Day 89 - Joy of ♥ 24: where

Here comes the next one... It's asking where did we first meet, or fell in love with each other. That's hard to tell, first of all, because we come from the same place and we practically have known each other forever. And second of all, it's too hard to determine where and when exactly did we feel those so called butterflies...and maybe too personal to tell aloud ;)

That's why I am attaching a photo of the two of us from Christmas at home in 2008 when we actually met in the real sense of the word, and according to me - we spoke for the first time =D It's been a long journey since then, with ups and downs along the way, but somehow it feels like everything that happened, happened for a reason.

A long story told short.

Author of photo: unknown. (but most probably it's George?! :D)

P.S. Ignore the sober guy behind, he's just a totally different story I'll tell some other time :D

Day 88 - Joy of ♥ 23: awesome FB photo

This assignment wanted me to go around Facebook and look for a super cool photo of a loved one which is so cool that I download and print it to have it forever. It's amazing how many of my friends put at least one of the photos I took of them as a profile photo :))))) It makes my heart smile!

Anyway, I like the idea of printing, it does not occur to me that often lately, while I am focused on capturing unique things on a daily basis.

I did a recent photo of Misho while on a walk around Sofia downtown a few weeks ago, and he put it up as a profile photo on his Facebook.
I think it is the coolest photo of him I did so far :D


Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 87 - Joy of ♥ 22: portrait

Today's task is on portrait. It's no surprise if I told you that my grandma is a favorite person of mine, and therefore one of my most favorite subjects to photograph. She was shy to pose because of the wrinkles she got during her life, but I think they are the most important thing in this photo, after the eyes, of course. I believe you can tell the kind of life a person used to have when he/she was young and the number of times they smiled or frowned by following their wrinkles.



Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 86 - Joy of ♥ 21: hands

Today's post is called hands. It's dedicated to the hands I love.

When I was little I used to spend most of the time literary in the hands of my grandparents. And I learned a big deal from those hands. My grandpa's hands are strong and tireless. He's the most hard-working and determined person I know. And my grandmother's hands are just precious. They are tender and caring, and the food she cooks with them is too good to describe.


Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 85 - Joy of ♥ 20: when they're home

Home is where your heart is.

When my grandfather is home it always shows on his face.
This photo was taken in December when we went to our village Brestovo to look around the house where my grandparents spent most of their lives at. You can see more photos from that same day in the post called Day 26 - Nostalgia.

Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 84 - Joy of ♥ 19: when they're gone

There's this thing about me living in the past at times. I keep dear memories of dear people at hand. I like to surround myself with tons of little gifts, cards, books from those guys. It helps me stay on the positive side and makes me feel loved and at home.

That's a snapshot of my bedroom - this is the giraffe lamp I turn off right before I close my eyes at night, so the last things I see are things that make me feel at peace. I have a frame of me and Dani since she went to the US for a master's degree and I don't get to see her now, also some tiny little gifts I got from her and several other friends. The seaside landscape canvas is a gift from Stella she brought from Sozopol (Black sea resort, south Bulgaria) one summer some years ago. I am a water sign, therefore the sea always feels like home :)))
Most of you would probably recognize the book called The Secret (I also have it in Spanish as a gift from Dani & Stefcho when I was leaving for Spain). Truth is I never read it, but I hold on to it and read through it randomly if I am faced with a situation I have no idea how to fight. I feel safe having the book at hand, even though I never read it all.

I believe people should be in need of hope, when reading books of hope in order for the books to be useful.
The mug goes with a chalk and has a black bubble I can write on, and I like to move it around and write positive things and jokes on it, really works with my fast mood swings :))
That same mug stands on the Little Prince book. It has been my favorite book a long time now, and it's a good size to carry around.
The candles are hand-made by Dani and her mom, and each of them has a different connotation, but as you can guess the brown one smells like chocolate :)))



There are a couple of other snapshots from my bedroom that hold memories and photos of dear people but I'll save that for another time ;)

Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 83 - Joy of ♥ 18: going out

The next post I want to dedicate to the year 2009 and my girls. We used to go out every week and each time would be exciting, glamorous, and never finishing before we are the last ones standing in the disco. You might remember us, if you happened to go to the Big Apple Piano bar at that time.

I'm being nostalgic lately...but with this kind of past, who isn't?! ;)

♥ ♥ ♥


Nikon D60. 18-55mm.
P.S. I don't have a clear memory of who did that photo, but if he/she remembers it, I am totally giving the credit, just give me a sign :)))))))

Day 82 - Joy of ♥ 17: staying in...the office

Okay I admit it. I twisted it up just a little. Lately I feel like this assignment is not as challenging as I wished it would be, with the topics overlapping a few times, but I decided I can challenge myself while in motion. The next topic was called staying in...I just added the office part myself, and here's why.

The last few days we spent in our hometown Sevlievo, north Bulgaria, staying at home with our families. This is also where work is for me. It's the mother ship here. It's where my dad's business is, was, will always be I guess...all things well.
And since office feels more like home around here because of the time we spend in it on a daily basis, I think the twist is okay. Besides, sometimes it feels like people there are family.. :)
My dad is at his office every day, Mon-Sun, so this is what it looks like when staying in.



Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 81 - Joy of ♥ 16: together

Tonight's topic is called together.

This is a photo from last week when we went to Nurnberg, Germany. We were on a business trip, and in the evening we took a walk around town, which by the way is not as bad as I thought. I was feeling quite sick and cold, but curiosity was always my weak spot so we did a brief walk around. There´s a couple of churches, several department stores, and a number of chocolate stores, cafes and some really nice typical German restaurants. In fact, I can recommend one called "Barfusser" (http://www.barfuesser-nuernberg.de/) near the train station. Definitely a must see ;)



Nikon D60, 18-55mm.

Day 80 - Joy of ♥ 15: kiss

So... it's time for kissing ;)))
Here's one of my favorite couples to photograph - Dani & Stefcho. They are huggable, lovable, adorable, and most of all kissable :D I've got a heavy archive of their photos as a couple during our road trips around Europe, and I had some hard time picking the one. I never uploaded photos from their visit in Spain last year, so I decided a photo from Toledo is a perfect fit for this post. There's no special preparation or significant post-processing of this photo, it just happened, like all of their photos as a couple.
Missing these guys big time, always having the best time when they are around!

Toledo, Spain, May 2010.

Nikon D60, 18-55mm.

Day 79 - Joy of ♥ 14: Wedding band

Today's task was to capture a wedding band on the finger of a loved one. It never occurred to me before whether my parents wear they wedding bands or not. I just realized they stopped wearing them a while ago and it didn't change their marriage.
My mom changes jewelry quite often according to her dress, but she doesn't wear the ring on a regular basis anymore. She's keeping it in her box as a dear memory of her wedding day in March 1984. She was proud and happy to put it on for my shot of her holding a photo from the wedding day.


Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 78 - Joy of ♥ 13: routines

Routines really don't need much of an explanation. It's all the things we do daily, and what you see here is a small part of my currently quite messy working space. It's my blog plan-book where I keep track of my posts and ideas, so I know where I am every time I look at it (these days I am awful late, I'm sorry!).



Nikon D700, 50mm.

P.S. last few weeks were really busy and quite mobile since I got to fly a couple of times for work, so no time for blogging :( but this doesn't mean I stopped shooting, I promise ;)))

Day 77 - Joy of ♥ 12: eyes

The joy of love continues with the eyes of a loved one.

Following instructions, and not really, M. and I took a half-n-half photo of our eyes.

Later on, while I was editing this photo all I could hear in my head was "to love is not to look at one another, but to look together in the same direction."

I love eyes. I love capturing them in my photographs. That's what makes portrait photography my most favorite one. Even though you might take one and the same photo too many times from the same position, the eyes would be different almost every time. It's the way it is. And it's amazing.



Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 76 - Joy of ♥ 11: dreams

Next topic is dreams.

Children dream all the time. The older we grow, the less we tolerate dreaming. We try to stay in the present time and fight whatever we are faced with. And we forget about dreaming, thinking now it's not the right time. But that's wrong, because there's never a right time.

Dreams are the fastest escape from reality. They cost nothing, and are as mobile as we are, as brave as we wish... And we can go as far as we push. (my most favorite quote =D)

My sweet little friend Emilie brings a notebook and a bag of color pencils every time we meet. She loves to draw and I love watching her unveiling her imagination on the empty pages. I am sure the dreams in her head are wonderful and colorful, just like her drawing notebook.





Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 75 - Joy of ♥ 10: space

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you lovely people! I hope you always feel warm and cuddly, one way or another ♥

The joy-of-love month is halfway through and I am preparing the last few delayed posts before I catch another plane tomorrow and take off for another couple of days zu Deutschland...ja, ja, alles gut :D

So let's continue with the next one in line: spaces. The real question is "where they are comfortable?".

The photo comes from last night's dinner. It was delicious, for two, and of course, warm and cuddly =)

Our space in the house is our dinning table. It's where we eat, we drink, we talk, we have friends over, and also where we listen to the 7-year-old piano master next door practice, and practice, and practice... :D



Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 74 - Joy of ♥ 9: passions

Today's assignment asked me to document a passion or hobby.

I just got back from Berlin with a suitcase full of wonderful Rausch chocolate. Do I need to say more? ;)



Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 73 - Joy of ♥ 8: love from the heart

The next joy of love topic is called love from the heart. The assignment was to try to capture a "gift" from the heart - something said, promised, done or given by a loved one.

I could probably make more than a thousand photos on this topic with all the faces and the things I was given by friends and family...it makes my heart warm just thinking about all those things said, promised, done and given.

The gift I chose to capture today is a pair of heart-shaped earrings I got from M. last Christmas. They quickly climbed to the top favorites in my jewelry box. And it's not just because they are pretty. When I get a gift that I feel comes from the heart of the person giving it, I hold on to this gift, whatever it is, because it gives me faith, strength and makes me believe in the good side of everything.

So, give and receive with love, and hold on to everything worth loving! And, please, not only on Valentine's day ;)



Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 72 - Joy of ♥ 7: generations

Okay now, a very important post is coming up. It is called generations and it's asking for a photo of as many family members as possible. It's a great idea! We always think we have all the time in the world with our families and loved ones but sometimes it's a little less than all the time in the world. Unfortunately I do not have a photo that applies to this post right now, but I am working on it and as soon as I get it I'll post it.

It feels important and exciting at the same time. Let's see ;)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know it's been almost a year since that post was done, but somehow we got a family photo at my father's birthday this last November 6, 2011. Of course there are people missing here, which is about to be fixed next year I hope :))))

Nikon D700, 50mm.

In this photo: Me, grandma Kerana, grandma Ivanka, dad, uncle Hristo, grandpa Ivan, aunt Rumi, and mom.

Day 71 - Joy of ♥ 6: who they love

Okay, time for the next challenge - who they love.
If you know those guys you already know the ultimate boy love story.

They've been friends forever...actually, they were even born in the same week, only 5 days apart.

I don't remember seeing them separately, they've always been a pair in town and now that I have the insider view I can almost get to the core of it. I say almost, because those friendships have a certain level of privacy that even an insider lacks access to.

I wonder if this is just the boys who make lifetime friendships larger than life...I think not ;)



Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 70 - Joy of ♥ 5: love to hate

The next one is called love to hate. This one got me unprepared, but it also got me thinking. I am usually on the bright side of life, I like to think of happy moments and happy people, but I am a human being of course, so there are times when I go out of order and experience what's called "some nerves".
At least, I can be glad that it was hard to think of a really annoying habit or trait in the people I care about.

It's time to tell about my mom's cakes. Every time I go home to visit my parents I leave with a car full of food, and I am not kidding. I am always begging to get as less food as possible, but no matter how much we remove, there's always too much...And there's always a whole cake from my mom. It's hard to keep a figure with this thing at home, but I do realize there's hardly anything better tasting that can substitute it on my breakfast table. So, I just have to love it and hate it at the same time ;)

The leftovers - a good or a bad thing? I'd say always good =P



Nikon D700, 50mm.

Day 69 - Joy of ♥ 4: what they wear

Hey! I am having too many busy days in a row and I cannot get to sit and work on blog photos these days, but I hope I get some fresh air anytime soon...well, this seems impossible until the following weekend, but let's see...

The next task in line is called what they wear. I chose photo from the happy old times in Madrid last spring when me and my dear friend Magdalena went out to the Retiro park for a walk in the sun and just to shoot something pretty. Well, here's a photo of something pretty I shot that day.

So, what is Magda wearing? She's always in a funny mood, wearing her sunshine smile, 90% of the time she's in a mini skirt (of course, those legs deserve to be admired :P) she also has her camera on, and her navy-blue Longchamp bag. The top says Hard Rock Cafe on the front if you failed to read that, and this girl knows how to wear it!




Nikon D60, 18-55mm.

P.S. Magda, if you read this: sit down on your se*y behinds and write me at least a one-sentence email if you are still alive, pleaaaase! miss u!! :))))))))))

Day 68 - Joy of ♥ 3: then and now

Today's assignment is called "then and now". This sounded simple.

I have a good friend, a classmate of mine, whom I know since the 8th grade in high school. He used to be a very funny and charming young boy...And today, he is a real funny and charming young dentist who opened his brand new dental studio just a few hours ago. I must say he is one of the bravest and hard-working people I know and I admire his persistence despite all the difficulties he encounters on his way. It's amazing to see a person growing as a professional and an adult at the same time.

So my now-and-then post is devoted to Dr. Leonid Nikolaev and I hope he gets whatever he aims for, which I have no doubts about, knowing him "then and now" ;)

You can find his dental studio at the following address:

Dr. Leonid Nikolaev, dentist
20 Klisura Str., 1st floor, room 100
Hadzhi Dimitar Municipality
Sofia, Bulgaria
mob. +359 885 10 00 98

Mon-Fri 10:00 - 20:00
Sat-Sun 10:00 - 18:00

Др. Леонид Николаев, дентален лекар
ул. Клисура 20, ет.1, кабинет 100, 23то ДКЦ
кв. Хаджи Димитър
гр. София, България
моб. +359 885 10 00 98

Пон-Пет 10:00 - 20:00
Съб-Нед 10:00 - 18:00





Nikon D60, 18-55mm.

Day 67 - Joy of ♥ 2: how they look

Today's assignment asked me to capture a loved one in a typical pose, or expression or whatever other situation that catches the person with a typical trait of theirs...So, here's day 2 - how they look :)))

This is a photo of my father from tonight. He took us to dinner at a really nice restaurant with a pretty view of Sofia downtown which made it possible for me to capture such a pretty bokeh :))) I am a big fan of bokeh, so I am excited whenever I see it in my photos :)))))
Can't wait for day 3 :)



Nikon D700, 50mm.

{the joy of love} by www.willettedesigns.com

Day 66 - Joy of ♥ 1: what they do

As I mentioned in my previous post, I enrolled in super-cool online course which is entirely FREE and exciting. You can check it out at www.willettedesigns.com ;)

Today is Day 1, and my task was to capture someone I care about in their natural habitat, be it working, playing, or whatever they do daily. I captured my boyfriend watching a game between Manchester United and Aston Villa, while reading the sports news and whatever else he was doing on that laptop.
He actually missed a goal while I was running around with my camera.. ;)





Nikon D700, 50mm.


{the joy of love} by www.willettedesigns.com

Day 65 - the Joy of LOVE ♥

A month ago I signed up on a list for an absolutely FREE online course with a truly inspiring blogging photographer - Kelly Willette from www.willettedesigns.com . The course is called the Joy of LOVE and it's main purpose is not only to capture the month of love, but also to remind ourselves of the love that we feel for one another, for the people and things that we keep in our hearts.

Throughout the whole month of February Kelly is going to send me an email each day with tips and tricks, as well as assignments. I am attaching a photo from Toledo last spring, just to warm up, and I hope I can keep up with the pace of the course so I meet a new challenge every day :)))

The course is still open for anyone who wishes to join, so I would encourage that!
So far, it's been working for me ♥


Toledo, Spain 2010.

Nikon D60, 18-55mm.