Snapshots and Memories: Madiha Taha's Winter Photography Tour in Bulgaria

Madiha Taha is an AUS multimedia design alum who went on a New Year Photography Tour in Bulgaria two years ago. She shares her experience in this blog post.

Madiha in Bulgaria

"Eight days of photography in Bulgaria." The poster showed a sunrise washing over endless mountains. Another had a waterfall captured like a still time-lapse, seemingly mid-flow. A hot air balloon hovered over rolling hills and valleys. I thought about it on my way to a studio in CAAD, the College of Architecture, Art and Design.

The field of multimedia design is what it sounds like: a salad bowl of mediums. From interactive installations and apps to film editing and animation, there’s a spectrum of expression to explore. At AUS, design students have the opportunity to expand their knowledge in multiple directions. One opportunity I became aware of was a photography tour offered by an AUS professor in collaboration with a National Geographic photographer. Professor Phil Sheil [at the Department of Art and Design in CAAD] and his wife Karin came together with Evo Danchev to offer this Bulgaria Photography Tour. Every time I passed one of their posters in CAAD, I would stop and read about the trip. A photograph of the gorgeous landscape spoke for itself.

It was around 20 degrees Celsius below zero in Bulgaria that winter. Although freezing, those weather conditions really transformed the environment in stunning ways. We captured photos of suspended icicles, walked across frozen waterfalls and rose above mountain mist on a chair lift at a ski resort. Every area we drove to looked incredibly distinct.

One of Madiha's photographs in Bulgaria

The schedule of the trip was flexible. We would find ourselves waking up early to catch the sunrise in a hot air balloon and staying up late to photograph the stars. Horse riding or skiing? A sunken church or another cave? We were driving and trekking to the best lookout points and hidden locations of each area. Our guides knew Bulgaria like the backs of their hands. It made a world of difference to have Evo, a local Bulgarian photographer, to speak to townspeople and introduce us to local delicacies.

This trip had layers of teaching. Professor Sheil and Evo constantly gave on-the-go instruction about photography techniques and how to use our gear. They would check details like aperture and shutter speed, and advise you on how to approach taking your photograph depending on the lighting, composition, point of interest, etc. The second layer of instruction was one-on-one reviews. Every couple of days, Professor Sheil would sit down with each individual and go through their photos with them, while discussing editing techniques like bracketing. This was beneficial because we were able to get individual feedback and implement it during the trip, instead of just afterwards. My favorite part of the trip was gathering for group reviews. We had three group critiques to present our best work and hear what everyone thought of it. This was a lot of fun because people were very supportive and insightful. We had different levels of experience, but we all produced beautiful photographs.

Landscape photography was an area I never touched upon until this point, so it was outside my comfort zone. Some areas of art and design can be difficult to dive into. Sometimes there’s an ‘in’ crowd of designers who share expertise and it can be intimidating to a student who simply enjoys photography and has one old camera lens. However, there really was something in this trip for everyone. I was taking photographs with a medical student and a writer! The mentors were very accommodating towards participants with different skill levels, as professors tend to be, so the trip really was for beginners and professionals who have a shared passion. One-on-one feedback was always available, as we were not a very large group. It felt like a specialized hands-on course at AUS because it was educational and the mentors were very receptive to our questions and enthusiasm.

University is the best platform to try new things, from community service to sightseeing to developing new skills and making new friends. I’m grateful I had this opportunity to take my landscape photography skills further in a fun, educational trip with mentors I trust and friends who shared the same interest.