was just right, each month has its own uniqueness to it. It was fun looking at the landscapes throughout the year. They are rich in color, full of details, and have interesting compositions. The background colors complement each landscape, and I'm pleased to say that I did not make any mistakes with the dates! All jokes aside, this project is something that I hold very close to my heart. I spent hours making the selection and then the design, I even carried the boxes in the snow! And as promised, half of the profit went to the local homeless animals organisation. I'll forever be grateful to the people who decided to support me and my work and got a copy. If you're interested in the stories behind each of the landscapes, scroll down and dive in!

Lake Pancharevo, Sofia | January

This landscape is from a few years back. A period in my life in which I often went there. That day I was off work, and it was snowing. I prepared myself for the cold: gloves, warm clothes, and a thermos full of hot tea. I spent a few hours there, walking, taking photographs and videos while looking for new and unfamiliar paths... It was on one of those that this view appeared. The fresh snow made the scene look almost like a painting, and I was in awe. It was just as beautiful as it was cold.

Rila Mountain | February

This was on the way down from Musala peak, on January 1, 2024, around two years ago. On the way back, we had split into two groups moving at different paces. I was with the second one, and I actually didn't take that many photographs; I was mainly admiring the mountain. Shortly after this photograph was created, the group leader stopped and said to me: "You know, in my early years as a mountain guide, I also looked at the mountain like this, the way you've been looking at it since yesterday... Your eyes never stop wandering. It's obvious that you enjoy being here, in the mountains." And he was right. It was as if I had teleported into a postcard, how could I not like that?

The Wonderful Rocks, Asparuhovo | March

This was one of those adventures that appear in the last minute. Someone got sick, and a spot opened. Most of the time, I didn't know what was happening, I have to admit. I was just grateful to be there. In our free time, we visited the Wonderful Rocks, a stunning natural phenomenon. Due to the drought, the river was almost empty, and the little stream reminded me of Harry Potter's scar, in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Botev Peak, The Balkan Mountains | April

First real hike in the mountains. I was amazed by the many cows that just live on top of the mountain. It must be so much fun to be a cow in the Balkan Mountains. This is one of the many photographs I have with cows. While I was editing them, this one stood out from the rest. I uploaded it in a few different places, and people's reaction was really unexpectedly good. I like it for its heart, but apparently there's something else to it... It seemed perfect for April, the season of the bull.

Seven Rila Lakes, Rila Mountains | May

It was cloudy and it looked like it was going to rain. Maybe that's why I wasn't in a hurry to see all of the lakes. While I was next to The Twins, it started to rain. I didn't feel like going back to the tents, but I knew I had to. Nor did I know how much it would rain, nor how much it would actually rain. The rain made everything more colorful and I didn't feel like going to camp even more. I stopped in front of these wild flowers and took a few pictures. The people with raincoats were among the last ones, the rest left quickly. After they passed me, the rain intensified sharply and they started running towards the hut. I raised my camera and at the last moment I managed to catch them. And of course, ten minutes later it stopped raining.

Balkan Mountains | June

I was in Tarnovo for a few days. I had some free time and was wondering where to go for a walk, I was feeling extra adventurous. I had decided to take a one-day trip to the seaside. While I was looking at the train schedule for the next day, a friend called. They were going to go to Botev Peak and a spot opened at the last minute. There was nothing to think about, I immediately accepted. Shortly before reaching the hut where we would spend the night, I noticed the cows on the neighboring hill. I waited for the clouds to settle and for the dark gradient from their shadows on the ground to appear. I took the picture and moved on.

Pomorie | July

April. Rain, wind, and a photography conference for which I found myself there. We rented an apartment 5 minutes away from the coast. The weather was shaping up to be cloudy and rainy. There was some charm in that, but it was at the end of April, right around my birthday. I got exactly two sunrises, one on my first day there, and thankfully, one on my birthday. This is the first of the two. I was shooting with a tripod and a filter, playing with the blurring of the water. I wasn't alone on the beach and when I saw a person entering the composition, I thought about how many pictures are actually better with the presence of a human figure in them. I took the photograph, without any expectations, after all, they are moving, and I have a filter and settings for long exposures. I definitely didn't expect the silhouette to be a triple one and so perfect. If I had planned it, it wouldn't have turned out so well.

Seven Rila Lakes, Rila Mountain | August

Because of our spontaneous decision to stay another night in the Rila Mountains, we had some time to kill. That day, everyone was somewhere. I walked up to the lakes, it was my first time there and I wanted to take a leisurely walk. With each subsequent lake, the people visibly grew in numbers. There weren't many people on the Trefoil and I stayed for a bit. It was beautiful and peaceful. While enjoying the view, I noticed that the sharp peak of the piece of rock resembled the Haramiya, the sharp peak in the distance. I found my composition and managed to capture them together.

Rhodope Mountains | September

We got up early to catch the golden hour over the Rhodopes. We went a little above the cemetery of the village of Mugla, exactly where we were told not to go, because a few days back a bear was spotted in the area. We decided that the bear must have left by now, and we bravely went up. We exchanged experiences, stories, and created some beautiful landscapes. There weren't that many of us, five people in total. Three of the group decided to return to the village, but the detective and I stayed a little longer to admire the peace and beauty around us.

Veliko Tarnovo | October

My brother and I had a period in which we would get up early and go watch the sunrise. This is one of the many sunrises we experienced together. It was autumn and very cold, but he didn't refuse that morning, despite the low temperatures. After all, he likes the sunrise as well. On this cold, cold morning I noticed how the last dried leaves barely held on to the dry branches, and the fog that stood out so beautifully against the golden leaves in the morning light, and I took the picture.

Bov | November

Before the major renovation of the Bulgarian Railways began, I often traveled with them. I would catch the train to Tarnovo at 7 am, and depending on the season, I would be in the villages and towns deep in the mountains just in time for the first morning light and the golden hour. On the old trains you could get out of the carriage and stand in the hallway... At an open window, with a camera in hand. On one such autumn morning this landscape was created. From the moving train.

Musala Peak, Rila Mountain | December

The cover of this calendar. The best for last, and the last sunset of 2023. First snowy mountain, first hike on Rila. Organized hike, suitable for beginners in the winter mountains. Exactly what I wanted. Because of the many clouds I didn't expect anything colorful in the sky and I wasn't in a hurry to go up, I had nice company and it was cool to be in the snowy mountains. On the last climb, the one with the rope just before the peak, I saw this golden horizon surrounded by cold and darkness and of course, the camera was immediately pointed in that direction. Anyone who watches sunrises and sunsets knows that the scene changes very quickly, and even a minute can be a lot of time. I took a few photographs and finished the climb satisfied.