We recently connected with Alexandra (Alex) Thomas and have shared our conversation below.
Alexandra (Alex), so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I’ve had a lot of different interests in my life. As a kid I always loved geology, archaeology, forensic anthropology, interior design, zoology, veterinary science and photography; but my love for animals always lead me to want to be a vet. It was the one thing my entire childhood I thought for sure I would do for the rest of my life. I started volunteering in my local animal shelter’s vet office around age 13 and got to help take care of the animals and I really loved it. It had a lot of hard days to go with it, not everything goes the way you want it to with each animal and it would be heartbreaking, but it was really reassuring to know there were lots of animals I was able to help and I loved that.
I’ve been taking photos my whole life– literally since before I could walk– I’d take photos every single day when playing outside to study different animals, insects and plants I’d see and I always loved photography; but I didn’t think a whole lot into that as a kid. I also swore to myself as a little kid that I would never allow people in front of my lens. I’m a major introvert and I never wanted to be a photographer for people as a kid because the idea of that was so terrifying and overwhelming to have to be around so many people. I only ever wanted to photograph animals and nature. Around age 14 I started going to concerts and would take photos/videos on my phone for myself but it didn’t fully click for me then. Later that year I started going to the fan conventions for the TV show Supernatural and got to meet the convention photographer Chris Schmelke who ended up becoming such a massive inspiration to me as a creative, and he was SO kind to me and answered a lot of questions for me that helped me get started and encouraged me to start my photography business as a fun side project.
It wasn’t until I was 15 I was out celebrating my birthday and I went to see my favorite band MISSIO live for the first time that I knew I had a true calling in life though. I got to the venue hours early to be the first one in the room, waiting outside in the rain the whole time and I brought my camera with me not knowing I’d need a photopass to bring it in because I hand’t tried to bring a real camera into other concerts before. Hours later once gates opened and it was time to go in, security only then told me I couldn’t bring a camera in without a photopass under any circumstances. I ended up having to go all the way back to the car blocks away and come back, and by that point of course everyone was in the venue and the room was packed. Some nice people were willing to let me stand with them about 3 rows back from the stage and I spent the whole night taking photos and videos on my broken iPhone 4c. As soon as MISSIO got off stage– there was something about their set that I haven’t experienced with any other artists in the 1000s of bands I’ve photographed since then– even though there was going to be another band playing after them, as soon as MISSIO’s set was over I ran home to research how to get a photopass and started applying to literally hundreds of music publications so that next time they toured I’d be able to photograph them. That night forever changed my life for the better. Something about their shows have always been my most inspiring and happiest space in life and truly make me feel like I really had a purpose in life.
After that first MISSIO show I pretty quickly quit volunteering at the vets office and went all in on this concert photography/videography thing. I started shooting music festivals all over the US, directing music videos, touring all over with local Dallas artists in that first year while also becoming the house photographer and digital marketing person for a local venue and the head of photography for multiple music publications at only 15. I can say there is really nothing I love more in this world than touring/working shows and documenting these real, raw moments for artists. I knew during that first MISSIO show this career was what I wanted most in life and I ran with that and started working easily 5 shows a week every single week and doing all I could to learn and grow as an artist. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with MISSIO on many occasions now and they’re still truly my biggest inspiration as a creative, as a business person, and as a human being. They make me my best self in so many ways.
So yeah I’d say thanks to several really amazing people coming into my life at a young age, I was able to find my calling and purpose in life early on. I’ve been really fortunate to get to know them and so many other amazing creatives throughout my career who have inspired me, encouraged me and even mentored me over the years. Nearly a decade later and I really love this life path more than anything and I just want to be touring, documenting life for the not only artists but the people I love for the rest of my life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m Alexandra (Alex) Thomas, I’m a 23 year old creative and business woman. I started my photography, videography and digital marketing business called AETPhotos when I was 14 years old. I run my own music publication, Tour Life Mag, with an amazing staff of women, LGBT+ and POC photographers and writers from all over the world helping them get their foot in the door in the music industry and mentoring them to help them get their dream opportunities. I also recently started a mental health video series, Life With, that you can watch on my YouTube channel where I interview people from all walks of life about their personal experiences with different mental health conditions so that we can learn more about how different these conditions are experienced from person to person & help people feel less alone in their own struggles.
What I feel is most exciting and special about what I do with AETPhotos is documenting real life moments that can never be recreated for clients who quickly become my closest friends. Touring with bands as photo/video (and sometimes merch/tour manager) is definitely my favorite thing in life; it can be very hard being in tight quarters 24/7 with the same group of people, especially on bad days, but the friendships made from touring are truly people I trust with my life and want to love, support and create with for the rest of my life. What I think is most special about what I do with Tour Life Mag is helping new creatives get their start and be the mentor that I never had when I was getting started. I want women, LGBT+ and POC creatives who are the marginalized group in the music industry to have someone that believes in them, can give them the insight they need and be there to answer all of their questions. When I was starting out the music photography field was overflowing with so many older white men who would sexually harass/assault you at shows, belittle you and if you were to ask them for basic advice they’d scream at you for seeking advice; so I really just want to create a space for new creatives to feel safe and encouraged. And as for my Life With mental health series, I’m most excited about being able to help those who may feel alone in their struggles to realize they aren’t alone; because that really can save so many lives, it saved mine once and I want to try my best to do that for others.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Hmm. I think for me my biggest skillset that has been most impactful throughout my career is my ability to document a real moment in time. Some people think thats easy but it’s really not. These perfect moments go by in a blink of an eye, and the slight moment before someone in the photo may be blinking, or their face may not be lit up with happiness or love quite the same way as they are in THE moment. Those moments are SO hard to capture at their best but I feel thats my biggest skill is capturing that exact perfect moment. That I think comes from the side of me who wanted to be an archaeologist and just has that ability to study people in such a way that I can quickly pick up on how someone acts and reacts and how long it’ll take from something happening around them for them to fully react to it and knowing when to pick up the camera and snap the photo to get that exact millisecond of a moment.
The second biggest thing is probably my editing style and turnaround times. I can have a gallery of well over 200 photos from a concert edited and shared with my clients within 2-4 hours of the show, weddings and full day events with over 600+ photos usually all edited and sent to clients within 48 hours, portraits within 1-3 hours, music videos within 24 hours, etc. Starting out my career by touring and working so many concerts and needing to get photos and videos out that same night for the band taught me how to edit quickly while still paying close attention to every shot to make sure each photo/video is exactly how I want it.
The third thing I would say is my ability to really relate to and connect with every client and that I want to support those who support me. I genuinely want each client to become a close friendship. I want to see them happy and thriving and living their dreams, truly nothing makes me happier. I appreciate so much when people hire me for the first time because they like my art; that kind of support means the world to me. I want to know that these people who believed in me to capture these fleeting life moments for them, usually despite not even knowing me before hand, are doing well after we create together and to try my best to be there for them through their hard times and everything life throws at them and hype them up when they’re doing the things they love in life.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Oh wow. There are a lot of people who have really helped me through so much and been amazing role models and mentors for me throughout my career. Most helpful would be Matthew Brue of MISSIO. I really wouldn’t be here today if not for his kindness and encouragement to keep going through some really hard times and for how much he inspires me as an artist on a daily basis. He’s been a great example to me throughout my life with his kindness, empathy, ability to genuinely care about others and just being a truly good person that I can only hope to be. I love his work ethic, his artistic mindset with his endless artistic abilities and his vulnerability. It’s truly so inspiring to just watch him create and perform and watch his mind work. Its also just amazing to be able to create with someone that I don’t feel like I have to be “on” around 24/7. I like that I can be anxious, depressed, struggling with my OCD or that I can try something I’ve never done before and massively fail or whatever else and know theres no judgement to be fully myself no matter who that is in each moment. Other honorable mentions though would be my other absolutely f*cking amazing artist friends and family, James Guckenheimer, Shohn, Zeale, Patrick Smith, Cody Jasper, Trees Marie and so many others who have all been so inspiring to me, been around through so much with me and really helped me become the artist and person I am today. I’m incredibly grateful to all of the artists who have supported me throughout my career and allowed me to be myself and learn and grow with them. My life is so much better with all of them in it and I really could not love and respect anyone more than these people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.AETPhotos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AETPhotos
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AETPhotos/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7TKF5ujXgPa8jrBzlpSwqA
- Other: https://www.tourlifemag.com
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