When The Posing Stops

Radina Gancheva is twenty-eight years old and describes herself as a "photographer, extroverted curmudgeon and music junkie." Before she arrived at the first item on the list, she had to go through the confusion of studying accounting and a point-and-shoot Sony, which became a natural extension of her hand. Today we know her as a fashion and product photographer from her many shoots for Under The Line and various fashion brands, and recently also as the official photographer of the popular shoe and accessories brand By Far. As for her "extroverted curmudgeon" side, we'll take her word for it, and the third descriptor we can vouch for from experience, because in addition to the camera she can often be found in the DJ booth at several clubs in Sofia and elsewhere in the country, and she is obviously veeeeery good at it. We talk about whether the photographer should also be a psychologist and whether the camera can serve as a tool, weapon and cover all at once.

What do you like to shoot and why? What type of photography excites you the most and what about it is challenging?

I like taking pictures of people, but lately I've also done a lot of work in product photography. In fashion and portrait photography, communicating with models and the team is very important, which is a challenging aspect of any session. Meanwhile, in product photography you can immerse yourself and be alone. I like to balance the two.

Who are the women in photography for you?

I love Yana Lozeva's eye. I would call her a real artist. She is extremely delicate and this is very evident in her work. You can keep your ears and eyes peeled for her next photo book. I also want to mention Greta Ilieva and Elina Keshisheva.

The camera can be a tool, a weapon, a cover – how do you feel about it?

It's a tool for me. A tool for showing and sharing beautiful things. I would never use it as a weapon, but I really like to hide behind the camera.

What are some unexpected daring things that would not have happened to you if you hadn't been holding a camera?

I wouldn't call this daring, but I am very grateful for every single person my work has introduced me to.

Usually people think of a portrait as a picture of a face or body. When does the portrait manage to show something more? 

The second the posing stops.

Which do you prefer – to create the situation in the photo or rather to wait to capture the right moment?

For me it is a combination of the two, very often a suitable moment emerges from the situation you created, you capture it and that makes the shot work.

How is the chemistry created when you shoot someone? It seems like the photographer must also be a psychologist – how do you explain the process to yourself?

It's important to me to be honest with the people you're shooting. To be unaffected and easy in your communication.

What advice would you give someone who is just entering the profession?

I would tell everyone not to forget who they are or forget where they came from. To be curious and observant.

And what do you dream about?

Personally: I dream about a good party or music festival and everything is back to how it was. Dancing until sunrise. Professionally: I want to learn to slow down.

More about Radina Gancheva's work can be found at instagram.com/radischen_