Rivka Leah is one of our LONGEST-standing Framers, having just submitted her 555th photo!! Rivka Leah brings a visually clean and artistic aesthetic each and every week. From minimalistic black and whites, to macro nature, to poignant studio portraiture, it’s always a pleasure to peek into Rivka’s creative world.

-Yosef

Name: Rivka Leah Wax

Current All-Time Streak: 555!

Joined 52Frames: June of 2012

Your “walk-around” gear right now:

Canon R6 with either a 100-400 or a 24-105

The place you call home:

Chicago

Your life in 30 words or less

Wife, mother, photographer, a practitioner of energy medicine all define parts of me. The whole is one who wishes to share the wonder of G-d’s world and grow from it.

Can you share 2 images, one from your past, and one more recent, that shows your evolution as a photographer?

What has been your favorite style of shooting lately?

Much to my surprise, i fell in love with portraiture. I love shooting nature because that is where I can breathe; however, there is a timeless quality to portraiture that leaves me with many questions about the subject. Who were they? when did the live? what was life like for them? Therefore, the subject is never-ending and can hold my interest for a very long time. Whatever the focus of my lens, my desire to share a piece of my world with the viewer is tantamount.

What was the first photo you ever submitted to 52Frames?

How did you find out about 52Frames?

A friend kept telling me to look at their albums, but i was intimidated. There was a process to get approved to submit and I did not think I would qualify. Eventually, after much prodding, I submitted a portfolio.

What submission are you most proud of and why?

I’m particularly proud about this image because I learned a technique called ETTR (expose to the right) which enabled me to capture the night sky even with the incredible light pollution in the city. This is a composite image. The sky was taken from the roof of my house while the water and boat were taken from the edge of Lake Michigan. Although I had to do a lot to bring back the sky in photoshop, the water was already fairly close in color as it appears here and it just fit together the way it was meant to be. I am also pleased because my editing skills have continued to grow and that is demonstrated here.

One tip you’d like to share?

Never give up. Be consistent. There are days when you may feel like quitting. You may think, ‘oh, I will never really be any good at this.’ Take a look at where I started and now look at where I am today. Certainly, I have room for improvement, but if I look back at all of those yesterdays, I stand a good distance from where I began. Don’t listen to negativity. Keep pushing through. Believe in yourself. When you make a commitment and can demonstrate steady progress (even if it is just taking and submitting and thinking this was a consistency shot), you are going to shine. This, by the way, is not just for photography, but for life.

Why is 52Frames meaningful to you?

52frames is meaningful to me because it gave me an outlet when I had none. My life was busy with my children and I knew I needed to dedicate a piece of myself to myself so I would not get lost in the process of raising them. After a certain point (somewhere around 2015) I decided to add my own challenge to the challenge and began to write for myself where others could also read. This imbued my images with a little inspiration for myself and, hopefully, others. People always ask if I have my writing done first and then come up with an image, but it is the opposite. I have to have my image completely edited before I can even think of writing. 52frames has helped me learn that even in the tightest of moments we can find space for growth (say a half hour until deadline). Thank you, Yosef and Shai for pushing me to grow. I am very grateful.

To view Rivka Leah’s profile on 52Frames, click here: