So the weather in Bulgaria has been very foggy lately, including in Sofia, which is actually quite normal for the season. A couple of nights ago, despite feeling absolutely tired after the long day, I decided to get out there and try to see it from above the fog by going up Vitosha mountain. Initially I drove up to this viewing point (called The Hoof, interestingly enough) which is easy to access and gives you a great view of the city. This is what I was rewarded with…
Yep, those are indeed stars over Sofia 🙂
I love how the fog was creeping up the mountains, engulfing half of the houses…
Yet, from that point you can’t see half the city so I decided to take it a step further, continuing on foot and hiking up for an hour to get to the best place to see Sofia — Kamen Del. It was cold, absolutely dark (thankfully I keep a headlamp in my camera bag), windy, very slippery (with lots of falling down) and overall not the most pleasant of experiences when it’s close to 1am and all you could think about was your comfy, warm bed. But man was I happy that I kicked myself to do it when I got to the top 🙂
It was so windy I had to protect the camera from shaking with my body and try a number of times with the long exposure shots to get it right, meaning I was up there for close to an hour. But because the fog was pushing the light down, you could actually see the stars — especially if you turned around to look at the mountain itself — that normally would be hard to discern so it was worth every second 😉
So, moral of the story? Don’t be afraid to step outside of your box / comfort zone. It is almost always worth it!
In a Search of Balance 
this is fake 🙂
Haha, sure it is, can’t believe it was that easy to spot! 😉
AMAZING! we are going up there tonight!
This is fake compared to the next creation of God; the Bride.
A gift of the lens both in eye and form,
You saw what many people do not see,
Light and dark in the night with fog,
It is a dream many will enjoy as they look,
Light outshines the dark and brings life,
Step Outside and see what is real.
Thank you for that lovely piece of poetry! 🙂
I enjoy letting others know, I care and I see you do as well, you have beautiful poetry taken in your pictures…
Awesome!
As me, being inside that fog, I found the article more than amazing 🙂
That pictures are awesome! I went to Sofia last year and really loved the city 🙂
Thanks, guys, really appreciate your comments and support! 🙂
It’s real, unfortunately. The author says it’s notmal for Sofia to be foggy at that time of the year, but it’s not. The way it is and the way it should be are different things. In my opinion it’s just a consolation for people living in Sofia. Ten years ago there was no fog in winter, or at least not so often. Besides it was a real fog and not smog as it is now. Poor Sofia, you don’t deserve it.
The foggy wheather is not so typical for Sofia. Actually it is fogy because there were no winds from more then 3 weeks now.. The fog will spread once the wind comes which by the weather people is one day from now. In sofia there is at least 1 month of fogs once in four yeas so this is typical..
Congrats to the authour for this great shots that he made.
I live my entire life in Sofia and it is not very unusual to be foggy in January. I don’t know why, but the big fogs are mainly in January … and sometimes in November 🙂
I tend to agree with Julia — for years now fogs have been an issue. There were even times when I was flying back from abroad and we’d have to touch down in Plovdiv before the airport got a new blind landing system. Sure, smog is a part of it, but the whole Sofia plateau is prone to fog formation because of the lack of winds that Alex mentioned. In any case, the point of the post is to take a different perspective on an otherwise seemingly gloomy situation 😉
От кое място точно е направена третата снимка? 🙂
От Копитото с 200mm обектив 😉
You must print “stepoutside4.jpg” in big format for somebody’s birthday 🙂
It’s cool
Can you tell me the settings and the lens used when shooting the pictures? I’ll be very thankful. 🙂
The wider shots are with the Canon 24-105mm f/4 and the tighter ones with the Canon 70-200mm f/4. I primarily shot with an ISO 800-1000 (the last one with the sign & stars is at ISO 4000 since it was much darker), 20-25sec exposure @ f/4, custom WB around 3300K. Good luck 🙂
Stunning! The colors are so beautiful it’s unbelievable how pretty the fog actually looks, because photographies of fogs are usually so creepy and dark.
Thanks, Lora! The long exposure definitely helps in that respect and makes the scene more contrasty 😉
Браво!
Breath-taking photography! Thanks for doing that trip – it was worth it, just so we could marvel at something normally so tedious as the fog. Seen from above it looks absolutely stunning!
Thank you for taking the time to comment, that’s my biggest motivator 🙂
Дали мога да ги получа в по-висока резолюция за фон на десктопа?
Ще ви пиша отделно, но защо не 😉
Great idea to get above Sofia into the clouds in one of most unphotogenic wether conditions. The imagination of an artist is often triggered by unusual events and conditions. And thanks God that the author of that photo essay used its intuition and knowledge in order to transforms the play of city light and mist into a fairy-tail . The heaven is just a step away, right above our ordinary day.
These pics are simply awsome 🙂
Thank you, Sara and Bisser, for the kind words! They mean a lot 🙂
This is so beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing.
Reblogged this on imeforever98 and commented:
this is just AMAZING!!!
Great work 🙂 VERY INSPIRING 🙂 THANK U
Reblogged this on safe,tripadvisor and commented:
AMAZING VACATION PICTURES
Hi Hristo! Great moral, and love the images you captured and shared. May your hikes always be so rewarding. 🙂 //mm
Hi mm, thanks for the wishes, let’s hope they come true 🙂 All the best to you and I hope you keep on writing!
These are amazing. sometimes i wish i had enough desire to go for a photography course or really just get out there and start capturing whatever i can. lol the only issue is that where im from, yuou kinda worry who’s gonna try and steal your camera and kill you in the process, lol. do not venture from and do not venture alone
Wow, that sounds dangerous — where are you from??
South Africa, Cape Town. It’s not dangerous per say, but i happen to be one of those paranoid individuals. It’s a question of location. If you go and take a pic of the city from say signal hill here, then chances are some dude is hiding int he bushes and he’s likely gonna hurt ya. But if you take a picture from the top of Table Mountain, then you’re good, cause there’s security but also it’s gonna cost you R200 to get up there with the cable car.
I’ve been meaning to go to South Africa for a while (going to Tanzania & Kenya in Feb), guess I’ll have to be careful with my camera gear… thanks for your thoughts and comments!
ya for the most part it’s safe, but like any other country it does have it’s dodgy areas and like any other country tourists, the same like locals, can be targeted. so ya just keep an eye out and try not to go alone everywhere
Reblogged this on Woman on the run and commented:
Beautiful photos of a foggy Bulgaria – houses and trees peeking out of the cloud layer…
These are amazing photos, wow. I love the color reflected in the clouds/fog. The vibrance and shimmer of the stars is great as well. That’s a heck of a journey at 1am , clearly you were rewarded handsomely for it. Hopefully you weren’t alone! What kind of camera do you use?
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
eLPy
I was alone, but it was worth it 😉 I use a Canon 6D with a couple of L lenses. But honestly, I think you can achieve this even with a more basic camera like my old one 550D.
Amazing
Beautiful, thanks for sharing!
Stunning! 🙂
It looks like cotton candy swirls. It’s so magical. It looks like somewhere Willy Wonka would live.
That’s a great analogy, hadn’t thought of it that way but it makes sense 🙂
these are stunning.. what a visual treat fro my eyes this evening..
Thank you for sharing them and congrats on the Freshly Pressed..well deserving
Thanks, getting freshly pressed came as a bit of a surprise actually, was not expecting this particular post to do so well 🙂
I love your work. What a beautiful place you are in.
Gorgeous, stunning, beautiful, awesome!
Wow awesome.
Love this picture. How take a picture as good as it?
Thanks! Much like with anything else really — practice, practice, practice 😉 I’ve been doing amateur photography for over 3 years now, hopefully it’s starting to pay off 🙂
These are amazing photos, and very beautiful.
Wow. Just wow!
Reblogged this on Sophia Kimble and commented:
Gorgeous photos
Reblogged this on WordPress.com.
So cool! You have inspired me to get out there and get some shots no matter what the conditions. I live in Chicago, so now I am wondering what great Polar Vortex shots I missed. Great post! Thank you for sharing.
Great, please come back and share your Polar Vortex photos! Looking forward to it 🙂
Thank you for sharing! Beautiful! Bulgaria is another top destination on my “to go” list… These pics even push it up a few rungs.
Yes, Bulgaria should be on your list! Read this http://www.roughguides.com/best-places/2014/top-10-countries/ 🙂
These pics are otherworldly in the best way possible.
I love the futuristic view!
Beautiful photos! Congratulations making freshly pressed.
Amen. Always worth it!
Thanks for stepping out!
Wow! Just really. . wow! you sure got some awesome pictures! congrats on the well-deserved fp! 😀
Love the pictures….
nice
Stunning, metaphorically and visually .
Thank you to all who’ve taken the time to comment, share and like the post — you guys are making my day 🙂
Wow, those images are amazing! So beautiful! Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed. 🙂
lovely shots. ethereal!!!!! congrats on being freshly pressed and thank you for sharing!
Stunning shots, perfectly captured. Congratulations on getting this incredible results from your efforts.
L’ha ribloggato su O C T A G O N.
Awesome sauce. It’s pretty! And I love the song by Jose Gonzales. It’s been on loop in my iPod for a week already. Very apt.
You should watch “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” then 😉
Reblogged this on yogeshmisal.
wonderful
These images are breathtaking and I love how you reminded us that stepping outside the box can lead to the most beautiful things we have ever experienced. If I was closer to this place, I would hike up there tonight just to see this!
I’m sure there’s plenty of amazing places where you live, thelifemeblogger 🙂 Just go out and find them!
dep
Reblogged this on almost famous.
Sounds like many of us listen to the earth. Nice
These shots moved me. Thanks for a great start to my day.
Reblogged this on sludgebelly and commented:
Everyone, men and women, should read this and take note. It is a lesson we can all learn from. Thank you, In Search of Balance, for a timely, thought provoking post.
Reblogged this on Lost in A World Map.
I for one am very thankful you did step outside the comfort zone these photos are truly stunning they make you stare at them. I did not realize the pricks of lights were stars until you mentioned it then when you turned the camera round to show the night sky I was so envious of you. That one photo would of been worth the trouble but added with all your shots it was so worth it Again just like to say thanks
Stunning. Simply stunning.
Reblogged this on Rachel Bartolo and commented:
The photos of Sophia over the fog are incredible. It just goes to show you that you can find beautiful moments in your everyday surroundings. You just have to stop to appreciate them.
Amen 🙂
Is that real? Darn.
You emphasized the fact, in order to be rewarded with anything one definitely needs to step out and take the initiative. Beautiful pics.
Wow, what a great sight.I could never get fog look so good. I guess I just don’t have the right lens for it.
Words cannot capture the essence of this picture. The only thing better would be to see it in person.
Quite envious of your experience but agree with you wholeheartedly! Great to see pics from far away lands (esp for me being from the US)
There’s plenty of incredible places in the US as well, Aparna 🙂 I regret not traveling around the States more during my college days…
Beautiful photo
Love these pictures, great work.
Jim
Massive photo I love it!
so many beautiful places in the world that I have the privilege to view through other eyes like yours. Thank you for letting me see a place I have never seen before.
Absolutely stunning!
Oh, how i recognise that kicking-yourself-out, even if i’m tired and rather want to stay inside – you know – but it’s those times, when you du it anyway, that you’ll see the wonders. Fantastic pictures!!!! Thank you for sharing. Hugs’n’wheels!
Thanks for the great comment! Best of luck, keep sharing 🙂
Amazing shot! Beautiful 🙂
OMG … this is amazing!
Great pictures! I like what the light scattering through the fog does here.
Love it, keep going!
so beutiful view, can’t belive, is it true ?
It is quite true, I can assure you 🙂
Beautiful! such an amazing place, I hope I can see it personally next time! It is really amazing! KEEP IT UP! 😀
Thats the coolest thing I’ve seen all day
So beautiful, and so peaceful.
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a struggling third year.
Great photo…Love it..
Your photos are gorgeous. Great blog. I enjoyed reading your post. I visited the Kravis Center today to see Porgy and Bess, have you seen it?
Whether this picture is real or fake, it’s beautiful.
Beautiful Photographs. Inspiring message
Reblogged this on alyakamilahnf's.
It’s just amazing! Could you also tell a bit more about the shots? How did you make them?
Well, I think I’ve mentioned this in other replies, but these are long exposure shots at maximum aperture, slightly overexposed to make sure you could see the stars. It took a few tries to get it right, but the result was wroth it. To be honest, those are not the most technically complicated shots I’ve made, I was a bit surprised with their popularity 🙂 Does that answer your question?
Yes, fully =) Thank you very much for your answer! And which shots do you consider the most complicated ones?
That’s a very tough call, but there’s been ones where I’ve had to combine multiple exposures for instance or use graduated ND filters or other techniques to get the shot right. You can see Winding Roads, Phi Phi, the gate shot from City on the Hill, or Break of Light for instance, though there’s others 🙂
Nice 🙂
Your photos are amazing! I love looking at the stars and you got a great view by the looks of it! Thanks for sharing them with us all!!
Thanks for commenting and mentioning me in your post 😉 Good luck blogging!
Absolutely beautiful, I just sat and took in the mystery of the photo. Never been to Sofia, but this photo surly convinces me that it would be a place to visit.
Indeed it is! But if you want to be IN Sofia and viewing it from above, I suggest Spring or Summer 😉
Reblogged this on My Blog.
Thank you and welcome on my blog ( safynour.economic
what beautiful imagery 🙂
Wow it’s beautiful … We Really need to step outside sometimes Atleast , to see the beauty of nature combined with the art of mankind
oh my! this is gorgeous. i’m in love. x.
Reblogged this on Free Soul and commented:
One in a million! Great contrast to the city.
Very nice! Remind me of sleepy hollow!
Reblogged this on Mind Chatter and commented:
Very beautiful pics.
Spectacular photos!
😉
Beautiful~!
It’s amazing. I’m impressed with your photos 🙂
Nice shot. I bet it’s nice to sit there and watch time go by…
This is an amazing photo
This is wonderful!
I’m new to WordPress! Any new comments or pointers would be much appreciated!
http://briannajackson1.wordpress.com
Beautiful!!
Reblogged this on Steven Kovich Photography Blog and commented:
Beautiful images from a Bulgarian photographer!
I like this photo, it makes me feel like I could walk on it with out leaving a mark.
Wow!! This is beautiful!!! 🙂
Reblogged this on It's A Bonny Day! and commented:
Don’t be afraid to step outside of your box / comfort zone. It is almost always worth it!
amazing photographs. I was in Sofia a few weeks ago and it is such a beautiful city!
I love how supposedly ‘bad’ weather can be just as – beautiful if not more so – as the more traditional ‘beautiful’ weather. And look at those stars! Just think that’s how it always looks above the rain and fog and clouds.
Indeed, most photographers prefer bad weather because it creates more exciting light conditions and thus photos 😉
O J… It’s awesome!!! Look like a painting.. Rrrhhh.. I wish I colud take a picture like that..
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow. And follow.
stunning photographs
Keep it up!
Reblogged this on Random Repeat.
Reblogged this on .
iakooooo……
AWESOME Picture
Beautiful work! Keep it up. You are inspiring the rest of us!
Breathtaking photos… well done!
Reblogged this on live-wellbywendyruck and commented:
A perfect example of the Live-Well ethos! Fantastic!
Reblogged this on serenitysearcherii.
Wow! These pictures are really beautiful. You’re very talented.
Dare you to walk barefoot! Even if it is only for a minute. Connect yourself to some Earth energy!
I do like walking barefoot, just not around 1am in winter time 😉
Beautiful Picture !
It was exactly like this sunday night…great story great photos
That’s magical! How you capture those lights coming from the houses illuminating the fog just speak warm amid the winter. This is great.
Beautiful!
Your camera sure captured the starline well!
Amazing. Nice pic!
Fantastic pictures! They remind me of my previous visits…I very much enjoyed the food & atmosphere in the Evergreen Restaurant (Studentski Grad)
That’s just perfect
sohbet helo thank you
Absolutely stunning photos. Great job.
it´s dream or reality
Reblogged this on jadeyhamidon's Blog.
Reblogged this on Wondersofnature and commented:
wow! I just love this image! Dont you?? 🙂
Isn’t it wonderful, the rewards we sometimes reap when we push ahead and do what we know we ‘must’ do? I’m glad you ventured out on this safari. Wonderful images!
LOL This must have been another FP piece! 486 likes — yikes! I can see why. That is a most stunning shot with the lights *beneath* the fog and the stars above it. Worth all the work it took to get it, I’m sure. Thanks for linking back so I (a new follower) could enjoy. Cheers!
Yep, this was the first that was featured — didn’t even know WordPress had this before receiving an email from the editors congratulating me 🙂 You can see the others in the menu above.