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A passion to see the world and no idea what his life should be. A ticket to England, then to the U.S. and a dramatic promotion: from dishwasher to film assistant-director. Sounds familiar? This is not a mawkish movie or another “true story” of a Hollywood star. This is the life of Boyko Stankov, a photographer from Blagoevgrad. The journey started right upon graduating from high-school in 1999 with a degree in Radio Technique and Television. Next, Stankov did the mandatory one-year military service. By that time, he realized that Blagoevgrad was too small for his dreams. Stankov was a man with no plan, but with a clear conviction that he had to leave. For the next four years, he would get numerous random jobs in London and Canterbury. Stankov even applied for British citizenship, but then suddenly withdrew his papers and returned home. Gloomy weather and detached English manners were not his cup of tea. Meanwhile, however, Stankov’s passion for art, especially photography, crystallized. He applied to the South-West University in Blagoevgrad to pursue a degree in directing. In the summer, when Stankov went on a Work and Travel program in the U.S. like many students, he did not expect the journey to be the turning point in his career. Stankov met an American photographer and spent the next two years travelling around the country with his mentor, shooting at weddings and for advertisements. One day, fate intervened again. Stanokv heard a couple walking in front of him talk in Bulgarian. He introduced himself and found out that the father of the stranger was Christo Bakalov, a famous Bulgarian director of photography. Unfortunately, he was shooting in India at that time and could not be reached. Yet, Stankov did not despair. He felt that his patience would be rewarded. When he visited the States on another WAT program a year later, he finally contacted the cameraman. In three weeks’ time, Stankov was already in Connecticut, working on the movie “All Me, All the Time.” In October 2008, he came back to continue his education and worked as an assistant cameraman on a production for the Bulgarian National Television. His photos decorated the first floor of the Main Building for about two weeks earlier this month, bringing together landscapes and portraits from the United States and Bulgaria. The phrase “colorful world” would best describe his work, he says. Most of his photos come alive with vibrant colors and sharp contrasts. Colors, he says, have the power to leave impression. Yet, Stankov admits that black-and-white photography is classic, in it “every person can see as many colors as he wants… it is all up to one’s imagination.” Although his photos are produced digitally, he still believes in traditional 35mm photography: “Digital photography is a wonderful thing, which gives truly amazing opportunities. But it lacks the thrill – whether the photo worked out – from the moment of pressing the button until developing the film.” Stankov is confident that technology is not the key. “A person needs to have talent and a lot of experience…, to travel a lot and chiefly – to love photography. This would bring good results,” he said. In this extraordinary sequence of departures and arrivals, photography has been Stankov’s loyal companion. “It is an art that gives you the opportunity to show the world as it is in reality or as seen through the lens,” he said. Today, Stankov has already had two photo exhibitions. What lies ahead? The way it goes, his biography can only get more exciting.
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