Ivana Kalvacheva and her photographs of the beauty, often invisible to the eyes

In an unconventional place – amidst rocker atmosphere with images of prisoners and skulls, a cosmopolitan Bulgarian returns home to enliven it with provocation, joy, humour, passion, love. She chose the capital's bar Prison Bound as a cosy haven for her photographs, which capture a variety of emotions and moments from the streets of the world.

Ivana Kalvacheva had been standing in front of the camera as a model for years, but a gift would make her look at the world from the other side. Her future husband surprised her with a camera, sensing her affinity for capturing what escapes the eyes of self-absorbed passers-by. That is how she turned street photography into an activity that obsesses her day and night, as an interesting detail can find you at an unusual hour and in any place.

After a life across the ocean, Ivana Kalvacheva settled in Paris, where her camera became a faithful companion. Interesting moments surprise her "without me consciously looking for them." She tries to find the good and beautiful in everyone and everything, "because everyone has it."

"I simply notice the moment and if I can't capture it, sometimes I feel sad," she says with a smile. "But it's for better or worse, because I'm constantly looking at this perspective and one has to relax and enjoy the moment from time to time, without the need to document it."

For the exhibition Camera Bound, which opens on January 21, Ivana Kalvacheva has selected favourite photographs as their details lead to the creation of stories.

"I wouldn't like to sound social, but my favourite shot is of two women of different races and ages, sitting with their arms around each other on a bench," says the photographer. "The moment was so intimate against the backdrop of everything going on around me and this expression of care and love really touched me."

The manner of shooting, the choice of subject, the way the shot is directed - all of this leaves traces leading to the author. In this sense, what can we understand about Ivana Kalvacheva?

"I hope you understand that I have a sense of humor,” she replies. “On the other hand, some say about street or reportage photography that when you take a picture, you capture an intimate moment. It is true, but I hope viewers feel that I do it with total respect and more as a compliment to the people I have photographed, not for myself. I do not think directly about the shot, about me, but rather about what is happening before our eyes. For example, I have photographed people kissing. I have also photographed people sleeping on the street. I have kept these shots for myself because I cannot help but I need to photograph them. I hope that when people see the exhibition and my art in general, they will understand that I am documenting moments that pass through me and my sense of morality and the world."

"I cannot easily tear myself away from Paris, because it is great". With this declaration of love, Ivana Kalvacheva walks around a city that offers unexpected moments day after day.

"There are so many different people who are a treasure and I can get to know them – tourists, different ethnic groups and cultures,” she adds. “There are also wonderful exhibitions and concerts here. This is my life – at home working on the photos I have shot, or out with friends, or I walk alone across the streets of Paris."

As she will celebrate her birthday in her homeland for the first time in many years, Ivana Kalvacheva wishes for a miracle that will erase negative energy and greed and people will enjoy the beauty around them.

See also:
Ivana Kalvacheva –a Bulgarian lady’s photo-provocations in Paris