Alan Coats became interested in photography back in his school days, after seeing the magic of an image appearing in a developing tray in a darkroom. This led to him eventually taking a degree in photography and starting in a career as a photographer. However he was soon lured into the computer industry where he have been since. With the advent of digital photography his interest in photography has been rekindled, allowing him to create the images he want.

He is a member of the Royal Photographic Society and obtained Associate of RPS in 1999