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Actor Who Played Colin Creevey in ‘Harry Potter’ Film Is Now a Professional Photographer

By Sara Barnes on October 26, 2021

If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter franchise, you’re likely familiar with the character Colin Creevey. Enthralled by Harry, Creevey is known for always having a camera in hand. It turns out that life imitates art; the “muggle” actor, Hugh Mitchell, who played Creevey in the film Chamber of Secrets has grown up to become a professional photographer.

The UK-based photographer snaps portraits, landscapes, and “many things in between.” But it's his landscape and nature shots that represent some of his most compelling images. Mitchell captures a desolate environment where a single element is often highlighted, whether it’s a young plant growing among a dark forest floor or a broken fence overlooking a foggy pond. The resulting images are quiet and contemplative.

It’s a happy coincidence that Mitchell played a film character who liked snapping photos, though. “I always enjoyed photography, so I don't think I needed acting to spur me into what I do now,” he tells My Modern Met, “but it certainly helps to know something of the experience from the other side of the lens, since part of what I do now is take headshots for actors.”

It was a love of the outdoors that really encouraged Mitchell to pursue more serious photography, expanding his portfolio to include weddings and those striking nature images. “It might sound mad, but one of my favorite images I've taken lately was of a four-spotted skimmer dragonfly,” he says. “As a photographer, you often look for moments when the stars align, and that shot was one of them. It's very much outside the realm of what I normally shoot as well, and it's always fun to try something new.” The dragonfly image was shortlisted for Wex Mondays, a competition held by Wex Photo and Video.

Scroll down for more of Mitchell's nature photography. To see what he's snapping pictures of next, be sure to follow him on Instagram.