Let there be light!

Let there be light!
with John Michael Cooper

Wedding photographers all shoot at night, sometimes using nothing more than available light. So, the Digital Wedding Forum has announced a first of its kind seminar, to be held at the DWF Convention next January in Arizona – an outdoor convention seminar, held under the stars. This outdoor event will feature the unique John Michael Cooper -the 'Godfather' of the Trash the Dress phenomenon. John has been written about in the New York Times, his work has been featured on US network television, and he continues to redefine wedding photography.

John Michael Cooper is a Las Vegas-based photographer with a strong imagination for the unusual, and often controversial, romantically tragic side of love stories. He and his wife, Dalisa, operate a successful photography business called Altf. Though Cooper's passion for portraiture shines through, even on his most basic weddings, his creativity is avidly released when performing his 'anti-bridal' shoots, which began in 2001.

cooper began Altf after continuously being preached at by his overly-traditional boss from the studio that he was working at that his ideas couldn’t be executed because 'brides do not like it – it has to be pretty'. After a fire in a local Las Vegas park, Cooper was eager to use the natural set for some dark and dreary photos featuring a beautiful bride. After being turned down by several of his clients in fear that the black ash would get on their beautiful white gowns, Cooper called a friend and purchased his own dress. Cooper was not going to be tied down. (Image [1])

Photography for John Michael Cooper is sometimes about reinventing himself, creating new ideas or situations or taking a conceptual piece of art and making it his own. Photography has been repeating itself for years and the Altf concept is not about promoting 'correct' photography or by following rules or expectations. Altf is about passionately creating images in the way that you want and believe they should be created.

The spawn of ideas.

Motivation and ideas are often found in art books or museum galleries. John Michael Cooper studied, conceptualized and recreated John Singer Sargent’s 'El Jaleo' circa 1882 during a wedding reception in December 2006. Under-lighting his bride as she danced with a mariachi band behind her. This idea had been in his mind for months – he waited for the right moment and opportunity and put into motion a great scene with simple direction for his bride. (See image [2]) John still uses this under lighting technique during most receptions for unique dance shots.

Keep your mind open for possibilities. Cooper has found inspiration in fashion magazines, movies and even music videos. One of his most recent anti-bridals features a bride on stilts (image [3]). This idea spawned from an old Marilyn Manson video, which Cooper had seen several times before, but it was only recently that his idea came to mind.

Probably the most recognized image is the remake of 'Joan or Arc' recreated in the Nevada desert on a spring day in 2006. (Image [4]) Though Cooper had several volunteers, ideas and inputs when mentioning this concept to clients, there was something about this bride that 'ignited a spark'. Cooper is often heard explaining, 'the bride is in the dress and the dress is on fire, just not at the same time'. This was an actual bride who willfully posed in the dress to be photographed but was not hesitant to step out of the dress and fill it with a doll for it to be engulfed rapidly by flames.

Another well-known image is Cooper’s recreation of 'Ophelia' from Hamlet (image [5]). Prior to this shoot, another bride, who had heard the idea, stepped into a running stream during her reception, hoping to be Ophelia. Though great images were captured, it just was not right – not according to Cooper. Finally, the opportunity came knocking during a winter bridal session on a private property on Mount Charleston, near Las Vegas. The water was somewhere near 40 degrees but the client was still willing. In the first attempt, she managed to stay in the water for about 30 seconds. As she tried to warm up, she apologized profusely that she couldn’t stay in longer the first time in which Cooper explained that he had captured the shot he wanted. After a few moments, she insisted that she try again. The second time, she was able to stay in for a full minute and a half before her lips turned a pristine shade of blue and she began loosing feeling in her legs. Cooper never told her that he had captured the image that he wanted in the first attempt.

Soon after, a client who had diligently followed John’s work wanted to recreate this image by eagerly stepping into a hotel fountain on her wedding day. Unknown to her, John never recreates his own images but is always willing to offer an alternative. (Image [6]) It was the groom who was hesitant this time in the cold water.

The 'Trash the Dress' phenomenon took off when Louisiana based photographer, Marc Erik, read an online article written by John Michael Cooper featured on wedshooter.com in February 2006. (Reference: http://www.wedshooter . com/2006/02/10/show-offaka-trashing-the-dress) and created a website called trashthedress.com, crediting John Michael Cooper as the 'Godfather of Dress Trashing'. It wasn’t long before the New York Times picked it up and published a colour article in the Sunday newspaper, June 2007. From there, the way brides look at their dress has not been the same. The biggest misconception about Cooper's conceptual photography? It’s never about the dress. In some concepts, the dress has become a casualty, but it is never Cooper's intentions to actually destroy a dress. There are several other ideas drawn out in a sketchbook that Cooper carries with him. He is just waiting for the right moment, subject and location to execute his ideas.

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