Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Cooper.
Hi Chad, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My best friend in high school was a photographer, We both loved music. It was the late 1990s, so we created a website and would go to local concerts. He would take photos and I would review the show. We would post it on the site, and it began to get incredibly popular. I then was hired in 2002 as a journalist at The Examiner newspaper in Beaumont, Texas. I worked my way up, and a few years later became the Entertainment Editor and have been here going on 24 years. I picked up a camera years ago and fell in love with concert photography. I’ve made a plethora connections along the way and get to work with national touring artists. I am also the house photographer at the Golden Nugget Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana and Doggett Ford Arena in Beaumont.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
By no means has it been easy. It’s very challenging. First and foremost, it’s not a typical 9 to 5 job. Most events, concerts are at night. Deadlines are demanding with quick turnarounds plus it’s a very competitive industry.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have many irons in the fire, but I am most known for my concert photography. I’ve been fortunate to work for artists such as Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Jelly Roll, Tool, Lainey Wilson, Bobby Brown, New Kids on the Block, Cody Johnson, Flo Rida, Theo Von, Morrissey and Creed, just to name a few. I take pride in every picture I take. I want to capture the entire vibe and tell a story with the photos. I want someone who didn’t attend the event to see everything they missed.
I’m proud of many things, including the relationships I have made along the way. I’ve won a few national awards from the National Newspaper Association, but what I am most proud of is one of my photos of Coldplay was selected to be used in their “Music of the Spheres” world tour book. The band also sent me an autographed copy.
I keep things simple, including the post production editing. I dont want to turn the shot into something that looks AI generated.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memories are family road trips to Memphis and Nashville. Visiting Graceland and Music City USA. I also remember my first concert as a kid, I was 10 and my mother brought me to the Astrodome in Houston to see Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 on the “Victory Tour” in 1984.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thechadcooper.myportfolio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechadcooper/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/chad.cooper.395
- Twitter: https://x.com/thechadcooper
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thechadcooper
Image Credits
All photos by Chad Cooper
