Meet Dusty Cooper | Photographer, Videographer, & Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dusty Cooper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dusty, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’m a firm believer in the aphorism “no risk no reward,” You don’t always recognize an immediate result from your experiences, but every time you take a risk you build character, knowledge, and confidence. At 25 years old, I moved to New York City to pursue fashion photography and I only knew one person in the city at the time. I ultimately decided to move home to get a degree in creative writing, but the risk of moving to New York paid off in so many ways. I learned about other cultures I never would be introduced to back home, and I learned a lot of self-reliance. I did work for a fashion photographer, so I did learn about photography, but the life lessons were much more valuable to me. I think most lessons are learned through trial and error, but mostly error. You learn who you want to be or the best way to create something when you do it all wrong and find your way to the right way. Failure is a great tool for becoming a better person, business owner, and artist.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I like to think about everything as a story. I’ve always been interested in stories, and I have degrees in creative writing, so I use elements of storytelling in everything I do. My portrait photography is no exception. My portraits stand our for two reasons. The first and most important is that I get to know my client before we plan a photoshoot. I meet with every person weeks in advance of a shoot to learn their personality, study their facial structure and expressions, and understand how they see themselves. I ask simple questions to break the ice then I ask questions that may not seem to have anything to do with taking their photo, but their answers provide insight into what makes them unique. The second element to my process is treating my subject with as much reverence as I can. I utilize the techniques I learned from fashion photography and try to make every shot a creative endeavor. The equation is 50% personality and 50% creativity. If you’re not concerned about who a person is on the inside, you’re not going to get an authentic image of who they are on the outside.

As for my art photography, I try to create an image rather than take a picture. My techniques and subject matter vary greatly and because I prefer to experiment and try new things in my art. My final images are a sort of skewed reality. It’s not surrealism, but it is reality from my perspective. I want the viewer to feel like they are the one seeing the landscape or still life for themselves, but through my lens. The best compliment I can hear is that the viewer feels like they are “there”. I want people to experience the image, not just look at it. That’s why I try to print most of my work on a large scale. To achieve large scale images, I use a panoramic stitching technique which allows me to create finely detailed images. One of my favorite subjects is dancers. My piece “Levitate” won Special Prize For Creativity from the 2022 international Black & White Photo Award.

My videography is still evolving. I usually collaborate with the musician or musicians on their vision and what the song means to them. I try to tell a story even if it’s not fully formed by the end of the video. I feel music videos should be like songs, open to interpretation. I’ve also been director or cinematographer for a few short films. I even won an award for cinematography for my work on Exposure produced and created by Media Desperado. Video projects are so much fun to work on, even though they’ve been some of my longest days of production.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Everyone who knows me knows I love tequila, food, and experiences rather than gifts. Our first stop would be PJs by Hammond Mall for coffee and pastries. My work is hanging there, and I know most of the baristas by name. Then we’d head to downtown Hammond to visit the many shops and the great parks and talk about a bit of the town’s history. We’d stop at Tommy’s on Thomas for a great pizza lunch. Then we’d take a drive to Fontainebleau State Park to watch the sunset on Lake Pontchartrain among the cypress trees on the bank. For dinner we’d check out my favorite spot in Hammond, Tacos & Beer. Their margaritas on the rocks, ceviche, queso dip, and street tacos are the best around. Finally, we’d end the night at Benny’s Place, the friendliest bar in Hammond. The next few days, we’d have to take road trip to discover new places to see sunsets, more restaurants to try, fun and artsy downtowns, and the best local bars.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents deserve so much credit for who I am today. They supported so many of my decisions and artistic endeavors, from dance to sculpting and everything in between. My sister is also one of my great cheerleaders and showed up to so many of my events. Lately, my fiancé Stephen King, not to be confused with the author, is my most amazing supporter. He encouraged me to sell my art photography, and I couldn’t do a lot of what I do without his love and patience. I’ve also had many great mentors, Kim Zabbia, Johnny Chauvin, Barbie Vallot, Terry Bahm, and Bev Marshall.

Website: https://www.dustycooper.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dusty_cooper/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dustycooperphoto

Other: https://vimeo.com/user102673495