Meet Paul Cooper

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

Hi Paul, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
That’s a challenging question, because, in a sense, I think the choice to be an artist or pursue a creative field is somewhat based on the innate soul or personality somebody has. For some people, artistic endeavors are the only thing they excel at. For me, that wasn’t entirely the case. When I was in Junior High, I mentioned to my mom (an accountant) that I disliked math. She immediately responded, “No, you don’t! You’re so good at it!” I replied, “Just because I’m good at it doesn’t mean that I like it.” And I suppose that’s the root of my answer to this question. Having a career that draws from one of my artistic passions is all that’s ever appealed to me. I think if I were to, say, follow my mother’s footsteps and become an accountant, I’d lose my mind, or worse, resent my life. There’s an old adage that goes, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I’m not sure that’s entirely true, haha. But it definitely helps that my work continues to challenge me creatively and introduce me to wonderful people and take me beautiful places.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of my cinematic portraiture and the albums I create for my couples. As a wedding photographer, my mission is to capture dynamic and authentic wedding photographs for couples to cherish for generations. It’s important to me that my couples can be present and enjoy their wedding day, trusting that all the important moments will be captured. I take my role as an experienced wedding professional seriously and guide my couples through the planning process as needed. Many photographers only provide a digital gallery, but I believe in giving my couples something real to remember their day by. Therefore, I create custom album designs for all my couples, focusing on telling the story of their wedding day through the photos. I also offer wall art, in addition to Italian-crafted albums, helping couples relive their wedding memories every day with museum-quality artwork.

It definitely has not always been an easy road. I took the leap to pursue photography full-time in October 2019, but the pandemic hit five months later, halting everything. With no weddings to photograph, building a portfolio was challenging. During this time, I also worked as a bartender to ensure I could pay the bills, which felt like taking a step back in my entrepreneurial journey. Then, 2021 hit like a whirlwind. It was packed with weddings scheduled for that year and the ones postponed from 2020. It was packed with weddings originally planned for 2021 plus all the ones postponed from 2020. Some weeks, I was photographing weddings four days straight! Fortunately, as my photography business picked up, I could leave bartending behind again and focus solely on photography. I quickly learned that being a great photographer and running a successful business are two very different skill sets. I sought out mentors to help me bridge this gap, and my business has continued to improve. No business journey is without its bumps, especially in the arts or wedding sector, but self-awareness and a drive to improve can make the ride a bit less bumpy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m lucky to live in one of the most exciting areas of San Diego: Ocean Beach. Within walking distance, we have the beach and an exciting main street with shops, restaurants, breweries, and bars, most of which are not corporate chains and have their own unique OB vibe. Almost every spot in OB is dog-friendly, and there’s live music and fun activities to be found almost daily.

I’d probably also take them to Balboa Park. It’s iconic for a reason! We could explore the Japanese Friendship Garden together, and then saunter over to the Botanical Garden across the way. The architecture itself is beautiful to behold, but there’s also a trove of amazing museums within Balboa Park too! Then we’d cross the street and visit the wildlife at the famous San Diego Zoo (for which I, of course, have a pass).

Then we could venture downtown to the well-known Gaslamp quarter, get our food and drink fix at a variety of local haunts, and maybe even see a comedy show! And just a stone’s throw away is the USS Midway museum for any history buffs that might be visiting — definitely worth seeing!

On another day, I’d have to take them to La Jolla Cove to see the beautiful views and spot the seals that hang out on the beach!

San Diego is so rich with amazing attractions. I don’t think they’d have a dull moment on the entire trip.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I consider myself extremely lucky to have found my mentors when and how I did.

I had been doing photography on the side for several years when a former coworker who had transitioned into photographing weddings invited me to shadow her at a wedding close to where I lived. The vibe instantly clicked, and I felt that wedding photography would be the perfect fit for me.

Shortly thereafter, I found a post on Facebook for a wedding photographer looking for an assistant for an upcoming wedding. I was brand new to the scene and I wasn’t familiar with the photographer, but when I looked up his website and viewed his portfolio, I knew instantly that I absolutely had to work with him. His name is Michael Anthony.

Even though the wedding was a 3-hour drive from my home, I had this gut feeling that it would be worth it. And it undoubtedly was. Michael used techniques and equipment I’d never seen before — I had never even heard the term “off-camera flash” prior to that day. But his style and methods certainly made an impression on me. And I made an impression on Michael, as well. Through my questions and eagerness, he recognized an attention to detail and a strong work ethic. It wasn’t long before he invited me to assist for him again, where I had the chance to show him how much I’d learned from our first time working together.

Michael began to jokingly call me his “sponge,” because I soaked up knowledge from him whenever I could. He expedited me through his normal advancement process, bringing me on as a second photographer on weddings sooner than his policy normally dictated. I got the opportunity to work even more by his side, photographing weddings with him, where I could get live feedback on my work and continue to soak up his knowledge. He even connected me with other photographers closer to my area to get me even more work as a second photographer and build up my portfolio.

Again, he moved me up faster than he usually would, having me work for him as an associate lead photographer — first for engagement sessions and anniversary sessions. He was generous enough to take time to review my images and create Loom images with specific feedback. He told me that many other photographers who’d worked with him resented receiving feedback or showed resistance to the notes he gave. I, however, recognized that the advice he gave was honest without being harsh, and that it would continue to make me an even better wedding photographer. Today, I still refer to him as my mentor, even though it’s been some time since I photographed alongside him. I’ll wryly say that he taught me everything I know about photographing weddings, but it’s really pretty close to the truth.

Website: https://pmc-photography.com/

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