Having studied Documentary Photography as a degree, Alistair Ruff's practise falls in two main areas. Firstly, he uses photograph in its more traditional form to document and to communicate visually the activities of public interest. Secondly, he experiments with documentary visual communication. In his experimental practice, he sets rules to restrict the way he photographs to challenge representation.

He has had work published in the Independent on Sunday Review, been nominated at the Gstaad Short Film Festival and been exhibited nationally and internationally.