TITLE: Sunrise Horses

The misty morning found me between the villages of Bansko and Dobrinishte – at the Saint George railway stop in Bulgaria. While the sun was trying to break through the thick fog, I was walking along the road in search of some interesting object, I accidentally saw a herd of horses. I crossed the railway line, jumped over the electric fence and found myself among a group of horses, still lying in the dewy grass. Some of them stood up abruptly, but my quiet and even speech quickly calmed them down and let them know that I was no threat. The braver member of the tabun approached me and was rewarded with a nuzzle on the neck, but he became so attached to the caresses that he nearly ruined my shooting plan.

At that moment, I saw that their leader was still lying on the grass, propped up on his front hooves. I approached him slowly, as I wasn’t sure exactly how he might react – whether he would stand up to protect the herd, or whether he would move away as quickly as possible. Thus, slowly walking towards him, followed by the affectionate little one who had become attached to the caresses, I managed to get close enough that I could fill the frame with a 24mm lens, as my goal was to include the female horse (with a stripe on her forehead) in the frame from the rising sun side. Continuing to get closer, I covered the sun with the horse’s head so that it would not burn out the shot, and so I managed to take only two shots before the horse stood up and moved away. Subsequently, I noticed that the second young horse had also made it into the frame, filling out the family harmony.

AUTHOR: YULIYAN IVANOV (Bulgaria)

Certified, professional Finance & IT business consultant /ERP Solution Architect/. Working also as a hut-keeper and mountain guide. Landscape photography + winter sports – skiing, ice skating, trekking, etc.