I first first found out about Alex on Instagram after seeing some of his amazing London shots being shared. Alex takes the most beautiful photos of London, some classic shots and other lesser known areas of the city.
I recently asked Alex a few questions, see what he had to say below.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Alex, I’m 30 and I live in London. I moved to London 3 years ago, originally I’m from Paris and before moving to London I have lived in France, China and in New York.
When and why did you start your blog?
I started my blog along time ago when I moved to China, which was about 10 years ago. It wasn’t the same blog, but it was the first time I started blogging and it was just to give my family and friends some news and information on my daily life. And then, about 4 years ago when I moved to New York, I started a proper blog with information that wasn’t addressed just to my family. I would blog about New York as I wanted to share my experience about the city, the places I loved, the hidden treasures and great places to eat. And then when I moved to London I didn’t want to give it up, so I changed the direction of the blog to London and travel.
Would you advise others to start a blog?
Of course. For me, blogging was a place to share experiences, sharing places I loved and giving tips and recommendations. I also enjoyed sharing my feelings. It wasn’t always about sharing information but sharing feelings of why you loved a place or life experience in general.
On my blog, the posts that get the most views are the ones where I share my personal feelings. My most popular post is one entitled, ‘The day I left New York’.
I think writing a blog gets people out; writing more, taking more photos and to travel as they have a platform to express themselves.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start blogging?
Do it for yourself. Don’t do it for the free stuff, don’t do it for the free travel. If you want a blog, it should be because you love to write, or love to take photos. The free stuff might come at some point if you work hard and create great content.
It’s also not all about numbers, don’t think about the numbers so much. Think about what you really love to share and why you share it. Think about yourself before you think about what a blog can give you.
You take amazing photos, how long have you been interested in photography?
Thank you. I’ve been taking photos since I was very young, a bit like everyone else. However I really started to take it more seriously when I first moved to New York, especially on Instagram. I set myself a goal of posting a photo everyday about my life in New York. Honestly, the photos were very different from what I do right now, however it was just to share with my family and friends my New York life.
So I’d say I started properly 4 years ago and it got much more serious when I moved to London.
You always seem to find the most amazing places to photograph, is this down to luck/chance or do you the places before hand?
Oh no, there is no luck in there. This is down to research. This is actually something I have been talking about with different photographers here in London. As we all love the same places, which is really cool but it becomes a challenge as people get used to seeing the same places over and over again, so you need to be more creative and go out and find hidden gems. This can be tricky in London when they’re so many talented people and photographers here.
When I moved to London, London Instagram wasn’t as big as it is right now so it was much easier to find new places than it is right now. I live in Notting Hill and my most photographed area is Notting Hill, which is the perfect location to photograph; colourful streets and beautiful doors. I started here because this is where I lived but then I started going off road and finding the hidden gems and this is how I’d summarise my photography, ‘find the hidden village in the big city’.
Do you have a favourite area of London?
Notting Hill will always be in my top 3, as would Hampstead. I’m more into West London, as this is where you find the hidden villages in the big city. London is made of really cool villages, those mini villages created the atmosphere of the village. If you went from Notting Hill to Shoreditch or Hampstead to Primrose Hill, you’ll have the feeling that you’re travelling through different cities and this is what I love about London.
I see you’ve done a lot of travelling, do you have a favourite destination?
That’s such a difficult question. I absolutely love travelling and it really depends on the season. For example, recently I’ve been to Montreal and it was my second trip but this was my first time in Autumn and I completely fell in love with the city. The first time I was there I didn’t think it was such a fantastic city but I don’t think I was there in the right season.
Also I love New York, I love a lot of European cities, for example, I love Prague. I also love Italy, it’s absolutely gorgeous and it’s full of history. I don’t think I could choose one favourite destination.
What is it that you love about travelling?
I love planning the trip, looking for information and places to visit. Searching out the best coffee shops and looking for nice places to photograph. I don’t really get to visit museums because I spend all my time walking the city and feeling the vibe.
I love to be on the streets and let myself just wander around with my camera and just discover the places you won’t find in your guidebook.
What is your proudest moment in life so far?
Last year I became a father and that’s easily the proudest moment in my life. I’ve been very busy during the last couple of years and especially since my son was born, so I decided to work from home to take care of him. I feel proud of having the chance to do that. But travelling with a baby is so challenging, not impossible, but it’s really difficult; especially in the beginning.
My son was only two months old when we decided to go back on the road again, he does very well when we’re travelling. He has got used to it and has stayed in some amazing places. And although he wont remember all the places we have been, I hope it will give him the need and the inspiration of being a traveller.
What are your plans for the upcoming year?
It’s going to be such a busy year with a lot of travelling. Not everything is decided yet, but I know I will be travelling to Belgium for a project but I’d also love to go back to Prague, China and maybe the US. I will be working with quite a few hotels and I love working with hotels and discovering new places. I’ll also be travelling within the UK which I haven’t had chance to do yet. I’m very excited to do that. Maybe 8 or 10 cities in the UK. I have been living here for three years now and I still haven’t had chance to do that yet so it was time. That is all I know so far.
Thanks Alex for taking the time
to speak to TravelFoodFilm.
Follow Alex on Instagram HERE
And follow his blog HERE
All photos in this post belong to Alex.
Did you miss Day 20? Catch up here -iAmRyanCond
0 comments