This is one of my favourite photos taken on my recent trip to Bulgaria. I was sitting in a tiny village café, which was nearly empty. Upon noticing this seemingly ordinary scene, I knew I had to get a shot of the juxtaposition.
Contrast and conflict are two important elements of storytelling, and I’m always keeping an open eye for them. I got lucky to come across this one, as it portrays a theme we often see in life: past vs. present, old vs. new, aged vs. young.
I think in one frame, it tells the entire story of the disappearing village life in Bulgaria. What were once thriving communities of thousands of people are now mere shadows of their past glory. They are now occupied mainly by elderly people because young folks have decided to look for a life in the big cities and even abroad. In a few decades, many of these villages may disappear altogether, showing the sometimes sad and cruel reality of moving forward. I am using the word sad, because you would be hard pressed to find more peaceful places on Earth – places where time seems to stand still and where the only things to interrupt your thoughts are the chirping of birds, the barking of dogs, the sounds of crickets at night and just the occasional passing of a motor, as if to remind you what year it really is.

I came across this cowherd as I was going up a hill near Selo Suedinenie, Bulgaria in an attempt to capture some images of the golden hour. The light wasn’t perfect, but I managed to get this shot as the herd passed me. I spent the next hour or so watching the sun go down and listening to the singing of the birds carried by the gentle gusts of wind. The sounds of folk music could be heard playing somewhere in the distance, up in the hills. It was a peaceful and serene time.

P.S. Hint: If you plan on going up any elevations, wear a sweater even if it’s sunny outside.