Meet Alec Brown | Photographer & Creative Director

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

Hi Alec, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
I’ve a couple of quotes that have stuck with me over the years. The first being rather cliche… ‘not all those who wander are lost’. Prior to being a professional photographer I spent the best part of 5 years working in the private yachting industry. The quote was painted across the walls of a hostel dorm room that I was staying in when first trying to break into that industry and it has carried with me ever since. Both back then, and when I made the decision to pursue photography full time, I’ve experienced several periods of uncertainty, questioning whether or not I’ve made the correct decisions and am on the right path. It’s then that I remember that ‘not all those who wander are lost’. It’s wrung true for me so far.

The second is a quote by Benjamin Franklin. ‘Don’t put of until tomorrow, what you can do today’. Whenever I’m in a creative rut, staring at a draft email or slumping into procrastination I remind myself of this quote. Especially as a self employed creative I find it imperative to keep on top of not just the creative work but admin, emails, meetings and my own personal life chores and fitness/training. Having said that, it is still important to take some down time, something I tend to struggle with!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business, Alec Brown Photography, was born out of want to follow my passions in life rather than conform to the 9-5 corporate world that I felt university channeled me towards. As a child my grandparents owned a Kodak Express shop in Hertfordshire, oftentimes visiting them at the shop on weekend trips down from the Midlands, where I grew up. I remember my grandmother giving me my first camera as a birthday present aged 10 and from then on photography became a part of my life. From those early memories of my grandparents Kodak shop, I quickly associated photography with travel as customers came in to collect their holiday photos.
Throughout my teens I’d always be the kid with a camera on family holidays, and first started to treat photography as more than just a hobby when I found out about stock photography whilst at high school.

Fast forward through University and several years on the yachts, I was eager to rekindle the love for photography and travel that I had as a child. I was very much an avid outdoorsman and rediscovered photography whilst living and working in British Columbia from 2019-2020. When the pandemic hit in 2020 I lost my job in Canada, this became the catalyst for starting my own photography business. I built my website and social media following off the back of my Canadian travels and started slowly but surely reaching out and pitching projects to outdoor brands.
I began to build a network of contacts at brands across the globe and took on my first few projects during the pandemic, largely ‘in exchange for product’ and to prove both to clients and myself that I could produce the level of imagery that was required on a commercial level. Initial projects were a success and my email pitches were starting to become more streamlined and effective, the response rate ever increasing. My first paid job was for a hiking brand, I think it was 10 photos for $1,000 – I shot them with my girlfriend and delivered a gallery of around 25 photos to the client. They ended up purchasing double the amount and requested additional licensing for paid advertising usage. This was the first time I’d had experience with licensing fees and a sense that I could really make a living through photography.

From 2020-2021 I spent countless hours pitching and emailing brands, PR agencies and other creatives trying to find work. There were months on end of no income interspersed with the occasional job and boost to the bank balance. To say starting out was easy would be a huge injustice. The graft and hours spent on calls to even gain the trust of decision makers was something I hadn’t accounted for when initially starting my business, let alone getting assigned projects. I diversified and added a fine art print shop to my website, created an annual calendar and starting assisting other photographers on projects as well as getting out and continuing to shoot my own personal and test work. I also joined as a 1% for the planet member and aligned my work even more so with the outdoor and travel/lifestyle sphere and maintained a concerted effort to both produce my own work in and environmentally conscious manner and partner with brands that shared the same ethos.
Somewhere along the line there’s a balance to building a creative business that is split between traditional marketing, outreach and business networking whilst also oiling the creative arm through continual personal work and projects, refining your creative workflow and post production and sharing your work with the world. I still struggle with sharing and maintaining a consistent presence on social media!

Regardless, I’ve learnt that building a business takes time and I’m excited to see what the future holds as I continue to partner with clients who share the same values, inspiring others to get outdoors and create their own adventures. Now based in Edinburgh, my photography business blends creativity with the curiosity and joy of adventure through stories about real people and real places.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Where to start!?

A week long trip – starting and finishing in Edinburgh… I’d start off with a morning wander around New Town, grabbing a coffee at Cairngorm Coffee or Artisan Roast before heading out to the Highlands.
With a week to spare I’d spend a few days split between Glencoe, The Cairngorms and St Andrews before heading back into Edinburgh for the final days of the trip. In Glencoe you’re spoilt for choice with hikes and won’t be disappointed with any. I’d also recommend taking a drive down to Glen Etive, a truly magical stretch of road. In the Cairngorms enjoy a days activities around Aviemore and head south through the national park past Balmoral and onwards to Fife.
St. Andrews is one of my favourite Scottish seaside towns, whether it be a coastal walk along the fife coastal footpath or a round of golf at one of the many golf courses surrounding the town and famous old course you’re bound to have a good time!

Back in Edinburgh you’ve an amazing mix of old town and new town city centre with cliche tourist spots such as the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle to visit. I’d also recommend a trip down to The Shore in Leith, an eclectic hub of bars and restaurants situated on the Water of Leith. Sunset from Calton Hill is also an absolute must – bring a picnic/beers and soak in the evening light looking over the city and across the Firth of Forth. Final day start with a morning walk up Arthurs seat before exploring the remainder of the city streets. Wherever you are in Edinburgh there’s something to do/see, be it food, events, architecture or history.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My girlfriend, Alexa, deserves a huge mention for where I am today. When we met in 2018 I was undecided with what to do with my life. I’d spent the best part of 5 years at sea and had applied for my Canadian work & travel visa as an escape from the yachting world to reassess and dial down on what I wanted my career and life to look like. Although it meant the initial years of our relationship were incredibly long distance she encouraged me throughout to follow my passion for photography, the outdoors & travel, and see where it led. From helping build my very first photography website to her willingness to join me on the road for the summer of 2019 shooting incessantly whilst I solidified my portfolio, she’s been a rock and has always given her full support to my creative career. Now, 5 years later, Alexa often joins me on shoots from our home base in Edinburgh.

Website: www.aleccbrown.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aleccbrown/

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

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

Image Credits
All images: ©Alec Brown