NIKOLAY CHAPKANOV

NIKOLAY CHAPKANOV

Tue, 04/28/2015 - 12:27

Shooting mummers, thunders and airplanes

nikolay chapkanov.jpg

Kukerlandia, the annual exhibition of photography of Kukeri, or mummers, has been taking place in Yambol, southeastern Bulgaria, for the past 10 years. Since its very beginning, Vagabond, Bulgaria's English Magazine, has been a partner to it, giving a special prize to a photographer who excels in photographing what we think is a very interesting Bulgarian folk tradition.

This year the winner of Vagabond's Special Prize is Nikolay Chapkanov, a Sofia photographer, who, in addition to mummers, likes to shoot thunders and airplanes.

"Whenever there is a thunderstorm and everybody runs for cover, I get into the car and try to find a shooting location to enhance its beauty and might," says Chapkanov. "Sometimes I get soaked in rain, sometimes I am up to my knees in water. I have heard that thunders can kill you from as far as 20 kilometres if their electricity reaches you by water... So far, I've been lucky."

Chapkanov also "adores" airplanes and tries never to miss an air show or anything that is related to flying. "Whenever I hear the roar of an airplane, I look up in the sky," says he, even on the rare occasion he does not have a camera at hand.

As for mummers, Nikolay Chapkanov likes their heathen archetypes. "The first time I shot mummers I came back with over 3,000 pictures – in a single day. I love being among these people who have dedicated themselves to upkeeping the tradition."

Nikolay Chapkanov, bolts

 

Nikolay Chapkanov, kukeri

 

Nikolay Chapkanov, kukeri

 

Nikolay Chapkanov, kukeri

 

Nikolay Chapkanov, kukeri

 

Nikolay Chapkanov, planes

Issue 103

Commenting on www.vagabond.bg

Vagabond Media Ltd requires you to submit a valid email to comment on www.vagabond.bg to secure that you are not a bot or a spammer. Learn more on how the company manages your personal information on our Privacy Policy. By filling the comment form you declare that you will not use www.vagabond.bg for the purpose of violating the laws of the Republic of Bulgaria. When commenting on www.vagabond.bg please observe some simple rules. You must avoid sexually explicit language and racist, vulgar, religiously intolerant or obscene comments aiming to insult Vagabond Media Ltd, other companies, countries, nationalities, confessions or authors of postings and/or other comments. Do not post spam. Write in English. Unsolicited commercial messages, obscene postings and personal attacks will be removed without notice. The comments will be moderated and may take some time to appear on www.vagabond.bg.

0 comments

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

Discover More

Doncho
AN AMERICAN IN BG
We had visited Bulgaria briefly and loved the rich history of the country, the traditional culture still honored and close to the surface, the welcoming people we met, the Balkan cuisine and the wines of the countryside.

communust-bulgaria-exhibition.jpg
COMMUNIST BULGARIA GOES TO HUNGARY
Through vivid and at times poignant images Communist Bulgaria shows what has remained of this country's Communist material heritage.

mummer and girl.jpg
MUMMERS & MORE
Yambol, in southeastern Bulgaria, has been a hub for various folk traditions for many centuries. Nowadays, alongside Pernik in western Bulgaria, it is thought of as one of Bulgaria's capitals of Kukeri, or mummers.

greece.jpg
UNKNOWN GREECE, PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION BY ANTHONY GEORGIEFF
Yet Greece is a lot more than the well-travelled destinations such as Cassandra and Kavala.

FRONTIERS BRINGS THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST TO BULGARIA
The exhibition was organised with the support of the American Embassy in Sofia. Ambassador Eric Rubin opened the event, together with Amelia Gesheva, the deputy minister of culture.
Imperial Sand Dunes, California.jpg
FRONTIERS: THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST
"There are many such places," he continues. "Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary… For myself I'll take Moab, Utah.

JEWISH BULGARIA EXHIBITION IN SOFIA
The exhibition covers some of the mesmerising and atmospheric remains of Jewish heritage in Bulgaria: from the mosaics of a 2nd century synagogue in Plovdiv, to abandoned and crumbling synagogues and cemeteries, the only reminders of the Jewish presence in
the magician.jpg
MUMMERS, CATS AND CANARIES
For over 10 years Yambol, the city in southeastern Bulgaria, has been the host of a major street festival attended by dozens of groups of mummers from all over Bulgaria.

tihomir stoyanov.jpg
TIHOMIR STOYANOV
Photography has of course changed beyond recognition since the digital revolution.

Durness, Sutherland.jpg
YOU'LL TAKE THE HIGH ROAD
The open road is unpredictable, it could take you anywhere and a return ticket is not guaranteed.

jewish tombstone photos.jpg
JEWISH BULGARIA EXHIBITION GOES TO LONDON
Bulgaria, one of Europe's least known lands, famously did not deport about 48,000 Jews during the Second World War.

guerassim dichliev.jpg
OUT OF PLACE
In Vagabond we usually don't cover theatre owing to the language barrier.