Art in the Spotlight

artist connects, they will imprint onto the image an emotion that is intangible, transforming a photograph from the everyday to art. Cohen recalls when he felt his path to photography was complete.

“While I’m shooting, I’m very much in the moment, it’s sort of meditative,” he says. “Photography gives me access to a state-ofbeing that is transformative.”

When deciding to become a fine art photographer where do you start? Cohen studied at University of Denver and graduated with a degree in English and Art. He began his career as a cinematographer and worked in that field for over 20 years, during which he continued to carve out time to shoot still images. He made a conscious decision to become a photographer, but it did not happen overnight. His philosophy about starting down this path was that no one is going to believe you are an artist until you believe it yourself and part of that belief is doing it. “One day I decided, today, I will be a photographer. After that, it was a dayby-day decision until those days got closer together. It developed from there,” he says.

In 2005, Cohen traveled to Southeast Asia and began making photographs in small villages. His photos from that time connect diverse people through their undeniable similarities - finding truth, humor and pathos in the experiences of his subjects and the landscapes that surround them. His second trip brought a commission by Cambodia Tomorrow to document the education program at Kompong Speu Orphan Center outside of Pnom Penh and helped to raise funds for continued programing. Cohen’s connection to Cambodia through travel helped him to honor its painful past, while documenting the hope and healing of its future. This collection of photographs opened the door for Cohen to show his work in galleries located around Los Angeles.

As an artist, creating opportunities is as important as being afforded them. In 2009, while working on the television show Heroes,