We recently connected with Alec Robertson and have shared our conversation below.

Alec, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

Strayaways found its beginning & slow materialization into the visual collective/idea it stands for now 8 years ago. I, like many of those reading this now, felt a very fierce feeling of Hiraeth in the environment in which I was growing up and navigating in. “Hiraeth” is a Welsh word that encapsulates quite a profound, deeply rooted feeling of longing to be where your spirit lives. The unexplainable push & pull to find where you might call home for the soul in this wildly complex existence. I felt alien among the streets, communities, social circles, and schools I grew up as if they all were merely a place of passage. I dreamt to find others who had this same feeling yet found strength in it, not weakness. And to create art with these individuals and develop a web of connections that would one day become a community where people wouldn’t feel restricted from letting their colors fly & baring their true beings. We are not castaways stranded and isolated from the world. We are stray spirits striking our feet down upon the cobblestones of unknown roads and pathways in search for what defines us. That’s what Strayaways stands for. It has been my Modus Operandi ever since to capture people and moments in time from behind the lens. This was my calling. And I knew I would succeed because in those moments wielding a camera I felt the most alive.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m an Atlanta local and vagabond. I had my beginnings with media on my many travels across the country managing teams for trade shows and conventions in quite a diverse range of industries. Often times my only companion on these treks was my camera and my outlet for connecting with the environment, events, spaces, & faces. In those early days of experimentation I would find myself capturing everything & anything. However not long into the realm of media I found that portraiture and live music was what moved me the most. The capability of encapsulating the energy of a space filled with music, lights, individuals, & emotions, and the capability of encapsulating the persona, rawness, & beauty of an individual in a freeze frame of time really became home for me as subject matters.

I first began photographing portraiture of close friends, family, & random bystanders among outside environments in an organic, guerrilla style manner utilizing the light/conditions that were presented to me. I eventually worked my way into studio work and became a student of controlled lighting, props, and other variables to deliver color-rich, sharp images of people befitting of movie posters. I’m proud to say I now own and operate an in home studio in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Whether its photographing someone framed amidst the stretches of the downtown skyline or tastefully lighted in my studio space you’ll find me actively crafting images of humans.

My beginning in the music industry started with my deep love of music and simple extension of offer to provide photo/video coverage for artists I came to appreciate. I searched for upcoming shows in local venues and reached out via social media, email, or in person. All the while I was interning as a media intern for Bravo Ocean Studios and working alongside truly inspiring artists. From there my eagerness led me to regularly shoot artists in venues and events across the country. I’ve had the distinct honor of calling many Atlanta venues home and traveling to shoot such events as iHeart Radio music awards, Grammys, La Fashion Week, and more.

Although these two areas are my personal love and specialty, I often create for many different outlets. I provide a multitude of media services including, and not limited to: fine art portraiture, headshots, event coverage, product/service promotionals, philanthropy, journalism, corporate “Welcome” videos, & commercials. I set my services & products apart by interacting with my clients on a deeply personal level so that their vision is best represented and actualized. Consistent communication, brainstorming, structuring, revisioning, finalizing, & periodic following up are all imperative to making sure a client is truly satisfied with the work we’ve made together. The project isn’t over until I find that they themselves are in love with what’s materialized and I’ve confirmed that they have utilized it to its fullest potential. My brand stands to deliver carefully curated imagery that captures the viewer and holds their attention long after the video/photo is scrolled past.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Unyielding pursuit of constant evolution in quality and individualism. And most importantly a consistent positive, learning experience and interaction collaborating with my clients/peers/friends. At the end of every day earning the satisfaction and confidence of those who I work with and among is a priority.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Honestly the most enlightening journey of resilience and steadfastness was conducting journalism of the BLM protests that occurred in Atlanta in the summer of 2020. Not only was it a battle of physicality on the streets of the city, but more stately one of virtue and humanity. I attended the protests as a common citizen wielding only a camera and being a phantom presence that captured all of the events that unfolded around me. I found myself pressing through round after round of teargas, rubber bullets, physical force, and emotional clashing between different sides & stances. I attended 7 days of the protests and captured media from every vantage point in front, between, and behind protest/police lines. I was tested by the environment I sought and tested even further by the images relayed of what I had encountered there by my family, peers, and strangers.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strayaways/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pg/strayaways/photos/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/StrayawaysMedia

Image Credits
Portrait of myself captured by Lane Jackman