Petar Dopchev's Journal

An Outdoor Adventure And Lifestyle Photographer

[petardopchev]

One of my worst nightmares just came through! Got stranded on a beautiful windy island with not a single kite in the area! Kitesurfing is constantly on my mind! 

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It has been a while since I have played board games with the family - it’s so much fun! Everyone gets really fired up! Plus, I end up amongst the winners!

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It seems like signs and decorations in restaurant and bar bathrooms are getting more funky with the day. I am seriously considering integrating those areas in my marketing campaign. 

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Quite often I find myself in “risky” situations while trying to make a photograph. It is not that I look for those situations, they just happen - there is always something in your way and you have to deal with it. The shot above is from a time I was shooting with my buddy Scot in a snow blizzard and someone stopped to check, if everything was okay. Apparently, I had left the car somewhat in the lane instead of the shoulder, which was not really safe for the other drivers on the road...

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Christmas is not the same without having a fire in the fireplace and friends over to bring the spirit up a notch!

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Christmas Eve is a special eve where I come from and I was lucky enough to spent it with some amazing people who made me feel at home being away from home! Thanks for the great time and the endless stories! 

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Fireplaces remind of my grandparents’ house - about having dinners with the whole family and the fireplace burning in the corner... Had such an amazing childhood with amazing people! 

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The most bizarre place for a US post office I have ever come across - this one was located inside a convenient store! 

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Taking a shot of taking the shot and the shot!

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The cold of the early winter mornings is always something I never look to. However, once I make it out of bed, head out and breathe that cold air my whole body wakes up and I feel ready to do just anything!  That was the view from the chairlift before the resort opened on one of those early mornings. Sometimes making photographers has its perks! 

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For a snowboarder, skiing could be a lot of fun especially when you wear the right outfit! 

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Last week my friend Brandon and I went on a little adventure up to a lake in the area with the hopes it wasn’t frozen yet. Our goal for the day was to shoot cold weather kitesurfing for Patagonia’s wetsuit catalog. We did get lucky - it was windy - gusting up to 35mph, there was still moving water and it was COLD! The conditions were perfect for Brandon to put the gear to the test. It turned out all the precautions we took so he doesn’t freeze up before he jumped in the water were unnecessary - Patagonia didn’t disappoint! 

It was quite the experience - there was a lot going on and I am glad we made it happen - this time it only took two!

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If you had ask me 10 years ago “What are you going to be for Halloween?” I would have probably say “We don’t celebrate Halloween here”. And that was the truth itself  - there was no such holiday back in Bulgaria 10 years ago although it’s getting way more popular now. I guess, I can still pull off an authentic Balkan gypsy now and then...

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This is my friend Ellie! She is just adorable! At first she was shy and protective but after I took a photo of her and showed her the back of the camera she got so excited she came up with her own ideas and poses! And the best thing was she had more fun than me! 

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My favorite part about social media is making social experiments! This was one of the least “liked” photos that I have posted recently on IG (and Fb). 

At first glance it is a totally offensive photograph! And I still like it - actually I like it a lot! That is my friend Matt who is definitely a character. He is one of those guys who would seem rude and inappropriate at times but he also has a big heart, he stands behind his word and he is passionate about his believes! He was the guy who told me once that I was the captain of my own ship and I got the steering wheel! As much cliche as it sounds, he is totally right! Sometimes you have to steer against the upcoming storm...

That middle finger made my day!

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Totally forgot about this step up tool I had to build to get a different angle while shooting my friend Lauren ripping that berm. That also reminded me I actually ended up hugging that aspen like a little bear after the step up collapsed under me at some point... Thanks for the shot, Lauren! 

[petardopchev]

Having fun in the desert with these two - really lovely girls with big smiles. Have to admit they made my job way easier! Thanks for all the help #MoabGiants