In a drone {photograph} by Yevhen Samuchenko, Lake Lemuria, the so-called “Dead Sea of Ukraine,” takes on a surreal, otherworldly high quality. Its waters turned pink by algae, its shoreline streaked with white salt deposits, the physique of water may simply be confused for an summary portray had been it not for the presence of two tiny figures and their close by automobile.
“I wanted to show the scale of the landscape, because when you see the very small people, you understand how big the location is,” mentioned Samuchenko, by way of a translator, on a video name from his residence within the Ukrainian metropolis of Odesa. “But I also want the viewer to see themselves as being like these people — to invite them into the photo.”
When Samuchenko visited, nevertheless, the lake was a peaceable spot — one reachable solely by way of “very bad roads” and with little or no vacationer infrastructure, he defined. The figures standing face-to-face within the picture are two of Samuchenko’s fellow photographers, although he says the second shared by his two buddies was spontaneous, not posed.
Samuchenko’s pictures of Lake Lemuria have been acknowledged by a number of main images awards. Credit: Yevhen Samuchenko
‘My frontline’
Samuchenko just lately donated his drone to the Ukrainian army, and he says it’s presently unattainable for him to function as a photographer. But in a battle that will hinge on the assist of sympathetic allies, he hopes his work can nonetheless contribute to the warfare effort by interesting to hearts and minds. “It’s my frontline,” he mentioned.
Like his photos of Lake Lemuria, the painterly pictures reveal hidden symmetries, patterns and shapes. Canyons, riverbeds, forests and farmland burst with coloration and tackle a surreal new magnificence when seen from above.
Samuchenko’s new ebook reveals Ukraine’s huge and various landscapes. Credit: Yevhen Samuchenko
Samuchenko’s ebook was already in manufacturing when the warfare started. Some of the locations depicted have since been broken, based on writer Lucia Bondar, who wrote the accompanying textual content.
“Even nature has suffered because of this terrible war,” she mentioned, including: “It’s very important to show the world now the other side of Ukraine. Every day, the whole planet sees these dramatic pictures on their screens, in real time. They see this pain and these tears… In our book they can see the other side of Ukraine — of our people, of our lives and of pure beauty.”