Alex Crothall/@alexcrvisualsA Scottish teenager who took his new camera to an Olivia Dean gig in Glasgow has had his photographs shared by British Vogue.
Alex Crothall from Bearsden said he usually takes photographs at concerts on his phone, but decided to take his new Sony RX100VII for a test run at the Hydro.
But the 18-year-old was left “shocked” when the iconic magazine brand shared his images, while Dean herself shared the post on her Instagram stories.
Fashion brand Nanushka, who are behind one of the singer’s custom outfits, also shared one of Alex’s images.
Alex Crothall/@alexcrvisualsAlex said: “I told a few friends, and then it just blew up. I still haven’t fully processed what’s happened in the space of a few days.”
The teen first picked up a camera as a child, after mum Adele bought him a Nikon Coolpix L23 point-and-shoot when he was nine.
He began taking photography more seriously in his fifth year at Bearsden Academy and credits his Higher Photography teacher Mr Armour with helping learn how to use a camera properly.
“I’d always had an interest in photography, but that’s when I really started to take it seriously,” he said.
The Olivia Dean gig at the Hydro was the first time he had photographed a large live gig with a proper camera.
Alex Crothall/@alexcrvisuals“I’d taken photos at gigs on my phone before, but this was the first time I’d used a proper camera at a concert,” he said. “I was there as a fan, but I also wanted to see what I could do with it.”
He photographed the show in manual mode, using the camera’s built-in zoom to capture both close-up and wide shots of the crowd.
“The atmosphere was amazing,” he said. “Olivia has such a natural connection with the audience, and you could really feel that in the room.”
Two images from the night stood out to him – the opening shot as Olivia came on stage, and a photo of her performing in a pink dress.
“It had so much movement and really captured her whole vibe,” he said.
Alex Crothall/@alexcrvisualsLooking to build a photography portfolio, Alex made the images his first posts on his Instagram account @alexcrvisuals.
“I was proud of how they looked and want to build up a portfolio of images, as it’s something I’ve always been passionate about,” he said.
British Vogue contacted him a few days later to request permission to share the images.
“They said they would love to re-share my photos on their Instagram page and give me credit, which they then did in the caption,” he said.
Alex Crothall/@alexcrvisualsAlex’s family have encouraged him to keep going with his photography.
“My family are really proud,” he said. “They’ve told me to keep believing that something amazing can come from doing what you love.”
Alex said he would like to develop his photography alongside film and design, and hopes to experiment more with concert photography.
As for his dream gig to photograph, he said it would be Ariana Grande.
“I’m a huge fan, so that would be amazing.”
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