What is Lens Stories?
Photography is an art form that captures the world through the lens, and each photograph tells a unique story. Behind every stunning image, there’s a passionate and skilled photographer with a story of their own. “Lens Stories” seeks to reveal these captivating narratives while shedding light on the techniques, philosophies, and tips that have guided these artists on their photographic journeys.
A passion for astrophotography... When did you start specializing?
I have always been fascinated by the stars, I can even say that as a child I was in awe of the night sky. Over the past few years, I have dedicated much of my free time to capturing the magic of the night sky and the Milky Way in particular.
How to create a unique style in astrophotography? Mihail Minkov's answer
It takes a lot of time to develop a style, a lot of practice, a lot of mistakes. I dedicated the last 5 years of my life to capture the hidden beauties of the night sky. Half of that time was invested in post processing the images. So, the more you edit, the more experienced you get, and I think this is the key to create unique style. This process doesn’t have an ending point, it’s a constant process of developing and learning new techniques and becoming better.
I really inspire myself by photographers which are better than me and this really pushes me further. It’s important to invest in yourself by learning new things, so this is a good advice to all the newbies in astrophotography.
Do you like Mihail's story?
Four important concepts to enhance your astrophotography images according to Mihail Minkov
The importance of foreground in the image
As a nightscape photographer what you have in the foreground makes the difference. I graduated from a school of art and the sense of composition is something that I am familiar with. I am always trying to find something interesting in my foreground like a building or a tree, or maybe a leading line to the Milky way.
Adding a person to your photograph
I love to shoot with my wife as a model when there is someone to look after our two kids. Especially a female model, really makes the difference and creates a scale and sense of beauty and magic.
Expanding one's knowledge in post-processing
Before buying super expensive equipment, please first invest in yourself. Developing your skills for post processing, learning composition and the small details to have good idea of what image you want to capture, then comes the equipment.
Choosing your favorite image... For you, which one would it be among all your photos?
Well this is a really tough question. I have a lot of images, but maybe the ones that I cherish the most are the ones with my wife and my kids, because while we were shooting, it was really memorable.
The best investment to start off well in photography according to Mihail Minkov
Investing in photography learning
To not waste money on the best and most expensive equipment, which won’t make my images “wow”. As I said, to invest more into video tutorials, post processing techniques and travel more! Now I can create stunning images with decent equipment, but maaaan, just give me the opportunity to travel for example to Namibia or to San Pedro de Atacama.
Show your support for the photographer Mihail Minkov
Let’s rally behind photographers and their incredible work! In particular, I invite you to explore and follow the remarkable journey of photographer Mihail Minkov on his Instagram page. Your support means the world to these talented individuals who bring captivating stories to life through their lens.
