Through the Camera Lens

Twenty seven-year-old Alex Gerrard’s passion for photography began when he was an 11-year-old boy watching his neighbour create art with a simple black box and lense. ‘I love the idea of capturing moments,’ he bubbles. ‘It’s the whole process really. I even like the chemistry of developing but basically capturing the essence of something in an instant is what I love.’ Watching him talk with such passion for the whole process, it is quite clear why he chose this profession.

Coming from a house of actors, Gerrard took the route of capturing them on film rather than being one. His subjects are mostly found within the walls of the theatre. ‘I do very little studio work with them. I like to be in a location with the actors.’ This brings out those moments of brilliance because his subjects feel more comfortable on the stage and in life, rather than being stifled in a room stuffed with equipment. To date one of his biggest projects has been with the Northern Ballet Theatre, where he produced stills of their current production to be used in advertising and for archival purposes.

At the moment, Gerrard is using what he would call his dream camera - the ES1N. ‘I bought this for the camera itself because you can use any lense with it. But the Leica? The Leica - now that is something I’d love to have.’ The Leica, unlike the ES1N, can only use its own specific lenses, which have a fantastic range of aperture. With these types of camera, you are paying more for the quality of the lense than anything else. Even though he loves what he’s working with now, Gerrard is slowly accumulating funds to buy a Leica, as the type of equipment you use can affect the results of your photography.

Currently Alex Gerrard is a freelancer and this has him doing a lot of odd jobs - some with a camera and some without. ‘I sold a house today at a sales centre but that was only something to pay the bills.’ Throughout this, Gerrard still keeps an eye to the future. When he talks of what he wants to do, he is quite clear and to the point. ‘I want to be recognized in the field as a defining theatre and music photographer. Mainly theatre but I like doing music too.’ Maybe it’s growing up with actors that led him to that dream. In any case, Alex Gerrard will definitely be capturing the faces of the future.