Advert.
Whenever a new post by Alina Rudya a.k.a. rrrudya pops up in my social media feed my heart gets filled with warm thoughts about Berlin. Like no other photographer that I follow, Alina has a way of capturing the city in such a charming, beautiful, often tongue-in-cheek, and always authentic way – it makes me feel really connected, not just with the city, but with her as a fellow Berlin content creator.
For iHeartBerlin’s new feature series in collaboration with Squarespace – the iconic all-in-one website and commerce building platform – we get to meet some outstanding talents in Berlin showcasing the limitless creativity that the city harbors and the endless potential of a strong online presence.
For our interview I meet Alina in one of the most beloved places of the neighborhood we both live in: the famous Mauerpark. It’s a really popular spot to capture good Berlin vibes, but also a beautiful backdrop for portraits. Usually, it’s Alina behind the camera, but today it’s two photographers pointing their cameras at each other while chatting about the job in process.
Alina’s work as a photographer of course goes way beyond capturing our city. Her main subjects are travel photography and portraits, her portfolio is full of incredible shots, and her roster of clients features countless tourism companies and magazines, as can be found on her beautiful Squarespace website. When I ask her how she got into photography in the first place, she goes really far back to her childhood.
“When I was young, my father was a nuclear physicist and an amateur photographer,” she explains. “We always had a lot of film cameras around the house, which sparked my curiosity. One day, when I was nine, my father brought home a copy of National Geographic from the USA, and I was so impressed by the fact that people could travel the world and take pictures for a living. That was the moment I knew I wanted to do the same. However, it took me years to actually follow this path—first, I studied political science and journalism, and I got two MAs before I fully embraced photography.”
And I’m glad she did! Not just for the sake of her own photography, but also because of her important contributions to the photographer community, specifically the female ones. Back in 2017, she founded Bell Collective, a community of female photographers. The aim of the project is to elevate female voices in the creative industry.
“While traveling and working for different clients, I noticed that I was often the only woman on set. I also saw that there were many stereotypes surrounding female creatives and photographers, and I wanted to change that. I felt it was important to create a space where women could support each other and be empowered in a field that often feels male-dominated.”
The collective enables its members to exchange and share their experiences, help and support each other. They do photography trips, execute client work together, and collaborate on creative projects. One of which came out in 2019, when they released their first Bell Collective book filled with amazing photos and stories from their many trips around the world.
In 2022, Alina also initiated yet another project in support of female photographers: The Female Photos Days is an annual multi-day event for female and non-binary photographers with workshops, exhibitions, photo walks, and a photo competition.
Next year, Alina will expand her community even further with photography group trips catering to aspiring female and non-binary photographers of all ages who want to use the group travel experience to expand their skills and learn more about the job of a photographer from someone experienced like Alina.
On her website, you can find out a lot from her previous travels, but also learn about her commissioned work with all the different clients she worked with in the past, and get in touch with her through her contact form to find out more. Of course, everything looks stunning here. She built her website with Squarespace, and naturally I’m curious why she picked them for her photography portfolio.
“I was drawn to the simplicity of the platform, as well as the sleek and modern design,” she reveals. “It suited my needs perfectly as a photographer because it allowed me to present my work in a clean, professional way without too much effort.”
I can imagine with so much going on, it’s important to be able to present everything quickly without having to deal with coding or involving a programmer or web designer. I wonder what importance her website has for her at a time when many creatives only rely on social media accounts to show their work.
“Social media feels a bit more personal to me. I post not only pictures and reels but also my thoughts and ideas. My website, on the other hand, is my portfolio—it’s how clients see my best work. It serves a different purpose than social media because it’s curated and professional.” – That makes a lot of sense to me. Providing a good-looking portfolio of your work and running a successful social media account are just two completely different tasks.
I notice that Alina runs her social media accounts differently than most photographers who simply post their work. She shows a more personal side, posts about her city, engages with trends there, you could almost say she posts like an influencer.
When I ask her about her double identity as a professional photographer and an influencer, she has a different take on it: “I consider myself a professional photographer first, who happens to have a larger following on social media. I feel lucky in that regard, but I wouldn’t call myself an influencer,” she admits. “I see myself more as a professional with an audience. It’s a balance that allows me to stay grounded in my work while still engaging with a wider community.”
While she might not use the term for herself, I have to admit that unlike the people we traditionally call influencers, Alina had an actual influence on me over the years: In the way that she made me rediscover my love for Berlin in moments I had grown tired of it, in the way that she makes me miss places here that I had not been to for a while. But most importantly in the way she created and nurtured a community of fellow creatives around her that goes beyond her followers on social media because this is something I want to accomplish with iHeartBerlin as well. I really have to say thank you for that!
About Squarespace:
Squarespace is the all-in-one platform for freelancers, small businesses and creators. With integrated business and AI tools, Squarespace helps creative ideas to succeed.
