The pleasure of photography with Krassimira Pastirova

Krassimira Pastirova is one of those special types of people that is valuable to have in your life. I met her at the beginning of a trip in which we flew он а motodeltapalner, and all the way from Sofia to the sea in the car there were very few silent moments. Woman of life – fresh, intelligent and with an opinion. She is a member of the club “ Photoworld ” and became part of the team that takes care of this endeavor to continue live.

Here is how she presents herself:

“Журналист по образование, комуникатор по призвание.

I worked in a newspaper, magazine, radio, television. For the last 15 years I have been dealing with crisis PR.

I have sung in cantata and oratorio music, I have sung in several operas abroad. These were some of my most meaningful years.

I draw. As a child, I wanted to become an artist, but after I was not accepted to the Art High School, I gave up and did not catch a brush for more than 30 years. That changed 5 years ago and I currently have several street art projects behind me, which if I’m not proud, at least I’m not ashamed.

I am 178 cm tall and the low points of view in photography bother me 🙂 ”

Krasimira.

I know that your soul is a traveler. Dream a little! If nothing was an obstacle – time, money, distances… What is the journey you want to happen to you? How far is it, with whom?

It is not one. I want to travel around the globe, but it’s a chimera because I’m not 16, so let’s limit myself to Cuba, the Azores, Rio Tinto – the red river in Spain, New Zealand. I want people like me to be in these places – photographers. I’m very annoying for people without an interest in photography.

What is good photography for you?

The great Giuseppe Verdi said the following: “If a music does not caress your ear and makes your heartbeat, it is not music.” To paraphrase what he said, I think that good photography should caress my eye, take my breath away and increase my heart rate.

If you could have a superpower, what would you choose? How would you use it?

Could there be two? To be invisible and to be able to teleport. If I’m invisible, I’ll be able to take street portraits without worry, and for my passion for travel, teleportation will be perfect.

Why are you shooting? What does photography give you?

Self-expression is very important to me. What I can’t say in words, I “say” with photography. It is my psychotherapist, it is my therapy.

You love both words and photography. Are the words or pictures stronger?

I think the words are stronger because a word can hurt you, but a bad picture can’t. On the other hand, no one would put a word written on the wall in the bedroom, but a nice picture would certainly.

Where do you think the power of photography lies?

There are already many examples in history of the social aspect of photography and how a photograph can change policies, save people, change communities. But in my opinion the main force is called PLEASURE. And it is two-way – pleasure for the contemplator and pleasure for the creator.

Krassy, what are the moments in your life that made you who you are?

You won’t believe it, but I remember a moment walking in a park and seeing a leaf in early spring. It was more than 20 years ago. And now I remember which side the sun was on at that moment. I realized that without the beauty of the little things I would never make the big picture beautiful. For me, things happen very slowly and with great diligence, so I respect the difficulties that have hardened my character and especially my endurance. However, the greatest credit goes to people who do not even suspect that they have given me something, that they have carved or upgraded something in the image of Pastirova. I call these people the Masters. Starting with my grandmother Kalina, who raised and educated me, we come to the woman in the queue, who gave me her turn, because her products were more than mine.

Tell us your favorite childhood memory. Show us your picture as a child.

Oh, this is the time of vacations I spent in the countryside with my grandparents. I had a great childhood. We hunted earth spiders, played on a leg, flirted and told each other terrible stories in the dark on the bench in front of the house. I loved riding my grandfather’s donkey and riding on the cart. Carefree. Unforgettable.

What is the photographic project you would like to do?

I started it, but God knows when I will finish it given the pandemic. It’s called “Faces outside the news.” It was born after my visit to Iran and Pakistan. In Iran I met the most heartfelt and kind people on earth, and in Pakistan the saddest children. You will not see these people in the news, but in fact they paint the image of the state, of the nation. When I’m abroad, in Europe, after taking pictures of the sights, it’s time for the biggest pleasure – to put on the long lens, to position myself in a square or in a cafe and to start the “registration” of people. In Iran and Pakistan, I didn’t need a long lens because the people there are very relaxed and warm-hearted.

Who or what can make you smile at any moment?

I adore people with a sense of humor and especially self-humor. Many things make me smile, but for a year or so my smile has always blossomed at the sight of a creature about 82 cm high. I am a happy grandmother.

Who is the photographer you admire the most? Why? What is your favorite photo of him/her and why?

Vivian Maier. Nowadays, it is difficult to understand the behavior of a photographer whose photos no one has seen in her life. Today, almost everyone who posted a photo on social networks checks every two minutes how much ‘likes’ he has collected, how many people have shared what he has uploaded. Some people get a nervous breakdown if they don’t notice them and don’t get enough thumbs up. For the younger generation, the behavior of a photographer who has never shown a single photo in public during his lifetime is very incomprehensible. Hey, I’m talking about this pleasure, doing something for your own pleasure without suspecting how ingenious you are. My favorite are Maier’s shots, in which there is a joke, there is a wink. This woman has no weak shot. I wish I had her eye and reflex when I have a camera on the street.