Interviews
Vicky Grout Snaps The Scene
Jemima Hunter
July 13, 2021
Polish born Vicky Grout began snapping shots on her camera at fourteen and has since become an established celebrity photographer following London culture.
‘Being freelance allows for a pretty good work-life balance – you’re able to control your own work hours and schedule.’
Grout began photography with candid shots of close friends, using an old camera, often used on old family holidays. ‘I’ve always liked photos and imagery.’ With no choice to study photography at school, Grout’s work is all self-taught from her teenage years. The photo whiz had initially arranged to take a degree in Graphic Design but started to rapidly stack up commissioned photography pieces and decided to pull out of university at the last minute.
‘I started taking photos at grime events when I started raving really, aged 17. I wasn’t even shooting properly these times, I just wanted to document it for myself I guess.’
Grout’s working life began in retail for Vans based in Kingston Upon Thames but proved that determination and having a particular passion leads to a wider range of opportunities. The photographer is widely known for her honest depictions of London artists and is strongly influenced by bustling city life as well as taking inspiration from Ashley Verse, an original grime artist photographer. Grout’s unique shooting style has led her to photographing some of the most iconic London artists like Skepta and AJ Tracey.
‘I think that a lot of the time I try to capture the person naturally, it’s usually the shots that might have been an accident or the person wasn’t ready that tend to be the best because you get a bit of their personality showing through.’
Grout proceeded to carry out more fashion and street photography work to gain some new knowledge in that field, collaborating with brands like Nike, Clash Magazine and Adidas. Most recently, photographing Cooks from Brother Models agency. Now with a growing clientele list and an influencer sized following on social media, Grout ‘wants to touch on social issues through my work and to shed light on problems within our society by using the voice I have.’
Subscribe to our newsletter
Gain access to exclusive interviews with industry creative, think pieces, trend forecasts
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy