About
Thank you for your interest in my craft and career. It all started after I watched “Star Wars” Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back in 1984. I grew up on the sets of Boyana Studios in Sofia where as a kid I would spend the majority of the day watching and wondering how the movies are made. The moment I saw “Star Wars” I knew that making movies is what I want to do. Well it was not until 1998 that my dream became a reality when I got hired at a PA in LA with Propaganda Films. I came to America in 1991, broke, with no legal papers and with no English, my desire to go to film school was cut short because of all the above and I had to do what I needed to survive. In 1998 I met a UPM who worked with Propaganda Films at the time and she hired me to PA on a big budget Music Video. This was the moment I was waiting for and once I got a hold of it I did not let it go. I was a PA from 1998 to 2000, then became an AC and from 200o to 2004 I worked as a Loader, 2nd AC, 1st AC and an operator. I also own and fly SteadiCam. I had been involved in still photography since my childhood and my dream was to be a Director of Photography. In 2004 I became a DP and have had the opportunity and pleasure to work with many great and very talented Directors from US and Europe. Becoming a DP has been the most rewarding experience in my life. I love photography and moving images and I plan to keep my job as a Cinematographer into my old age.
My education in photography and art began at the age of 8, I attended many photography classes offered by the government sponsored education in Bulgaria. In May 1995 I graduated from Northwestern Business College in Chicago with a degree in Business Management. In August of 1995 I relocated to Las Vegas to study film at University of Nevada Las Vegas, however I did not graduate. In 1996 I received a diploma from NY Institute of Photography. In 2000 I was selected as the “Bulgarian of the Year” in Chicago by the community and the media along with Hristo Stoychkov, one of the world’s foremost soccer players. This prestigious award was bestowed to “The Bulgarian who has achieved the highest achievements in the US and representing the Bulgarian community with top honors” as voted by the Bulgarian community and press.
In 2003 I joined the International Cinematographer’s Guild – Hollywood, California.
If you want to know more – give me a call lets have lunch! I am interested in good stories, great collaborations and creative projects. If you have one and you need a DP, please contact me.
Thank you!