Gery Petrof

Willowick, OH
About Gery

Hello, I am Gery Petrof, a professional photographer in Cleveland, Ohio with over three decades working in the art of photography.

Some of my commercial work includes General Electric, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and Contempo Communications. I also have worked with several local commercial studios as a portrait and event photographer. I received my undergraduate degree in Photojournalism from Cleveland State University in 1982.

My interest in photography began when I was 8-years old and I picked up my first camera, a Kodak Brownie Reflex. I taught myself how to process a roll of black and white film and then make prints from it, in a makeshift darkroom in my bedroom closet. I became hooked on photography at an early age and worked on my school's newspaper and yearbook. My passion for photography grew as I discovered color photography and began processing slide film in my parents bathroom.

"My approach to photography is simple - tell the story."

It was when I attended one of the old Cleveland Press PhotoOhio Shows, I saw for the first time a slide show synchronized to the music of John Lennon, and I was introduced to the art of storytelling.

My approach to photography is simple- tell the story. Whether I am capturing family remembrances or building a marketing campaign – what is the story.