Boris Belchev is a nature photographer from Bulgaria, now based in Lithuania. He also works as a wildlife guide in the country, specialising in bird and hide photography.
- “My stomach lurched as the hippo drifted in our direction, only her pink, sweaty face visible – like a shark’s fin.”
- “We were in a small boat in the deadly, croc-infested Zambezi River, just metres from the edge of Victoria Falls. Then the engine spluttered and cut out...”
How did you get into photography?
It started with birdwatching – my first camera was given to me during a mid-winter bird count in Bulgaria in 2005. I became obsessed with wildlife photography and was inspired by Bulgarian photographer Svetoslav Spasov.
Then, in 2007, I earned enough to buy my first DSLR and telephoto lens. I still find the amount of images you can take in just one second overwhelming.
You focus a lot on birds. What is it about the avian world that appeals?
Birds are all around us so it was an easy choice. In Europe alone we have around 700 species to see. I enjoy photographing landscapes and other wildlife but the avian world is so fascinating. It became my passion, from white-tailed eagles and vultures to passerines, waders and – very special to me – Arctic birds.
- Fastest birds of prey in the world – able to reach speeds of almost 200 MPH, these deadly aerial predators strike in a blink of an eye
- What's the most common bird of prey in the world?
Which of your wildlife images is most important to you?
Even if the quality is not great after 20 years, my first shot of a female merlin is still my favourite, followed by one of the kingfisher, which I chose for my logo.
What was your most challenging shoot?
It was photographing the capercaillie. I went into a tent at 4pm and was only allowed out the next afternoon. It was totally worth it!
Which of your encounters with wildlife has been most memorable?
I was working on a project to photograph red fox cubs near a hedgerow, going every evening when the light was in the right direction. I promised myself I would not feed them – they must accept me as someone who would not harm them, and they did.
Another time, on my 22nd birthday in Alaska, I found a Canada lynx. I had my new camera and managed to snap some shots of it climbing the shore on the other side of the river.
Have you had any particularly hairy experiences in the wild?
In 2013, I won a photo competition and my prize was a trip to shoot Balkan chamois. We were scouting for the next day’s action and, as we had sleeping bags and food, decided to sleep on the mountain.
Our guide was a joker and told us there was a bear cave 300m away. We didn’t take him seriously. Well, it was a miracle we survived.
It was the pop music on the guide’s phone that saved us, after we told him, for the fourth time, that there was an angry bear a few metres away in the dark. The guide lost his phone in the rush downhill and I didn’t get a single shot of a chamois.
What’s been your riskiest shoot?
I was walking on Vitosha mountain, near Sofia, with my new digital camera, when I encountered a rare, almost white, leucistic common viper on the trail. With all the confidence of youth, I got down on the ground and instead of zooming decided to take a close-up.
Of course, there was a furious reaction and I ended up with the poisonous snake hanging on my camera’s neck strap. Luckily, we were both unharmed.
Are there any species that continue to elude you?
I’ve spent years trying to photograph certain birds, and succeeding, but I always seem to miss out on the grey (or red) phalarope.
Can you recall any epic fails?
That would be my most recent one. I’d captured some dream shots of white-tailed eagles with their talons out making death spirals to the ground when my Canon R6 jammed.
I knew I’d have to remove the battery to reboot the camera, but what I didn’t know was that the images were stuck in the memory buffer and when I removed the battery I deleted the lot. I wanted to smash my camera on the floor.
What kit would you never be without?
Apart from my camera, lens and mini-drone, it would be my Pulsar thermal as well as my Swarovski 8×42 binoculars – and an NYa-Evo backpack to hold it all.
Any advice for budding photographers?
Be patient and learn as much as you can about your subject. Respect nature and you will get magical shots as a result. Don’t try to copy others. Be yourself and find your style. You will find it so much more rewarding.
