We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexa ‘Lex’ Hadley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexa ‘Lex’, how do you think about risk?
About a year and a half ago I brought my camera to a friends concert for the first time. Seeing as I had been both a hobbyist concert goer and photographer since I was 14 it made natural sense, but even asking was out of my comfort zone. From that point on most of my gigs were based solely on risk- talking to people I would’ve otherwise never felt I had the authority to talk to and asking them for permission to take photos of their shows. Without those risks there is no chance I would be where I am now, because those people who did say yes built the foundation for me to ask other people, build my portfolio, and learn from my mistakes. By putting ourselves out there we give ourselves an opportunity to grow and reach new heights. I always imagine my pothos and vining plants as a visualization of this; climbing up walls, defying gravity, and constant trying to go somewhere new.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Wow I don’t know where to start! I’ve inadvertently touched on some of these questions already in other prompts. Kind of weird to have to write about yourself like this (not in a bad way thank you at Shoutout for this opportunity). I want to preface by saying that I have so much more to learn and think I will the rest of my life. I’m still constantly having problems with equipment, file management, lighting, time management, self doubt, etc. This whole concert photography thing has been simultaneously the most beautiful and difficult time of my life. In addition to taking photos for at least 1-2 events a month I also attend school full time and work part-time. Lots of balls to juggle at once! A big takeaway I’ve had from shooting photos is that the actual capturing of the photos themselves is such a small portion of everything. Even larger of a responsibility and something I struggle with is everything that comes after. Editing, sending files out, posting on social media. I’m probably not doing a good job of selling myself right now haha. I suppose what differentiates me from other people is how much I care about becoming better and that I’m able to capture unique candid moments that other people don’t necessarily notice. I try to maintain a balance between being present at events and taking photos of the people/things I notice while I’m present. There are constantly so many stories playing out around us, it’s quite beautiful to look around and see all of them instead of getting caught up in our own.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We have to go to Horsetooth! Maybe even more than once. There are lots of water activities like kayaking/paddle boarding as well as hikes. If it’s summer, food truck Tuesdays at City Park are also a must. If it’s not a Tuesday we can still hang out and even pack a picnic. Sometimes that’s better because it’s less crowded. I’m personally not a huge fan of going out at night unless its for music and often find myself at The Atrium. The Aggie is also another one of my favorite venues in town, and 830 North also hosts some fun events. After going to a show it’s always a good idea to have brunch at Lucilles the next day. If there’s a wait I normally just go to Urban Egg down the street. After having some food we can walk down College Ave. and see all the shops.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Well first off, I have to shout out Ruth Furman, an incredibly hard working and talented photographer who went to school in Fort Collins and now lives in LA. She taught me so much about the technical skills of photography which I was previously oblivious to and encouraged me to chase my dreams. Secondly I would like to give a shoutout to Brayden Mione, who is currently the guitarist for an upcoming band called The Ohms! He gave me my first real opportunity to take photos of a show, which was for his previous band Almost Extinct (sadly now extinct). There have been many more artists in the Fort Collins/Northern Colorado community that have given me a chance since then and I’m very grateful for those opportunities! Currently I’ve been collaborating with two other local photographers Elena Cassady and John Zamora. If you have a chance you should check out their work. Not only are they extremely hard working and talented but they’ve also acted as mentors for me.

Website: coming soon! follow my instagram for when it drops.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexarayhadley/

Image Credits
Ruth Furman Alexa Hadley

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