Following our big passion – birds – we have tried to show our point of view of nature and its creatures. We dedicate our web-site to the protection and conservation of birds and nature as a whole. We hope you enjoy our photos!

IVA P. HRISTOVA-NIKOLOVA – M.Sc. in “Ecology and Environmental Conservation” (2002, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University). In January 2007 shte took a certificate for "cameraman mastership" from the Bulgarian Guild of TV Cameramen. Freelance cameraman (see under Video Projects below). Author of screenplays for wildlife documentaries for the Bulgarian National Television, articles etc. Deep interest and knowledge in ornithology and wildlife photography, as well as participation in a number of scientific research and environmentally-oriented projects. 

BORIS P. NIKOLOV (PhD, Assist. Prof.) – Ph.D. in zoology /ornithology/ (2006), M.Sc. in “Zoology of vertebrates and anthropology” (1998, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University). Head of the Bulgarian Ornithological Centre at the Institute of Zoology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Author of tens of scientific publications (articles, books). Scientific interests in the field of breeding biology, behaviour and migration of birds. Member of the Afro-European section of the International Shrike Working Group. Consultancy work for the National Geographic Channel in Bulgaria and the Bulgarian National Television, author of screenplays for wildlife documentaries. Leader and participant in a number of projects dealing with research and nature conservation.

Already published photos of ours: a number of scientific and popular books, journals, brochures and posters in Bulgaria and abroad:

1/ BOOKS

  "Handbook of the Birds           "Field Guide to           "Bulgaria's Nature"             "More than 100 amazing        "Threatened animals

of the World. Vol. 13" (2008)       Jordan" (2008)                      (2008)                      animals in Bulgaria" (2004)          in Bulgaria" (2000) 

    (Lynx Edicions, Spain)               (Maani Publ., USA)           (TANGRA, Bulgaria)                      (Fiut, Bulgaria)                 (Pensoft, Bulgaria-Russia)

"Handbook of the Mammals         "Shrikes of the world fauna

  of the World. Vol. 1" (2009)     - ecology, behaviour, evolution"

    (Lynx Edicions, Conserv.                        (2008); E. N. Panov

          International)                               (KMK-Moscow, Russia)

2/ INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNALS, NEWSLETTERS ETC. - "Ornis Svecica" (Sweden), "Alula" (Finland), "Ardea" & "Dutch Birding" (The Netherlands), "The Rolex Awards for Enterprise Journal" (Switzerland)

3/ BULGARIAN PHOTOGRAPHY & TRAVEL MAGAZINES ETC. - "GEO-Bulgaria", "PhotoHunt", "Odysseus", "Voyager"

Most photos displayed on www.fotobiota.com have been taken in Bulgaria, but also in other European countries like Greece, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Austria, as well as in the Middle East (Israel). Only wild animals in their natural environment have been photographed, keeping their disturbance to a minimum.

• All photos have been taken with high-resolution digital cameras (6MP, 8MP, 10MP) and then - for reasons of storage efficiency - uploaded in low resolution, not reflecting their true high quality. Apart from certain number of pictures in TIFF format, most images have been taken in RAW format.
• The raw video material ensures broadcast TV quality. The video clips have been optimized for web-viewing, which does not reflect their true high quality.

VIDEO PROJECTS

Eilat Bird Sanctuary - 27-min movie about the biodiversity and the research performed at the International Birding and Research Centre in Eilat, Israel.

Chestnut forests (Castanea sativa) of Belasitsa Mountain (the images are links to video clips)

Buying images & video material: all photos and videos (a little part of which is shown) featured on www.fotobiota.com are available for licensed use in various publications, such as books, journals, brochures, newspapers etc., as well as video and film productions. For more information about any technical details and ways of payment please contact us!

Acknowledgements. Our sincere thanks go to all specialists who helped with correct identification of all taxa shown in this web-site:

Taxonomic Group	Name	Institution, contacts
Bryophyta	Assoc. Prof. Dr. Anna Ganeva	Institute of Botany, BAS; E-mail: animoss@bio.bas.bg
Vascular Plants	Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov	National Museum of Natural History, BAS; E-mail: dimitroff@mail.bg
Vascular Plants	Ass. Prof. Dr. Rossen Tzonev	Faculty of Biology, Sofia University; E-mail: rossentzonev@abv.bg
Gastropoda	Res. Dr. Ivailo Dedov	Central Laboratory of General Ecology, BAS; E-mail: ivo_dedov@yahoo.co.uk
Insecta: Odonata	Dr. Milen Marinov	E-mail: mg_marinov@yahoo.com
Insecta: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae	MSc. Nikolay Simov	National Museum of Natural History, BAS; E-mail: nikolaysimov@yahoo.com
Insecta: Orthoptera	MSc. Dragan Chobanov	Institute of Zoology, BAS; E-mail: dchobanov@gmail.com
Insecta: Lepidoptera	Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stanislav Abadjiev	Institute of Zoology, BAS; E-mail: stas@abadjiev.net
Insecta: Lepidoptera	Assoc. Prof. Dr. Stoyan Beshkov	National Museum of Natural History, BAS; E-mail: beshkov@nmnh.bas.bg
Insecta: Coleoptera: Buprestidae	Res. Dr. Vladimir Sakalian	Institute of Zoology, BAS; E-mail: sakalian@inagency.com
Insecta: Coleoptera: Cerambycidae	Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgi Georgiev	Forest Research Institute, BAS; E-mail: ggeorg_fri@yahoo.com
Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae	Res. Dr. Vera Antonova	Central Laboratory of General Ecology, BAS; E-mail: antonova@ecolab.bas.bg
Insecta (general)	Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zdravko Hubenov	Institute of Zoology, BAS; E-mail: zhubenov@zoology.bas.bg

This web-site is being regularly updated!