I’ve always loved photography. Even before I became a serious photographer, my friends would get annoyed with me always snapping photos of them. Whenever someone needs an old photograph of a friend or family member, I’m the one who probably has it.
But I was a musician first. That’s all I ever wanted to be. I was a guitar player destined for the big time. I went to the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, California in 1994-1995 to hone my craft. I became pretty good…but then life took over and the fame and fortune never came.
Just after Thanksgiving 2016, my family bought me my first DSLR and I took it and ran with it. I told my wife that I was never going to shoot the camera in automatic mode. I bought books and watched YouTube videos, learning every technique I could find. I was true to my world. I’ve never shot any DSLR camera in anything other than Manual mode.
I’ve practiced different types of photography; portrait, macro, street…but nothing ignites my passion like landscape and seascape photography. Nothing excites me more than capturing an iconic landscape, a beautiful sunrise or sunset at the beach, or even an urban scene at night. And nothing makes me feel more proud, and humbled at the same time, as when someone feels my image is worthy enough to purchase and display in their home or business.
2023 has seen a big change for me and my photography. After much consideration, I have traded the hot and humid tropical seascapes of South Florida for the mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and forests of West Virginia. I look forward to everything the wild and wonderful landscapes of West Virginia have to offer. I’m excited about the challenges that the new landscapes will provide me with, helping me grow even further as a photographer. I hope you will enjoy this next chapter on my photography journey!
I hope you enjoy looking at my site as much as I have enjoyed capturing the images displayed here. If you have any questions or comments, please fill in the form below to contact me!
-Paul Cook