Harrison Cooper Nature And Fashion Photographer Interview
January 30, 2009
Interview provided by New York Institute of Photography (NYIP) attendee Harrison Cooper a nature, still life and fashion photographer ( MySpace photographer profile ).
Q: Do you like to talk about yourself or your pictures? If yes, about what aspects of photography? If no, why?
A: Yes, I like talking about my photos in every aspect that I can think of to make my photography better..
Q: How would you describe your attention span?
A: I have patience.
Q: When did you decide to become a photographer?
A: I was always loved photography since i was 13, and I decided to become a photographer in my high school years.
Q: What does photography mean to you?
A: Photography is my passion.
Q: Can you recall the first photo you took that made you go WOW!?
A: Yes a photo took when i was 13..
Q: Do you have any formal training regarding photography?
A: I attended NYIP
Q: How technical is your photography?
A: I try t make my photos simple but technical.
Q: How do you feel about cropping?
A: Don’t mind it if it needs it.
Q: Where is your favorite place to live and work as a photographer in the World and why?
A: I love the beach, i love the ocean because so much detail and happiness.
Q: Define the word “beauty”!
A: Beauty-the whole world my beauty.
Q: What is your most favorite and least favorite word in photography or life? How do they make you feel?
A: Favorite word-love and war, love is life, and war is heart breaking.
Q: How does your personality change when you look through the camera?
A: I leave jokes aside and the photographer comes out and gets serious.
Q: How do you feel about missed shots which cannot be recreated?
A: A very bad day..
Q: Ever concerned about failure?
A: I try to stay positive.
Q: Who are your influences?
A: I am my own influence….I create art.
Q: What is your favorite image, either your own or someone else’s or both? Describe its creation or meaning to you?
A: I have no favorite image, love it all.
Q: Describe a day in your personal or professional life.
A: Waking up getting ready to photograph the earth.
Q: What are the biggest personal or professional challenges you face on a daily basis?
A: Trying to show people that it doesn’t matter where or how long you learn photography, as long as you can do a good job.
Q: What has been the single biggest obstacle against growing as a photographer in whole?
A: Affording photography equipment.
Q: What are your favorite subjects to photograph?
A: All subjects are my favorite.
Q: Tell your funniest, scariest, most bizarre, most touching story from a photo shoot!
A: I was photographing my friends at 40 are rock, and my friend decided to skateboard on the rock and as he was riding down his skateboard slipped out from under him and I captured him as he was just about to hit the rock … very funny.
Q: Have you ever thought about or actually stopped doing photography? What were the circumstances?
A: No, never stopping photography, it is my sanctuary.
Q: Do you ever have photographer’s block and if yes how do you deal with it?
A: Yes, I just start looking around and picturing the photo in my head.
Q: What types of assignments are you attracted most?
A: Nature, still life,macro, and landscape.
Q: Describe what black and white photography means to you?
A: Original, classic, and powerful.
Q: Do you think of yourself as an artist and what do you think of the word artist?
A: I think of my self as an artist, because art is anything you want it to be, there is no right or wrong way to be an artist.
Q: How do you describe your photographic style?
A: I would describe it, my own way, my own creation.
Q: What has been the most surprising or most predictable reaction to your photographs?
A: My friends say I should work for a magazine they love my photography so much.
Q: Tell a little secret about yourself that no-one knows …
A: I didn’t not graduate high school.
Q: Who or what would you love to shoot that you haven’t already?
A: Models, landscapes, sunrises, basically the whole world.
Q: What would you have done differently during your photography career so far and could this be an advice to others?
A: I would have accomplished more when I was younger, and graduated from NYIP..
Q: What are your thoughts on the paparazzi and their effects on photographers and photography?
A: I love it but I think they do over do it sometimes.
Participating in my photographer interview series is open to members and non-members of my FREE Fashion Industry Directory by way of this photographer self interview Q&A form.
Self interview questions are also available for other fashion industry professionals, visit my Makeup Artist Interview and Hair Stylist Interview pages and use the contact form to submit the answers.
what inspired you to be a photgrapher and what subjects helped you acheive them at school?!