You've Got Alex Steele
Ten questions with a mom of four and film photographer from Manhattan Beach.
Welcome to the interview series on YGL that explores connection, creativity, and personal taste. A glimpse into the lives of people I admire through intentional thought and conversation. Today’s guest is gracefully raising the next generation and beautifully capturing it all on film. She’s definitely on my dream list of friends. You’ve got Alex Steele!
month, a season orbiting around motherhood and femininity, I had Alex at the top of my list. I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers in hopes she would say yes as the proposal email swished out of my outbox. Lucky for us all, she is here today to share some of her experience, wisdom, and beauty. You may recognize Alex from her lovely publication. Handpicked by Alex Steele is a weekly newsletter that I (and many others) very much adore. In her words, it’s a “joyful link list + film photography digest, curated by a chatty mother of four in Los Angeles”. I’m grateful and excited to share her words (and stunning photos) with you on YGL today, please enjoy.
All photos © Alex Steele
What are you excited about right now?
An upcoming trip to the family cattle ranch in Arizona. It’s a historic ranch called the Lazy B. It’s very rural and wild, and much of the land has been untouched by human beings for hundreds of years. It’s a sacred place for me. I’ll be bringing 15 rolls of film.
I absolutely love your Milestone Portrait project (and all your photography for that matter). When did your journey with shooting film begin?
Fourth grade, technically! I brought a disposable camera on a field trip to the Gold Rush historic sites, that was in 1999. Then I got really into Polaroid and Instax as a teenager and studied black and white film photography in college. I really fell in love with color film when I taught myself how to shoot a medium format camera while living in Chicago about ten years ago, and I’ve been shooting all my work on Kodak color films ever since.
Note: Alex has some of her film shots on Etsy!
What purchase from the past year has brought you the most joy?
I recently framed two humongous photographs of my four kids. The prints hang in our front room near the kitchen and they bring me joy every single day.
Are you loyal to any brands? Which ones?
Kodak, Trader Joe’s, and Levi’s.
Name three topics you could easily talk about without any prep.
Unmedicated childbirth, the patriarchy, and Taylor + Travis.
What’s the best conversation you’ve had recently? Who was it with, what made it good, and what was the topic of discussion?
I just hung up with my sister, but I won’t tell you what we talked about, haha! I cried, we both laughed, and my heart was nourished.
What has been a struggle during motherhood and how do you manage that challenge?
Body image, and boy is this a tricky one. In the last ten years, my body has created four bodies. I’ve miscarried five pregnancies. I’ve gained and lost ~150 pounds. I was sexually harassed by a doctor in my hospital bed. I’ve struggled with disordered eating and body dysmorphia. During the pandemic I became obsessed with skincare and severely damaged my skin. For those reasons, and many others, my body has felt unfamiliar and broken to me at times, and I’ve struggled to be kind to my physical home. But my kids, it turns out, are my guiding light when it comes to body image. In therapy I’ve learned to never say anything about myself that I wouldn’t say to my precious children.
Did you always know that you wanted to become a mother?
Yes, 100%. I’ve always wanted to be a mom. I’m the second of seven children and have always loved babies and kids. I’ve been surrounded by wonderful mothers since the day I was born.
How do you stay true to yourself as an individual while playing the parental role to four young ones?
For me, the answer is that I don’t consider motherhood a role. My identity is kind of like a rainbow: there are different and distinct stripes, such as mother, artist, disciple of Christ, etc. But the rainbow would disappear if you tried to separate the colors from each other. I get what you mean with this question though, and it’s an important conversation that other generations didn’t have (thanks, patriarchy). I think every mom struggles at times to keep her gas tank full, so to speak; children need so much from us and depletion is very, very real, even if being a stay-at-home mom is your dream job. My solution for that is an incredible selfless partner who cherishes and cheers for me, acknowledges my hard work, and insists that I get time alone as often as I can.
A couple of my friends recently announced they’re pregnant! What’s your best advice for first-time expecting mothers?
Say yes to whatever you and your baby need this very hour, and no to everything else (really, everything). Also: you cannot spoil a newborn. Welcome to the everlasting league of women bearing children — you belong here, and we will be beside you every step of the way.
Isn’t she a gem? A true ray of sunshine. I love all the colour she brings to the world through her images and kindheartedness. You won’t find Alex on social media (a woman after my own heart!) which makes her newsletter all the more special.
If you’re in the Los Angeles area, please check out her Milestone Portrait sessions (this would make such a beautiful gift for someone!). I really love the intention and meaning behind this project; capturing an iconic portrait to honor a milestone moment. This feels like an art that our ancestors practiced but we have since forgotten. Although we may have thousands of iPhone photos of ourselves, a classic portrait is something unique and special. A timeless souvenir.
Until next week,
This was wonderful! Alex is the best 🩷
Thank you so much Lauren! No one has ever interviewed me like this. I'm honored!!