Rebecca Truszkowski
About
Rebecca Truszkowski (www.rebeccatruszkowski.com) is an award-winning portrait and documentary photographer based in Los Angeles. She built her career shooting both national and international projects for clients and agencies including Kraft, Ventiquattro magazine, New Beauty Magazine, Sabian Cymbals, and the Feminist Majority Foundation. In addition to her commercial endeavors Rebecca is now privately shooting fine art, antiquities, and architecture used in publications, scholarly catalogues, and promotional materials. Additionally she has been developing a variety of personal projects on topics ranging from community relations to women’s issues. She is a Michigan native and graduated with honors from the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. Her love for art, photography, and the people she documents continue to be major influences in her life, guiding a particular affinity for humanitarian issues. In recent years, this passion has expanded to encompass teaching, including involvement with non-profit organizations and student exhibit development. Rebecca’s long-term goal is to make a significant contribution to arts education in Los Angeles.
Gallery
LACP Interviews Rebecca Truszkowski
LACP asks Rebecca Truszkowski ten questions about her background, career in and beliefs about photography.
Los Angeles Center of Photography: What kind of photographer are you?
Rebecca Truszkowski: I photograph many things in my professional career including fine art documentation, architecture and portraiture. My personal projects include travel and documentary stories.
LACP: How long have you been shooting?
RT: Almost 20 years.
LACP: Where did you get your training?
RT: Rochester Institute of Technology
LACP: When did you know you wanted to devote your life to photography?
RT: During my first photo class the teacher showed me the works of the Masters – Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Mary Ellen Mark, Dorthea Lange, etc. I realized in that moment that it was possible to make a living as a photographer and that was the life I was suited to perusing.
LACP: Did you ever come close to giving up?
RT: I did work in other areas for a short time to supplement living costs, but I never veered from the photography path. I am a photographer for life.
LACP: Have you sacrificed anything by being a photographer?
RT: Not that I’m aware of.
LACP: What have you gained by being a photographer?
RT: I’ve gained and developed a sensitivity for both visual perception and emotional connections to the world around me.
LACP: What classes do you teach at LACP?
RT: “Basic Photography” and “After The Basics”.
LACP: What do you love most about teaching?
RT: Meeting my students and watching them understand and be inspired by the topics we discuss.
LACP: What advice would you give someone who is thinking about making a career in photography?
RT: If you become a professional photographer it’s not just a career path, it is a lifestyle.