Alec Suriyuth is a photographer and mountain biker based in Vancouver, BC. His most recent film, Grateful, focuses on mental health and how friendship, photography, and the freedom to ride mountain trails have provided him with a renewed sense of appreciation and gratitude for the natural world. 

When did you first start shooting? What made you want to get your first real camera and take it a bit more seriously? How do you think photography affects your mental health?

I first picked up a camera back at the beginning of highschool but at the time my interests were actually in video. It wasn’t until I took a photography course near the end of highschool when I became interested in shooting stills. At first everything I shot was on my phone because that's what I had and could easily bring with me but after a while I picked up a small point-and-shoot (Ricoh GRII) because I wanted a bit more control over the process!

I think it impacts it hugely! I find the creative process very therapeutic for me and getting lost in it lets me quiet the noise and stress of the rest of my life and focus my mind on the task at hand.

What is it about mountain biking that relaxes you? Is it a chance to turn your brain off for a little while, or do you find it actually focuses you and clears your mind to better think things through?

Admittedly, mountain biking isn’t always relaxing and honestly, most of the time it isn’t, but I find being able to quiet down the day-to-day noise in my life to focus on just riding really gives my mind a break. Sometimes riding brings me to these moments that are really amazing, it's hard to describe but something where a lot of different things like the trail, the weather and the vibes just click, which really helps my mind reset and helps me feel grounded and relaxed. 

What's your advice to someone struggling to find balance in their life?

I can only speak from my own experiences, but for me, I would say to try and not let something you have a genuine interest in pass by. I’ve been lucky enough to stumble across some really amazing things like photography and cycling and, in hindsight, not getting caught up in one enough to ignore the others has really brought me a lot of happiness. Exploring the things I found interesting and not getting caught up on the idea of having a balanced life has also probably brought me closer to having a well balanced life than approaching the idea intentionally! 

You mention light being a really key element to your photography. What else do you look for when lining up a shot?

Lighting for sure, but the colours and composition are also key. I wish I could say that I feel my images have a strong sense of story to them, but I think what drives them more is the overall visual. 

You talked a bit about feeling far away from family on the other side of the country, has your group of friends taken on part of that role in their absence?
Luckily there’s Zoom and Facetime to help make the distance seem shorter but not traveling back to visit because of COVID definitely hasn’t been fun. Having a solid group of friends to get out for rides with and regular video calls have been key!

A lot of my friend group here in Vancouver are friends who are like me and have moved out west in the last few years. Many of us have similar experiences growing up in Ontario and having that familiarity does take the edge off of not being able to go back to visit. I don’t think I can thank them enough for keeping me sane throughout the pandemic!

Why do you think you love sharing your photography with your friends? What is it about being able to show them an image from a ride that makes you happy?

Sharing the experience is what makes me happy! As much as seeing or doing something on your own is great, sharing it with your friends is better!  

How has trying to be more grateful for everything around you impacted your mental health? What are some ways we can all try to be more grateful?

For me, trying to be grateful or appreciative a lot of the time results in feeling more grounded. That sense of reality reminds me that the noise that I spoke about in the other questions really is just noise and what really matters is what I’m feeling and experiencing. 

Something what helps me take a step back and appreciate a moment is to stop and take three deep breaths. It slows me down for a second and lets me reflect on what's going on and really appreciate it!