Alex Roddie

In 2025, my work shook free from its established forms and took on new shapes, evolving in substance as well as style. So what prompted this metamorphosis? I think it came down to a concept I call creative permission. I’ve never been a professional photographer in the classic sense. I’ve had a wide variety of images published in books and magazines, even done the odd paid shoot now and again, but it has always been a servile art.

Do you have a favourite image that you would like to write an end frame on? We are always keen to get submissions, so please get in touch to discuss your idea. You can read all the previous end frame articles to get some ideas! Alex Roddie showcases a classic Scottish winter climbing image that inspired him as a young man, and continues to inspire climbers to this day – the ultimate climbing bum shot?

Story by Masa Sakano // Written by Alex Roddie Photography: Hamish Frost // Film: Rachel Sarah ‘Japan is the place that formed me, Scotland is the place that opened my eyes.’ In Sidetracked Volume 35, we feature Masa Sakano, a Japanese climber who moved to the Scottish Highlands to seek adventure. His story is based on a film directed and edited by Rachel Sarah. In Masa: 居場所 (The Place Where I Am), we root ourselves in exploring the concepts of home and belonging – and what those mean to Masa.