An interview with Doriyan Todorov

Doriyan Todorov won our Colors competition with a fascinating candid image taken at a salt lake in Iran – one he describes as evoking a fairy tale, and which judge Damarice Amao praised for “its intriguing characters and its precise construction, which reinforces the dramatic impression”. Keen to know more about the image, the story behind it, and more about Doriyan and his approach in general, we put some questions to him. His answers were precise and provocative. Enjoy.

Congratulations on winning our Colors competition. What did you make of Damarice’s comments on the image? Do they resonate with you?

Thank you it is great appreciation for me and my work. The text written by Damarice overlapped very precisely with the sensations I was chasing when taking the shot.

And tell us a little more about the story and circumstances behind the shot.

I was photographing a personal project related to drought in Iran, refracted through the prism of salt, as a symbol of life and death. While I was at this salt lake, a group of Russian influencers showed up with two guides and bags of clothes. Strange and slightly comic “rituals” began to be filmed around and in the lake. I was watching the scene and looking for a suitable angle and moment that would lead the viewer into a fairy tale. I got on higher ground so I could avoid the sky or any other environment that might bring the sensation back to reality. Just then the girl started going deeper into the lake and the women warned her to be careful.

And tell us a little bit about your route into photography…

I have been shooting professionally for 15 years, mainly weddings and events.

I understand you’re a wedding photographer by profession, so there’s an interesting parallel to that work with this lady in a wedding dress in the water of this winning image. But what’s the focus of your personal work? Can you tell us a bit about what subjects interest you?

Indeed, the parallel between my professional work and the white dress is funny, but it is pure luck. For the last 4-5 years I have felt a huge need to express personal ideas and feelings about life through my photography. I have been shooting street for a few years, and for the past two some type of cityscapes, details or anything else interesting I find in my surroundings. Mostly I am drawn to bizarre places where nature borders with human life.

Show us one or two of your favorite shots and tell us about those….

Perhaps my favorite shot is part of a very personal project about loneliness [Editor: first image below]. It aims to show both the difficulties associated with these moments and the opportunities they provide us. I am trying to finalize it soon, as an exhibition and to continue the project I started in Iran.

You’ve shot in a lot of places over the last few years – Iran, Turkey, Cuba, Morocco, Indonesia… Where has been your favorite place to photograph and why? And is there another destination on your bucket list?

I really love to travel and I try to immerse in the place and the moment. Cuba is probably the most photogenic place I’ve been to so far. It’s as if scenes from a theater are constantly unfolding in front of you, and you just have to see and capture them.

And finally, if there was one piece of advice you could share with your younger self, what would it be?

The advice I would give to my younger self and I constantly try to repeat to myself now, is to shoot more for pleasure and less for work.