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Tell us about yourself
My name is Alex Williams, I’m a British born photographer currently based between the UK and Peru. I first picked up photography during my time living in the Canadian Rockies, from there it went from hobby to obsession, as a result my passion for landscape and adventure photography grew. After months travelling solo through South America I settled in Peru where I began guiding photography expeditions in the Andes. I am wildly inspired by mountains, adventure and nature and I am most alive when immersed in the wilderness, it truly is the great love of my life.
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
When I first experienced true wilderness and fell in love with it, I also experienced something I can only describe as frustration; a selfish part of me wanted to own the beauty I saw – to bottle it up and keep it with me forever, which is of course impossible. No one can, nor should bottle up a mountain vista to take home with them. This lead me to question: what’s the closest one can get to owning the beauty of the world? For me that answer was photography. To stand in place and study the scene in front of me in meticulous detail then capture it in a physical interpretation that can stay with me forever, so when I return to my dull, grey corner of England I can always have that moment in time.
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph
I love to photograph landscapes primarily, also the stars and occasionally people I meet.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
When heading to camp in the mountains I always take my moka pot, nothing beats fresh coffee in the tent with a beautiful view!
What destination are you eager to go back to?
I am literally always planning my next trip to Patagonia!
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
I usually liken staying safe when travelling to general street smarts in your home country, you can get in trouble walking into the wrong neighbourhood in London, so keep the same wits about you when travelling elsewhere. Learn about where you are going, don’t go to high risk areas, be cautious with belongings etc.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
The absolute best way is to connect with local people, for many years people used websites such as couchsurfing to hang out with locals, that one is less common these days but there are plenty of ways to connect with locals be it via apps, social media etc.
When and where are you next travelling?
Hopefully, Iceland in January as long as things remain open!
