Highlands. Iceland. - Limited Edition 2/10 Photograph

Ever since I had my first camera, photography has been a constant passion for me. Landscape has become my main genre of photography. It is partly due to the fact that my childhood and youth were in a village near the city. And every summer I went there for a vacation. I always did not like big cities, but in the countryside, I felt like home. Once I had a camera, it became my constant companion when I traveled in the countryside. I photographed everything I saw around me. Pretty soon, taking pictures of landscapes was the main reason for my trip. Sometimes I annoyed my family members who had other plans. These attempts left much to be desired. But I learned from my mistakes and gained experience. The year 2009 was a turning point. Another photographer and I went on a trip to Lake Ladoga. We traveled by boat. Surrounded by unfamiliar landscapes, I was really awakened by a real passion for photography. I was amazed by the beauty of harsh landscapes. The vast expanses of water in front of me, the steep banks, the pine trees on the island and complete privacy. It was just stunning. Lake Ladoga was for me a place of strength. And it is still there. In those years, I shot MF camera Mamiya 645 AFD. And I used Fuji Velvia 100 film. There were only 16 frames in one film. At the same time, I had to do an exposure bracketing. I had 5-6 frames per film. It is expensive, believe me. This approach taught me to look carefully for the composition of a frame. It was a wonderful experience. I still have one 64 GB card for the week of shooting today. The combination of careful planning, passion, intuition, choice of place and time, creativity and technical skills is the key to my success. Ten years have passed. I have visited dozens of countries, written a guide to the Lofoten Islands, held seminars. But I always adhere to the same principles. It is not easy to be a landscape photographer. To get up early, to go to bed late, to get wet in the rain, to freeze in the wind. But when I think about beautiful sunsets, exciting sunrises, fantastic journey, you realize that it is worth it.