My London: Alex Piper – Photographer & Creative Director

As a digital content-creator, operating predominately in fashion and music spaces, Piper works both independently, as well as with a team, to create and oversee the creative process behind a diverse mix of film and photography projects.

Citing Idris Elba, Stormzy, Maya Jama, Leomie Anderson, and Eva Apio as just some of his creative muses, Alex has collaborated with high-end clothing brands Fendi, Gucci, Adidas and Christian Louboutin, and seen his work featured in an array of fashion publications including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Variety, and Hypebeast.

Having developed an affinity for photography as a teenager growing up in Croydon, South London, Alex Piper’s story is one of perseverance, dedication and hard work.

“I’ve always loved the idea of taking pictures,” Piper admits. “Even before I had my own camera, I would go out with all of my friends (who did) at a weekend and shoot a ton of content around the city, which I would then go home and edit. Fast forward a few years and I was fortunate enough to attend the BRITS School, where I was able to study, and explore my love for photography further, to the point where I decided I wanted to make it my full time career.”

After a chance meeting with a friend and fellow photographer one afternoon on the South Bank, Alex was introduced to a dancer/influencer who would go onto become something of a muse for the aspiring photog, with the pair forging a unique working relationship that saw them collaborate on various creative projects as a way to develop Piper’s burgeoning portfolio.

“I’m very fortunate that when it comes to my career, things have happened very organically, and it’s been through networking, building relationships and general word of mouth that I’ve been able to work my way up to where I’m at now.” Alex explains of his journey to this point. “Social media also proved to be a super beneficial tool to explore, as it allowed me the opportunity to connect with a bunch of other creatives, and I’ve honestly learnt a hell of lot by simply watching my peers at work.”

“I know now the importance of creating and maintaining a safe, positive atmosphere on set, because in doing that you’re able to build up a level of trust with the artist you’re collaborating with. I’ve always felt like the job of a photographer is to capture the essence, and personality of the person you’re photographing, and in order to be able to do that, they have to feel comfortable around you – so that means leaving your ego at the door, and treating everyone around you with respect, regardless of their role or job on the shoot.”

“Being a nice, decent human being is what will get you access and invitations to attend future events, and secure more work. Some people perceive being nonchalant as ‘cool’… until they miss out on an opportunity.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfmYaxjMAtw/?hl=en

“I’m lucky that I’ve been able to photograph some extraordinarily talented people.” Alex admits as he reflects upon his professional achievements thus far. “Idris Elba is somebody who has been incredibly supportive of me, he took me under his wing a while ago, and we’ve been working together for over four years now. He and his wife Sabrina (Dhowre Elba) are amazing human beings, and I’m proud of all of the work we’ve done together.”

“The summer I spent with Stormzy at Reading & Leeds Festival was pretty insane, as was Wireless last year! It was there that I took what is possibly my favourite photo of all time – a close up portrait of Playboy Carti. His shows and performances are always notoriously dimly lit, meaning that for the majority of the time he’s on stage, he appears in silhouette. But as at Wireless he was performing in broad daylight, he was a little bit more exposed and visible to audiences than normal, which I thought was really cool. To be able to capture such a unique image of an artist who is famous for being so mysterious and aloof is something I’m really proud of.”

We caught up with Alex Piper for the latest edition of our ‘My London’ interview series.

Favourite neighbourhood:

I’m going to have to stay Croydon, because it’s where I grew up, and where I still live! I know some people wouldn’t necessarily class it as being a major part of London, because it’s “just a borough” (laughs) but to me it’s an amazing area of the city. It’s a place that does its own thing, there’s always a lot going on, all of my friends live there and I feel like it’s been home to a lot of really great creatives.

Favourite place for brunch:

I’ll be honest, I’m not really a brunch person so I don’t know if I can give you a proper answer to this question! If I did ever find myself heading out for a brunch date though, then it would have to be a bottomless, buffet type situation… so basically any place where I can go in, and stuff my face (laughs).

Best coffee in London:

Grind in Shoreditch. They make their own coffee which always taste great, and sometimes they give you free coffee pods! I actually went in there the other day for the first time in a while, and was kind of taken aback by the place – it looks very cool from the outside, and then you go in and it just feels very relaxing, and welcoming; it always smells great too! I love places that have character and a good aesthetic, and Grind has this almost American diner style vibe to it – it would be a nice place to photograph, which is probably the reason why I like going there so much.

Favourite gallery or museum:

Definitely the Tate Modern. When I was younger I’d often come into the London for the day with my friends to take pictures, and we’d always end up going there because we knew we’d be able to get some great shots. It’s never not busy, and because you’ve got so many different types of people passing through, we’d use all of the amazing exhibitions as our backdrop to just naturally capture what was going on there day-to-day. And also, on a side-note it’s free art – and who doesn’t love free art?

Tell us a secret:

I mean I could, but if I did then it wouldn’t be a secret anymore would it?..

Favourite place to shop:

I hate crowded places so I’m not really into going shopping to be honest with you. Seriously, I’m very much an introverted person, who doesn’t like crowds or to be around a lot of noise… which is funny considering I shoot at a lot of concerts and music festivals for work. Having said that though, I go to Shoreditch quite a bit because it’s where I get my filmed developed, and I do actually enjoy thrifting, and having a look around all of the different vintage shops there, so I guess by default that would be my favourite place to shop.

Favourite place to find inspiration:

I wouldn’t say there’s a specific place I go to to find inspiration. In my job I have to be out and about a lot of the time, so when I’m not working I like being at home; I’m very much a homebody. What do I like to do when I am at home? I enjoy reading, and have been getting into a lot of creatives autobiographies lately – two I would definitely recommend are ‘Look Again’ by David Bailey, and ‘A Visible Man’ by Edward Enninful.

Best London destination for a date:

It depends what the vibe is, and how well you know the person! If you’re just starting to get to know someone, then I think going for a walk somewhere is a really good idea for a first date – maybe someplace like The Tate or Primrose Hill… actually Primrose Hill is a great spot to go for a picnic, especially in the summertime at sunset. If it’s a second or third date though, then I’d recommend going for a fancy dinner somewhere. 

Favourite park:

Any park where you can hop on a line bike and ride around with your friends is good with me! Bonus points if there’s a higher point that you can go up, and look out across the city. I was really into street photography when I was younger, so me and my friends used to spend a lot of time hanging out in all of the different parks around the city experimenting with our cameras and taking loads of pictures.

Favourite food market:

Definitely Borough Market in Southwark. It’s a bit of a landmark in the city isn’t? My Nan used to take me there when I was little, and I loved it – we’d walking around for hours eating these amazing bread rolls. I know I said earlier I’m not a fan of busy, crowded places, but that’s one spot I don’t mind visiting (laughs).

Your sanctuary in the city:

My room at home. If I don’t have to go out anywhere, then I’m more than happy to stay inside. When I do have to leave the house though (laughs) I’d say I feel most comfortable being on the set of a photoshoot. There’s a studio in Wimbledon I use a lot that’s cool, there’s something about the energy there that I enjoy – I find it very peaceful!.. much more so than when I’m working at a festival, or running around town with someone capturing behind the scenes footage, and candid shots of their day. You can create your own mood when you’re on a studio shoot, it’s more relaxed – you play some cool music, everyone’s chatting away, kicking back and you’re just there with the artist, it’s always a nice vibe! Going a little deeper than that though, it feels purposeful me being there, and like it’s where I’m supposed to be.

What inspires you?

I find inspiration in putting myself in uncomfortable situations, because I know by doing that I’m going to experience things that will help me to grow and evolve as a person. So when a job comes up, or an email proposal comes through and it’s a situation that I’m not 100% familiar with, I know I have to say ‘yes’ to being involved, because past experience has shown me that – despite my initial nerves – once I get going and complete the work, I feel great afterwards! Overcoming fears, and doing things that scare us, enables us to see that all things are possible… we just have to get out of our own way sometimes.

This season I’m loving…

Having longer, lighter days! I find that in the winter, because it gets darker earlier, I try to cram way much more into my day than I normally would, simply because it feels like there’s less time to get everything done. It’s almost like once I see it getting dark outside, my mind tells me the days over and it’s time to go home (laughs). So yeah, I’m happy to be moving away from winter, and even though we’re only just entering spring, I’m already thinking about summer, which is exciting because it means festival season is coming…