Interview with Valentin Valkov

Hi Valentin! Tell us about yourself in two sentences - who are you?

Hello friends, my name is Valentin Valkov. I'm 31 years old and I'm from Bulgaria. It's a small country but it has very beautiful countryside. I work in a telecommunications company, although my real passion and hobby is photography. Whenever I have time after work, I love going out with my camera to capture special moments with it. I like watching dramatic sunsets over the mountains and beautiful sunrises over the sea. They are my inspiration, and my way of relaxing.

QWhat's the weirdest situation you've found yourself in while taking a photograph?

AOne day, me and a friend of mine decided to catch a random train and go somewhere. There was no plan at all, we just wanted to do something spontaneous. One hour later we got off the train. It turned out that we were in the middle of nowhere, there was just one field with a little bit of green wheat and water droplets everywhere, shining in the sunset. I took my macro lens and seized the moment.

QWhat do you shoot on? What's your favourite set up?

AI shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III. I love my lenses - Canon 16-35mm f/2.8, Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8L ii, Canon 50 mm f/1.4 USM, and my macro lens Canon 100 mm f/2.8. I also use a Kenko extender 2x, which gives me my 400 mm.

QWhat's your number one tip for an aspiring photographer?

AThere are a lot of things to take into account, such as composition, light, colours, and lines, but the most important thing is to love what you do. If you love it and feel it, it’s going to happen.
I think that the smallest things in life can bring you the most wonderful emotions. You just need to see the beauty of nature with your heart.