Alan Trow BSC was born in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, in 1949. He developed an interest in cameras and photography from an early age, beginning with his father's Box Brownie and later progressing to a Rolleicord. He processed his own photographs in a makeshift darkroom in the family bathroom, much to his mother's displeasure.
After leaving school, Trow joined the Ministry of Aviation at Thurleigh, near Bedford, as a trainee assistant cameraman. The position provided an excellent practical grounding, allowing him to shoot, process and project 35mm film, sometimes all within the same day. This early experience gave him a thorough understanding of the complete photographic process, from camera negative through laboratory processing to projection.
During the 1960s, Trow became a freelance stills photographer, documenting the emerging British rock music scene. His subjects included The Who, The Strawbs and Robert Plant. An award-winning photographer, his ambition, however, was to move into feature filmmaking.
In 1985, director Richard Driscoll gave him that opportunity with The Comic, a surreal, independently produced film made in Cardiff. Trow worked as both cinematographer and camera operator, lighting the film and shooting with a blimped Arriflex IIC mounted on a Mitchell geared head.
At the end of the production, Trow met director John Eyres and producer Geoff Griffiths, beginning a long and productive collaboration. He subsequently operated on Slow Burn (1989) and Xtro II (1990), both filmed in Vancouver, before taking on the cinematography of Project Shadowchaser (1992) at Pinewood Studios.
Project Shadowchaser was technically demanding, involving extensive blue-screen, action and model work. It marked the beginning of a particularly productive period in Trow's career, during which he photographed a series of international feature productions.
He reunited with John Eyres for Monolith (1993), photographed on the Introvision stage in Hollywood. The film starred Bill Paxton and John Hurt and required Trow to work with the specialised front-projection techniques used by the Introvision process.
His other feature credits during this period included The Punk (1993), directed by Mike Sarne; Project Shadowchaser II (1994), directed by John Eyres and filmed in South Africa; Chasing the Deer (1994), directed by Graham Holloway; Dragonworld (1994), directed by Ted Nicolaou and filmed in Britain and Romania; and Cyberjack (1995), directed by Robert Lee and filmed in Vancouver.
In 1998, Trow photographed Up 'n' Under, directed by John Godber. The British rugby comedy became a successful UK release and provided a contrast to the science-fiction and action productions that had characterised much of his earlier feature work.
Alongside his feature films, Trow worked extensively in British television, photographing dramas and series throughout his career. His experience as a cinematographer encompassed a wide range of production styles, from conventional drama to technically complex visual-effects work.
Trow has acknowledged the influence of several major cinematographers on his approach to the craft, particularly Nicolas Roeg, Néstor Almendros, Billy Williams and Jack Cardiff.
In 2012, he helped establish and run a cinema in Hay-on-Wye, which subsequently became a venue for the Hay Film School. His involvement in film education reflected his longstanding commitment to sharing practical knowledge and encouraging new filmmakers.
In 2017, Trow moved into directing with Kesulat, also known as Fields of War, a feature film set against the background of the war in Kosovo.
Alan Trow's career has encompassed stills photography, camera operation, cinematography, television and feature filmmaking. From his early days processing photographs in a family bathroom and learning the fundamentals of 35mm film at the Ministry of Aviation, through documenting the British rock scene and working on international feature productions, he developed a career grounded in practical experience and a thorough understanding of the photographic process.