Learning to defocus

Newspaper stand

Yasen Pramatarov — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 01:19 +0200

An old newspaper stand in the central park in Sofia, Bulgaria. I think I can remember seeing this one long ago when I was a little kid -- it was on the alternative route to my french lessons at the "Alliance Française". Located in the little park in central Sofia that once, before the communist era, was the garden of the Tzar's pallace and facing the street, on which during the pro-soviet rule was the US embassy and other "exotic" for those years things like Air France bureau, for instance. Well, at least I think it is that old. It may be newer. But still, it's some kind of a local landmark to me.

I took this photo during a photowalk with some of my street photo buddies. We haven't met for about two years and now we start shooting again. The day was warm and sunny, one of the first spring days after the really cold and snowy winter that we had over here.

The stand was the same, maybe except the graffiti and the stock quality -- once one could find interesting foreign magazines and now the tabloids are prevailing...

Golden lion

Yasen Pramatarov — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 22:28 +0200

Shumensko Pivo is an old (founded in 1882) Bulgarian beer brand. Once brewed in the town of Shumen, now part of the Danish brewing company Carlsberg Group. Still, Shumensko is a well-known beer in Bulgaria and proudly wears it's logo of beer-drinking standing lion.

This one here is shot with the 18-55 pentax lens, but reversed to get it to focus close macro. And yup, the beer was nice and cold :)

Malio rid

Yasen Pramatarov — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:55 +0200

Old houses and barns, on the left the big walnut-tree under which I played for hours as a kid and up above and away the highest local mountain hill. Ironically earned the name "Malio rid" ("Малио рид" in Bulgarian) which means "the little hill".

Now everything looks deserted... and indeed it is. There are under 10 local people living in the whole village. Not counting the people coming to their weekend villas from time to time.

But back in the beginning of the 20th sentury the village Blateshnitsa numbered over 1200 inhabitants. There were 2 schools and they were full. Now one of them is demolished long ago and the building of the other was being used as a mountain hostel. And now it's abandoned too.

The church is big, made in late 19th sentury by the local builder, master Milenko, who also built the southern wing of the famous Rila Monastery. Nowadays the church is empty, it's doors are closed, it's bell tower is silent. And there is no priest in it, even for holidays.

Childhood memories

Yasen Pramatarov — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 20:46 +0200

This cloud is in the shape of a chimney smoke, would say Pooh. It's the old house in the village of grandma. She is now very old, my grandma, and has started to forget things. But I remember what they've told me about the house -- it was not the main house of the family, more it was older house, being used as a barn. Still it remained and the other house we pulled down to build the villa nearby.

And this one, it was not some simple barn, it was not built for one. It had a second floor with a balcony and stone tavern in the basement with two arrowslits pointing at the road and at the village center down the hill. My grandmas and grandad said in the old times these were used for rifle fire and protection of the neighbourhood, even from the Turks (during the Ottoman rule). I doubt the house is that old... but then again, who knows :)

One day if I have enough money, I'll restore it. If it's still there, as half of the roof is damaged and every winter becomes a real problem.

Martenitsa tree

Yasen Pramatarov — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 22:33 +0200

A martenitsa tree. Rare species, found only in Bulgaria. Well, a similar one grows in Romania, but this is Bulgarian-specific :)

Martenitsa (:

Yasen Pramatarov — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 22:49 +0200

When March comes to it's end, the parks in Bulgaria start to shine in the red and white of the martenitsas. It's an old custom and there are different legends of it's origin, so any verbalists out there please take your time in Wikipedia first.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martenitsa

Anyway, it's wonderful and I totally adore those trees with martenitsas.

Shkorpilovci Sever

Yasen Pramatarov — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 22:10 +0200

Shkorpilovci, Black sea coast, Bulgaria. One of the longest Bulgarian beaches. It may be even _the_ longest, it's longer than the Krapec-Durankulak one, in my view.
So there we were – in the late summer, right at the end of August. On September 1st with a blink of an eye all of the tourist crowds, loud pop-folk music and cars drifting on the village square at midnight... – all of this is gone. Next time I'll go on holiday in September. :)

38 Extreme III

Yasen Pramatarov — Wed, 05 May 2010 22:44 +0200

38 Extreme II

Yasen Pramatarov — Sat, 01 May 2010 08:13 +0200

38 Extreme

Yasen Pramatarov — Sat, 01 May 2010 08:12 +0200