Bearsden teen’s Olivia Dean Glasgow gig photos picked up by British Vogue

Alex Crothall was in the crowd at the singer’s recent OVO Hydro show when he took the photos, which he later posted on Instagram.

The images were picked up by British Vogue, which shared two of them on its own Instagram page, crediting Alex in the caption. Olivia Dean shared his post on her Instagram story, while Nanushka, the fashion brand behind one of the singer’s custom outfits, also shared one of his pictures.

Alex, who left Bearsden Academy in 2025, is currently on a gap year before he starts his Film and TV course at the University of Glasgow.

“I was shocked,” he said. “I told a few friends, and then it just blew up. I still haven’t fully processed what’s happened in the space of a few days.”

Alex first picked up a camera as a child, after his mum, Adele Crothall, bought him a Nikon Coolpix L23 point-and-shoot when he was nine. He began taking photography more seriously in his fifth year at Bearsden Academy.

He studied Higher Photography at school and credits his teacher, Mr Armour, with helping him learn how to use a camera properly.

“I’d always had an interest in photography, but that’s when I really started to take it seriously,” he said.

Alex now takes his camera with him when he travels and enjoys photographing street scenes, architecture and candid moments.

The Olivia Dean concert was the first time he had photographed a large live gig using a proper camera rather than a phone.

“I’d taken photos at gigs on my phone before, but this was the first time I’d used a proper camera at a concert,” he said. “I was there as a fan, but I also wanted to see what I could do with it.”

Using a Sony RX100VII, he photographed the show in manual mode, using the camera’s built-in zoom to capture both close-up and wide shots of the crowd.

“The atmosphere was amazing,” he said. “Olivia has such a natural connection with the audience, and you could really feel that in the room.”

Two images from the night stood out to him - the opening shot as Olivia came on stage, and a photo of her performing in a pink dress.

“It had so much movement and really captured her whole vibe,” he said.

Alex posted the photographs on his Instagram account, @alexcrvisuals, his very first Instagram post to start building a photography portfolio.

“I was proud of how they looked and want to build up a portfolio of images, as it’s something I’ve always been passionate about,” he said.

British Vogue contacted him a few days later to request permission to share the images.

“They said they would love to re-share my photos on their Instagram page and give me credit, which they then did in the caption,” he said.

His family have encouraged him to keep going.

“My family are really proud,” he said. “They’ve told me to keep believing that something amazing can come from doing what you love.”

Alex would now like to develop his photography alongside film and design, and hopes to experiment more with concert photography.

“I’d love to take my concert photography further,” he said.

As for his dream gig to photograph, he said it would be Ariana Grande.

“I’m a huge fan, so that would be amazing.”