Lifestyle Entrepreneurs Victor Slavov Sofia, Bulgaria, 2019 Smile for the Camera, Photography

The start of Victor’s business is a long story and behind it you can find thousands of photos. It all started with his love for taking pictures of everything around him. At first he started taking pictures with his mother's old camera. The result of his first photo-shoot was an illuminated photo strip and no photo that could be printed. Then his friends bought themselves a digital camera which helped Victor see how convenient it is to shoot and see the photo at the same moment. So, 11 years ago- when he was in the 10th grade, Victor bought his first digital camera. He first experimented on shooting pictures of himself at indoor and outdoor places. Hes also watched many pictures on the internet- that is where he got ideas from. He began to shoot landscapes and flowers. He processed the photos with minimal corrections. Six years ago, while shooting and trying to set his own camera, he realized that the digital camera no longer worked so he decided to buy a new one. He started searching through the Internet and found the perfect camera. The price was high so Victor decided to buy it from America. That is why he started saving money, went to work to America for a few months and managed to buy the camera. He still uses this camera to create beautiful photos catching memories and messages. He bought everything he needed in order to start making money: 2 lenses, several batteries, flash, tripod, light reflectors. In order to become a professional photographer, Victor started reading books and watching videos about photography. But the most important thing was he did not stop shooting and gained more and more experience. He took photos of the sights in America and his colleagues. Victor tried to make non-standard photos and have a different vision. Every time he photographed people he showed them the pictures asked them if they liked what they saw. After he came back from America he started shooting and is doing this at the moment.

Victor’s business development was done in several ways. First his friends recommended him. Social networks also helped him a lot- the pictures he made were advertised online. People liked the pictures and shared them which helped Victor gain popularity. He also started advertising in Facebook but realized that the best advertisement was from people. First Victor started shooting outdoor photos and then started photographing children birthday parties which helped him discover his love for children. There he understood how important it is to catch the moment. Each of the children’s emotions is different, primary and made him smile. A well-shot photo will leave a trace behind. He loves saying “When time passes, thanks to your photos, the child standing in front of your lens will have the opportunity to see its image and development over the years.” After the children's parties Victor received invitations to take pictures of baptism ceremonies which he took very seriously. The reason is that this moment will not come back, it will not happen again. You do not have the right to make any mistakes. He had many successful photo-shoots and that is why he received an invitation to make wedding pictures so he made several wedding photo sessions. At the moment he’s mainly taking pictures of child birthdays, different photo sessions and nature pictures. Victor finds a lot of magic in nature which makes him very happy- he makes money by taking nature pictures but for him the emotional value of these pictures is more important. In America he invented his logo and that is how his business officially started.

Victor’s plans for the future are targeted at making photos and video footage. The process of making pictures helped him realize that he had a good sense for directing and filming video clips. He is currently taking pictures as well as experimenting with creation of videos. He looks at different strategies for filming online because in order to make a nice video he needs more time. He tries to have a non-standard vision regarding the video production. His plans for the future are also aimed at opening his own studio. He is planning to do both videos related to product presentations and photo shooting. He is thinking whether the studio should be big or start with something small.

His first advice is the young people to find what they like to do because they need time to develop their business well. Usually, the development of our own business starts by doing different activities in your free time while you are employed by someone else. In this way you don’t risk your current profession. They say that whoever risks - wins. His next advice is not to stop improving yourself. To constantly watch all sorts of material, video clips. With the help of social networks, many people can get inspired in the process of starting with their business. They can see the pluses and minuses. Thus, they will be able to build create a strategy. It is also important that the young entrepreneurs do not copy because other peoples’ success is unlikely to become theirs. Be different, innovative. Most importantly - do not be afraid. There will always be people who are better than you but that should not stop you. Here is Victor’s message to the young entrepreneurs: “I'll be ready with my camera to shoot your success. 1-2-3 Say “Cheese”!