LIFE
THROUGH A
LENS
Photographer, Paul Cooper takes five with Louisa Castle to share stories of sword-fighting, creating the perfect shot and living in the north west
P
aul Cooper first came to my attention last November at the Northwest Football Awards ceremony as a selection of his stunning portraits of the northwest’s finest went under the hammer, splitting the red and blue side of the room with boos and cheers. Needless to say, husband came home with one of his pieces which adorns the man cave today. All these months later, Paul and I meet for me to discover more about the man behind the camera. “I started my photography career as a press photographer, working with some of my heroes and in far-flung places like Israel to report the news. But after eight years I was looking for a
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new avenue and challenge and moved to Paris where I set up my own agency. “At the age of nine, my mum bought me a Kodak point and shoot 110-film camera for my birthday. It was one you had to wind the film into and send away to process... remember, waiting to see what you had captured. I took photos of my siblings sitting on fences staring into the distance and I made studio backdrops with tartan blankets. Some of these first pictures are my most precious. “My passion started then and I taught myself colour and black and white printing the broom cupboard of the family home. “At A-levels, I diverted from a career path in medicine and took my first job in a photo lab, printing black and whites. It was here I met photojournalist Tom Stoddart who taught me that it is all down to the eye, the concept of the shot as much as technical ability. I picked up so many tips working alongside these great photojournalists during my time at The Times of London.
