We were lucky to catch up with Alex Newill recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, thanks for joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I feel Consistency and Tenacity are two huge factors in being successful. In my experience thus far, staying determined has been key in growth. Especially on the days I don’t feel like I am doing a good job or even belong in the industry. There are usually break throughs that come along after I push through the self-doubt. Consistency has been important for expansion. When clients I have done several different jobs for see that they get quality work every time, they tend to talk about it to their peers. I love getting that call “so-and-so showed us the work you do for them, and we would love to talk about potential work for us”, so consistency is a win-win for you and your clients. I feel like both of these are talked about regularly in business, but they are important enough to continue to mention.

Alex, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My intro in photography was actually an impulsive move a few years ago. At the time I was involved with the car scene pretty heavily and we had a guy that would photograph our cars for social media content. I remember the first time I met him and watched him work I was so intrigued by the process that I went out and bought my own camera. This was November of 2019. I started photographing cars for me and my friends which eventually led into Motorsports for two years as a hobby. Within that time frame I gained an interest in multiple genres of photography and it grew from there. One of the proudest moments I have, was also the one that set the first steps from hobby to business. My hometown had a local Carousel they would construct for the holiday months, and it was a tradition that went back years and years. One early, foggy morning I captured a beautiful image of it and posted online only for it to be spread around town like wildfire quickly after. Even the town reached out to me and wanted to display it at all the places that sponsored the carousel. I had people sharing stories of their childhoods with long passed grandparents, memories with their children, and just all these really special moments from so many people I had never met. It was then I realized how valuable a moment could be and how simple something as a photograph could take someone to a joyful place. After that I put more effort into chasing moments and earlier this year that led me into starting my own business as an event photographer. I think with this industry style seems to be a popular thing, but for me I believe it’s more the substance aspect that has set my path. My clients seem to love my pursuit of moments which I try to portray in the reflection of reality rather than over styling to narrate the story.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The interaction with the world, 100%. The people I’ve met in this journey have outweighed the work I’ve done tenfold. I’ve had countless conversations with some of the most interesting people in the world, and just learning about how other people perceive the world and navigate life are all just fuel for the creative fire. The more perspective and influence I can introduce into my work just makes it that much more interesting yet relatable.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Ultimately, I think being proof that you can build a life that doesn’t seem like work. I don’t come from much and I do not have the best past. Struggles and bad decisions could be the title of my autobiography from the day I was born until the day I picked up a camera for the first time, which was in my 30’s. It absolutely changed my life. And now it’s my job, my passion, and my life. And I just want to be successful enough to show people you can build a dream life if you really believe it, regardless of how bad things may seem. It’s work, you have to show up and put in the time, but it is absolutely attainable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alexnewill.smugmug.com
• Instagram: alex_newill_

Image Credits

Alex Newill