Meet Alexa Frankovitch | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexa Frankovitch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexa, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up in a small town in West Virginia and am very lucky to have two parents who really value art and creativity. My mom is a teacher and my dad works in finance, though he always made a point to take my sister and I to plays and museums and to the movies when we had time so we were able to experience more than just what was offered at school. My parents gifted me a tiny, bright green point-and-shoot camera for my birthday when I was maybe 12 or 13, and combined with their insistence on creativity in our house, I think that really started me on the path that I’ve followed to today. I would take photos of absolutely everything, and often filmed my sister and friends running around to make short, totally unscripted videos. It was truly never a question of me working in an art-related field some day, but running my own business has definitely been a brand new journey and a work in progress.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Photography is a weird world. In my neck of the woods especially, it’s incredibly saturated with both full time and part-time photographers and I sometimes feel protective in making sure people know this is a legitimate career and not just a hobby. For me, the importance lies in the storytelling – for a long time I wanted to be a filmmaker, and then I tried working in marketing, and the thing that eventually brought me back to where I am now was going through boxes of photos from my grandparents’ attic. There are stories in those photos – some that would never otherwise be remembered or told – and I think there is such value in capturing those moments so that those stories can be told for generations to come. Obviously there are more important jobs in the world – there are doctors saving lives and teachers educating millions of young people and any other multitude of crucial roles, but I still hold tight to the fact that no matter what is happening in the world, someone will always be looking through an old shoebox full of photographs and telling stories to their family or friends about a moment that was really important to them. It’s someone’s personal history that is being preserved.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I grew up in West Virginia so my heart will always be in Appalachia, but I currently live in Pittsburgh, PA and boy do I love every inch of this city. Because it was a blue-collar, steel town for most of it’s existence, the people here really value small businesses and local, family-run institutions. The Strip District is, I think, the heart of the city – any day you visit is fun, but I would argue that a Saturday or Sunday morning on a weekend when the Steelers are playing is the best. There are a million booths of people selling kitschy t-shirts, and lines out the door for pancakes at Pamela’s or french toast at Deluca’s (both lines well worth waiting in). There are markets selling fish, spices, pints of olives and wheels of fresh cheese, Asian staples you can’t find anywhere else, literally anything you could ask for. Then head over to La Prima for an espresso and to watch the small group of old Italian men who sit outside in the morning, playing cards and telling stories for hours. The entire street is just a bustling, beautiful little slice of local life. If you want something quieter, the museums in Pittsburgh are just fantastic – the Carnegie Art and Natural History Museums could rival ones you’d visit in NYC or Washington DC, but there are also incredibly fun smaller ones like the Mattress Factory or Randyland which are must-sees and I would encourage you to visit with no prior knowledge of what you’re walking into. Pittsburgh is also a pretty big hub for breweries, and there are some really good ones in the area – even better, there are some great ones without the pretentious, beer-snob vibe. Places where you can chill at the bar and chat with a stranger or the bartender and feel at home for an hour or two.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I feel so, so lucky to have found my way into multiple circles of supportive folks who value creativity and passion and the work that goes into running a small business. As a photographer, specifically in the world of weddings, there can be a lot of competition to win over more and better clients. Throughout this past year I’ve been a part of a community called Mother Photographer by the brilliant Laurken Kendall that has brought me so much joy. Laurken is a photographer who has inspired me for a long time – she has an incredible ability to capture the essence of a day and of the people who were there, and not just the couple or the family at the center. Unlike a lot of other wedding photographers, she doesn’t gleam inspiration from whatever is trending on social media or which details are prettiest, she captures the tiniest moments, the messy rooms; she is able to direct people to do things so naturally that it feels like you’re peering right into their most intimate moments. The community she has fostered over at Mother Photographer is full of equally amazing photographers who all value these same moments, this importance on imperfection and reality, and are so supportive of one another’s successes.

Website: alexafrankovitch.com

Instagram: alexafrankovitch

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexafrankovitch/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexafrankovitchphotography/