Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Capturing moments to cherish & enjoy

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‘Freeze the moment, capture the memories,’ is the motto of a young pharmacist by profession and a photographer by passion.


Photography was always around her and she drew inspiration from her father Edward, a huge photography lover.


Meet Patrycja Ryba, a passionate lifestyle photographer in Muscat who specialises in family photography, jokingly calls her children her ‘personal models.’


Kids, Stella and Bruno, are used to seeing their Polish mum running around with a camera and enjoy posing for pictures.


“Photos connect us to our past, they remind us of people, feelings and places. When I look at the photos I automatically visualise the moment when I captured them and it is special,” says Patrycja.


She visited Oman in 2015 and after two weeks of holidays, she was truly amazed by the beauty of this country. When her husband Artur got an opportunity to work in Oman, the decision was easy to make. After this they moved to Muscat two years ago and since the first day, they have started to photograph their life here.


Patrycja was always looking for something unique in her photos.


“It took me a few solid years of experimenting and learning to realise that it is the imperfections that make it perfect. That was the day I found my own way of photography and allowed me to create something unique, magical and beautiful,” she says.


Explains Patrycja about lifestyle photography: “You try to capture life as it is and see the beauty in every candid moment and document it,” and adds that lifestyle photography gives her a huge freedom to see, feel and capture.


Since becoming a mother, she began to photograph her kids daily.


“I tried to stop the time, freeze the moment and relive it all over again. It was all about the emotions and feelings that I did not want to forget. I wanted to keep them forever. It was my personal photography diary,” says an excited Patrycja.

She further explains that every family has a story and every picture tells a story.


“I don’t have a plan ready for a family photoshoot. I just feel the moment and follow it. There is a bit of preparation before the photoshoot like sharing guidelines on what to wear and where to take photos, but the main idea is just to be yourself,” she explains.


Patrycja is always looking for light as it is a catalyst for her creativity and imagination. The golden hour and sunset light are her best friends and she revels in this friendship. Be it a beach, a wadi, the mountains — all locations provide good shots, but it is the light that gives them a unique touch.


The qualities for a true family photographer, according to this Polish lady, melts down to imagining the pictures before they are even taken and putting yourself in the shoes of the people in the pictures.


“I like working with people and find emotions in individuals to be a great canvas for pictures.”


She connects with people who are in front of her camera, to build a relationship that helps them feel comfortable and relaxed.


“I try to make the photoshoot fun for everyone. If people prefer to take photos of their family, they trust me and my style. I direct people during the photoshoot but the best shots happen just between those ‘pose’ moments. I still learn about photography and take inspiration from other photographers and I also like the fact that my photography inspires other people.”


Patrycja has been amazed by the beauty of Oman since her first day in the Sultanate. There are a lot of beautiful places in Oman that inspire her daily, from amazing beaches to the extremely charming desert, incredible mountains, fascinating culture and unique heritage sites from Musandam to Salalah.


“We travel a lot and collect memories and pictures from hundreds of interesting places. Oman is a paradise for photographers. I would say we have an impressive collection of photos,” she says.


She is extremely glad that her kids have developed an interest in photography and have inherited the sensitivity to it, which makes her feel special. “But it is not always rosy, sometimes they do not want to listen to mummy’s directions anymore so they just want to get done with it and go back to their stuff.”


Patrycja and her family love to travel and explore new places. All of the places they visit and the activities they do offer beautiful background to photos as she carries a camera with her always.


“The best photos happen in the most unexpected moments,” she mentions.


Coming from a town nearby Krakow, one of the oldest cities in Poland, Patrycja lived 10 years in Malaysia with her family before they moved to Muscat. An avid traveller, sourdough bread baker and coffee lover, she is always looking at the positive side of everything. Her Instagram handle is at patrycja.ryba.photography.


 


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