Petar Paunchev

Hi, my name is Petar and I enjoy exploring life through photography.

I was born and have lived for most of my life in Bulgaria – a little piece of natural paradise with ancient history. Bulgaria is situated on the Balkan Peninsula – just above Greece and Turkey and to the left of the Black Sea. Here you can still find preserved natural wilderness – from wild sandy beaches, to alpine mountains, rising to almost 3000 metres above sea level and decorated with crystal clear lakes and ancient forests. More than 30% of the country is under some form of nature protection, even though it is an ongoing challenge to preserve these areas under the constant pressure of “development”.

I have been enchanted by nature for as long as I can remember. Being in nature somehow always made things come into place: the answer to the question about the meaning of existence just revealed itself as a silent knowing, beyond the capacity of the rational mind. I learned that the answers we seek can be found in that quiet place within us – the place beyond thoughts. In this state the boundaries of “me” dissipate and you become a conscious observer of “reality”, no longer labeling things and identifying yourself with your thoughts, ideas and perceptions – a “silent watcher”.

I believe that photography can be used to take the viewer into this inner realm of clarity and peace, by capturing a moment of stillness, where everything is in place and the mind’s incessant thinking quietens.

Here I would like to share with you some moments of stillness and I hope that I will be able to transmit this silent experience through the art of photography.

Thank you for visiting.

Petar Paunchev

 

TheSilentWatcher YouTube Channel