Born in Bulgaria in 1980, Nikola Borissov lived in Milan for ten years where he got a B.A. in Political Science and a Masters in International Economics and began his professional life as a banker. Not exactly the normal pedigree for a fashion photographer.

Shot by Nikola Borissov with the Hasselblad H4D-40.

“I was stuck in traffic one day on the way to the office at the bank, a few weeks after I had started working there, and I realized that I knew exactly what type of day I would have, exactly what type of week, down to the second almost – and it struck me that I hated every second of it. I knew then and there, with Rammstein blaring from the stereo, that I didn’t want to wake up when I’m 60 and wonder what have I done with my life. I decided right then, five years ago, to follow my recently (then) discovered passion for image-making and be a photographer.”

Nikola developed a business plan for his new career, using his education and experience to lay out short term, mid-term, and long term goals. From the very start, he built his career methodically, step by step, carefully considering each decision. He stayed on in Milan, building a career in the highly competitive fashion industry.

“Before that my hobby was street and portrait photography so I didn’t even know how to be a fashion photographer, how to run a team, handle a shoot, complex lighting, nothing. So I sold my car, borrowed some cash, bought some cheap lights and studio gear and spent like 6 to 8 months basically smashing my head against a wall, trying to learn. I started by shooting tests for models and modeling agencies, at first for free, nobody pays you in the beginning, so I was basically starving, but didn’t give up. I had to learn how to look at a woman, how to see angles and forms in a different way, not as a male, but as a photographer. I had to learn to see light and shadow and everything. Shooting tons of pictures for model books helped me get these skills, that’s the best possible school, especially when the bookers point out your mistakes in capturing female beauty and the “decisive moment”. Being able to capture these things is fundamental to fashion photography - there’s this split second in a movement when everything is perfect and you have to learn to see or create it, and then to capture it. Since I had never worked as an assistant, I had to learn everything from scratch by myself, using the internet and analyzing the works of the photographers I admired. Step by step I started getting some small jobs, and got my first commissioned editorial in January 2007.

Shot by Nikolas Borissov with the Hasselblad H4D-40.

After establishing himself in Milan, Nikola returned to his home country of Bulgaria. This too was a calculated career move. “I knew that my time in Milan and the alluring image of being a Milan Fashion Photographer would serve me well in Bulgaria. And I was right. It didn’t take long before I was working for the top magazines in the country, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and the rest. I haven’t had a proper vacation since I started as a photographer!” he says “But that’s OK, since photography isn’t really a job, it’s more like my life, my passion; it’s what I do and who I am. So I’ve been using my humble home country’s small market as a training ground for the past couple of years, to build up my portfolio, technical and artistic skills, before I take the next big step.”

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Hasselblad,” he says, “Always wanted to have one, but it took years before I could afford it. I rented until I could afford my own and when I finally got my first Hasselblad it was a major turning point for me. I was so, so happy.

Shot by Nikola Borissov with the Hasselblad H4D-40.

At first I kept my 35mm gear, thinking I would need it in addition to my Hasselblad, but after a couple of weeks with the Hassy, I sold all my 35mm gear and used the money to buy more Hasselblad lenses! I now have the 28mm, the 35-90mm, the 80mm, the 210mm, and I’ll soon get the 120 macro and the HTS. Further down the road I’m planning on an X5 scanner and a V-series system for my film work – this will cover anything I would possibly need for what I do. I guess I shoot the most with the 35-90mm, maybe 90% of the time, it’s perfect for most tasks in fashion photography. I prefer to be able to move around so I try to avoid tripods as much as I can. At the end of a long shoot, the small and lightweight 80mm comes in handy.

I had wanted a Hasselblad for so long – when I finally got it I was stunned. I had not expected to be so impressed with the quality difference, but I was. There was no way I could go back to 35mm. When you shoot with this gear every day you see the difference so clearly… A couple of months ago I was working on my portfolio and was looking at some of the older 35mm stuff. A real eye opener! My expectations have changed now; I expect a certain level of quality. And when I saw the difference between the older 35mm stuff and the images I get with my Hasselblad, I was mesmerized. I had forgotten how hard it could be to get certain wide-DR shots lighting-wise, especially on location, but that goes for basic studio shots as well.”

While Nikola raves about his Hasselblad gear, he says that he is not so overly concerned with the technical specifications of the system. “I don’t usually care so much about the tech side… Couldn’t really care less about MTF charts and graphs and such. A great image is not about the specs, it’s about the image. It’s about the feeling, the emotion, the beauty. So image quality wasn’t the only factor that made me choose Hasselblad, it was the also the heritage, the craftsmanship, and the enjoyment you get from working with a beautifully designed and produced object.” “And as strange as it may sound, from a certain point of view I work easier and faster with a Hasselblad than with 35mm gear. Knowing that I can always quickly recover highlights in Phocus, that I can fix things that I couldn’t do with 35mm gear, means that I don’t have to worry about as many technical things and can focus on the image. I don’t know if that is the message Hasselblad wants to send, but I can be more relaxed when I’m shooting, my margin of error is larger. After a few months with my Hasselblad I was working faster than I had with 35mm gear.” “Sure, Hasselblads are expensive, but they’re most definitely worth it. I wish I had made the move a lot earlier. I’ve never been this excited about a camera. Happy, yes, but not truly excited. I’m having a love affair with my Hasselblad”

New York may be the next move for the busy Nikola. “In my head I’ve always pictured myself living in Paris, my favorite city in Europe, but I recently worked in New York for the first time and was completely blown away by the city and its energy. I’m thinking of selling everything I have – except my camera of course – and moving to New York ASAP! It’s the home of the best photographers, and competition forces the best from us. So if I want to become one of the top photographers in the world, and evolve artistically and commercially, I need to make it in New York.” Does Nikola ever regret leaving the world of business and finance? “Are you kidding? I feel like I’m twelve years old, I’m so full of energy and excited all the time! I’m free, I get to travel around, I do what makes me happy… I have the best job in the world!”