Meet Leonid Gurevich | Landscape Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leonid Gurevich and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leonid, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
I do not have a quote but I have a favorite short poem called “A Moment” by russian poet Vadim Shefner:

Don’t get used to miracles –
Marvel at them, marvel at them!
Don’t get used to the heavens,
reach out to them with your eyes.
Look closely at the clouds,
Listen to the birds,
Follow the springs,
Nothing will happen again.
Moment by moment, step by step
Fall into amazement.
Everything will be like this – and everything will be different
in one moment

I heard this poem from my father when I was at school, but it did not resonate with me at that time. Only recently when I fell in love with landscape photography did I start to experience moments in my life the way Shefner wrote in this poem. Photography teaches me to notice constantly changing small details in nature, such as the swirling water of a creek, the strong or calm waves hitting the shore, always different colors of sunrises and sunsets, or the light beams breaking through the storm clouds. I was not noticing those things before, but they amaze and inspire me today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m not a professional photographer. I have a full time job in IT but landscape photography is my passion and hobby. My interest in photography started when my daughter was born. I wanted to capture her with a better quality than what cell phones and point-and-shoot cameras could do at that time. So I bought a DSLR camera and started to learn photography basics like exposure, light, colors, and composition. I’m completely self-taught by using books from the local library, blogs, and photography websites. At some point I began looking at photography not just from the documentary angle but also from a more artistic perspective in light, composition, contrast, or creative technique. Later on, influenced by Youtube videos and local photography groups on Facebook, I got into landscape photography and it became my real passion today.

I truly love to get out with my camera and witness beautiful moments in nature, capturing sunrises and sunsets and exploring the outdoors around me. My favorite time is at sunrise when I feel something magical to witness the birth of a new day and how everything around us wakes up after the night with the first beams of light from the sun. But I have to admit that I’m not a morning person at all and it is extremely hard for me to wake up at 4-5AM. Maybe that’s why the successful sunrise shots feel way more satisfying than sunset photos.

I live in Wisconsin. It’s a beautiful state with the majestic Lake Michigan, along with many forests, rivers and lakes. The Wisconsin nature is very inspiring but locations close to where I live are often photographed by very talented local photographers. When I’m going out, I try to look for something unique: weather conditions like the recent Northern Lights, contrast between bright light and dark shadows, or colors.

I cannot say I have my own personal photography style (and I do not have a goal to have one), but I tend to shoot darker, moody scenes like landscapes with dark clouds or a tree in a darker forest illuminated by sun rays.

What really amazes me is Lake Michigan. It’s so huge like a sea. I like to photograph its mood at sunrise. One day it can be powerful and angry with waves crashing at the shore and the next day it’s calm and peaceful.

Photography literally changed my perception of nature. It teaches me to notice and value beautiful moments, and be amazed by their short lived beauty. Thanks to photography I can witness incredible sunrises and sunsets, unreal foggy mornings, or sea fog on Lake Michigan which I photographed at -9F with wind chill about -20F but yet appeared to be one of the best experiences so far. Most of the people miss these moments because they usually do not go out at that time. Such as in April this year, when I went out after midnight to see and shoot the unbelievable Northern Lights for the first time in my life.

Lately I started to think more about where I want my photography to go. I think I’m capable of taking decent photos but I’d like to grow my art into something more than just shooting pretty pictures. I want to learn to create photographs that have impact and meaning, that can convey my experiences of the beautiful Wisconsin landscapes. It is a long way to go for me because I’m not even nearly there, but such a goal gives me inspiration and enjoyment in photography.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love to be out in nature with my camera so the places I will take my friend to will be mostly outdoor. I live in the Milwaukee area, and there are a lot of beautiful outdoor locations here such as woodlands, rivers, lakes to walk, hike, swim, camp, or just to relax on a picnic. Lots of cool places are located right along the shore of Lake Michigan.

But our first destination will be the iconic Holy Hill Church, which is 45 minutes away from Milwaukee. This is arguably the most photographed church in Wisconsin. It is located on a hill and looks more like a castle, and has a scenic tower that provides a beautiful 360° view. The church is surrounded by a woodland area with one segment of the Ice Age trail.

The full trail is about 600 miles across Wisconsin and there are several segments in the Milwaukee area. My favorite one is Ridge Run park, which is about 20 minutes drive from Holy Hill. It’s a very scenic trail in woodland along the small creek.

In the following days we would explore my favorite places and state parks along the shore of Lake Michigan. Marina and the Breakwater Lighthouse in Port Washington (40 minutes north from Milwaukee) are popular destinations for local photographers at sunrise.

Further north there are two large state parks. Harrington Beach Park is a great location for hiking, camping, and picnics, where a 1-mile hiking trail circles Quarry Lake with deep, serene waters that are surrounded by limestone ledges lined with white cedar trees.

The second state park is Kohler-Andrae State Park. The park is home to majestic sand dunes with wooden boardwalk trails. This is a truly unique and wonderful place.

After exploring places around Milwaukee we would take a few days trip to Door County. If you look at the map, Wisconsin is mitten-shaped with the Door County peninsula representing a thumb. This is an extremely popular vacation destination that provides tons of outdoor activities, and is the only county in Wisconsin with 5 state parks. My favorite locations there are Cave Point and Whitefish State Park, which are well-known for their wave-worn Dolomite/limestone ledges, underwater caves and stirring view of Lake Michigan.

Door County is also famous for its cherry farms and cherry produce like wine, pies, and my family’s favorite, chocolate cherry ice cream. Door County is also home to a famous fish boil meal, which is not just a meal but also a great experience when locally caught whitefish is boiled on an open fire outdoors in a large metal kettle.

There are many more great places to visit in Wisconsin but it will take many weeks to explore them all.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First of all, I would like to shout out to my parents. I think a lot of my identity came from them. They were not artistic individuals but they recognized the importance of art in life and enrolled me into a music school. While I do not play any instrument today, I think it planted a seed of artistic skill in me which eventually grew into my photography passion.

Secondly, to my family: my wife Alla, my son Anton, and, especially, my daughter Daria. When she was born, she unconsciously motivated me to buy a better camera and start learning photography, because I wanted to take better photos of her. Eventually it grew into a passion for photography.

Thirdly, to all my relatives, friends, and co-workers, who always encourage me to go out more often and take more photographs.

And lastly, to the Beyond The Lens podcast by well-known photographer Richard Bernabe, whose discussions with many talented artists and educators sparked lots of thoughts about my photography and the path I should take.

Website: https://gurevichphoto.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gurevichphoto/

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