Cooper grad experiences life as runway photographer
There's a saying that if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.
Alex Rybarczyk's life took an unexpected turn when she decided not to return to college after her freshman year and instead follow her passion of photography.
"It's the people that I'm drawn to photographing," says Rybarczyk. "I'm drawn to their stories and getting to connect with them on an intimate level."
She had always enjoyed photography and says she even took her friends' senior photos when she was a student at Cooper High School.
But pursuing photography as a career is an entirely different ball of wax. Rybarczyk interned for a wedding photographer. She looked for opportunities to refine her talent.
"I did anything that came my way," says Rybarczyk.
Last spring, she went to Nepal for a month-long workshop that combined humanitarian work with photography lessons. Then, she got connected to a fashion blogger who needed a photographer.
"She said 'I'm going to be doing the whole fashion week circuit at all four locations, in New York, London, Paris and Milan. Would you like to tag along?' Yup. I would love to," remembers Rybarczyk.
So Rybarczyk read up on Fashion Week coverage and events. She would be working with Chelsea Lankford, fashion blogger at True Lane.
Rybarczyk began her trip in New York City, where she would photograph Lankford attending different events and shows. She learned capturing what was happening on the runway wasn't always as important as capturing what other people were wearing to shows.
"There's the runway, but there's a lot of street style photography too," says Rybarczyk.
Rybarczyk and Lankford went to London, then to Paris and Milan. Each Fashion Week was unique and interesting and Rybarczyk says they would be intentional about spending time in the city as well.
"It was interesting to see how what they were wearing would translate into modern trends,"says Rybarczyk. "I definitely left feeling really inspired to just create."
Rybarczyk returned to Minneapolis, where her next adventure has already begun. She has a full-time job working for a creative agency.
Shannon Slatton, reporting
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