Q & A with Alessio la Ruffa – Pretoria’s king of Instagram
Rekord caught up with local creative mastermind, Alessio la Ruffa.
Andrea Küsel
Alessio la Ruffa is a name that is slowly but surely making waves in Pretoria’s creative circles. He is a self-taught photographer and Instagrammer and also runs a social media marketing business.
We had a sit-down with La Ruffa – a name to watch out for in the future. This is what he had to say:
Q: Firstly, we would like to know how you would describe your job title.
A: I am a photographer, Instagrammer, content creator and social media marketer.
Q: Where are you from and where do you live now?
A: I am from Pretoria, born and raised in the Moot. I currently live in Johannesburg.
Q: You are a prominent figure in the local Instagram scene. How did you break into the scene?
A: It all started when I attended my first ‘Instawalk’, in Maboneng with some of the local Instagram pioneers.
Q: What is the importance of Instagram for you?
A: Instagram got me to pick up my iPhone and take pictures of Pretoria and Johannesburg’s inner city, while meeting really great people. It got me passionate about something and I just continued to work at it. Today, I am a self-taught photographer and Instagram is a social portfolio of sorts.
Q: Do you see potential for Pretoria Instagramming? If so, where and how?
A: Yes, definitely. There are so many people that are interested in the Instameets that we have in the city centre, mainly because they do not want to walk around the CBD alone. Once they join us on an outing, they get to see all the hidden gems in our beautiful city.
Q: Do you have any advice for people starting out on Instagram?
A: Your photos may not be that great in the beginning, and that is totally okay. My first photos are still up on my feed and they are horrible. Just take photos of everything, as often as you can. You will soon find what you like shooting most. Once you have found that, try and refine your skill around what you love to shoot.
Q: Can you make a living out of Instagram? If so, how?
A: I would not say you could make a living from Instagram, but if done right, it can supplement your income quite nicely. I give talks and workshops about Instagram, I host Instawalks, I shoot behind the scenes on film sets and I shoot events and cover them live for clients and upload them to Instagram. I also get paid to create content for brands.
Q: Do you have any favourite local Instagrammers?
A: Yes. They are normally the people you see on my Instagram feed (@alessiolr). I do not have enough space here for all of them, but they really are an inspiring bunch.
Q: What are some of your favourite Instagram photos?
Q: Why Instagram?
A: Instagram is the most social platform. People organise Instameets and take to the streets with a common passion. Most of the times, strong friendships are made. As an app on my phone, it engages me more than any other platform because of its ease of use and simplicity.
Q: You have recently launched your own website. What is it about?
A: My website is the hub of all the content I create online. It is part portfolio, part blog. I try to give my readers valuable content that they can learn from, which is what I was looking for when I started out.
Q: Do you have any creative plans for Pretoria?
A: My friend Adriaan Louw and I are quite passionate about the Moot. We think that it is an often overlooked part of Pretoria, yet it has the most character. We believe it has the most potential in Pretoria, and if anything is going to happen creatively, that will be where it happens.
If you would like to have a look at some of Alessio’s work, you can find him here:
Website: https://alessiolr.com/
Instagram: @alessiolr
Twitter: @alessiolr
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