Stepping into the crowd of cheering people with a camera strapped around his neck, he only has one focus – the star on the stage. As he gets into position to get the perfect shot, time stops and everything around him becomes soundless as if it is only him and the performer in the room.
LCM alumni Chad Cooper has come a long way since walking the halls of LCM High School years ago. Cooper graduated in 1993 and currently works as the Entertainment Editor for the Examiner newspaper. He is also a professional photographer. He has taken pictures all over the country, meeting countless people along the way. According to Cooper, this list includes a variety of artists, ranging from the likes of Cody Johnson and Lainey Wilson to rappers like Ludacris and Nelly.
“I have gotten to meet some really cool and interesting people along the way,” Cooper said. “I met the ‘kids’ of NSYNC back in 1995 when they literally had one song on the radio. Getting to shoot young bands and singers, then watch them grow into amazing superstars is an indescribable experience.”
Although it is an interesting experience and may seem effortless to go to a concert and take pictures, it is not always the easiest. To capture these unforgettable moments for each artist, Cooper has to put the “fan” aspect aside and stay professional. He said it can take a lot of work and motivation, especially when he is a devoted fan of the artist and their music.
“Think about listening to your favorite band on Spotify, then being a few feet away pointing a camera while they are singing their hit songs with fans screaming,” Cooper said. “It is definitely fun, but a lot of hard work. Taking photos is just half the battle. You then have a quick turnaround and have to edit the photos.”
Cooper said he genuinely enjoys photography and even gets to take pictures of all the big concerts as well as do photo shoots at the pool and inside Blue Martini at the Golden Nugget Casino. Even so, he does a little bit of everything as there are many tasks he must complete weekly. He is responsible for a weekly 24-page Entertainment Guide that comes out every Thursday, and if that was not enough, he is a journalist, copy editor, and photo editor, while also keeping up with social media and posting on their website continuously.
“I stay busy,” Cooper said. “I am in the office by 9 a.m. On a normal day, I am off around 5 p.m., but most of the events I cover are in the evenings, so it makes for late nights and long weekends. I am a workaholic, so I do not mind. Daily tasks include weekly budgets, writing stories, editing.”
In spite of late nights and all the demanding work, Cooper has racked up the accomplishments. He once got to work with Coldplay, who actually paid for and published one of the photos he took in the “Music of the Spheres” World Tour Book. The band members sent him an autographed copy too, which was a very surreal moment for Cooper.
Although he has a long list of accomplishments and cool stories, Cooper said he still has so many goals he wants to meet in the future.
“I eventually want to host an art show with some of the concert photos I have taken,” Cooper said. That is on the top of my list. That and finally having a chance to photo Dua Lipa! She has eluded me!”
Nonetheless, even though he has made many accomplishments throughout his career, it all truly started with his good friend David Block. Block is also a professional photographer and LCM graduate; in the beginning they would go to concerts together and Block would take photos and Cooper would write a concert review. The more they learned, the more they would split up and would go to a variety of places, which kicked off the start of Cooper’s career.
“We would split up and do festivals with multiple stages, so he would hand me an extra camera and tell me to start shooting,” Cooper said. “He taught me everything about concert/live music and even photography. He moved off to New York and I kept taking photos.”
Despite the fact that Block got him into photography, back in high school Cooper had a completely different career in mind. When he first went off to college, he wanted to be a lawyer. Even his high school life was different. He was a basketball player for LCM and said he loved every moment of it. Back then, he was a forward and he and his team had worked to be one of the toughest districts in the entire state. One of his favorite memories is shooting three-pointers in the Bear Cave, which is the original LCM High School gym.
“A memorable moment as a senior was getting dunked on by a freshman from Port Arthur named Stephen Jackson,” Cooper said. “He turned out to be pretty good…played in the NBA for 17 seasons. No big deal!”
Cooper said he was extremely outgoing in high school and was even named “class clown” his senior year. There were many things Cooper enjoyed because there was not much of a journalism department, as it was only “yearbook staff.”
“I wish I could have had all the tools students have now in these awesome media classes,” Cooper said. “I am so jealous!”
Although Cooper did not have the tools that are available now when he was in high school, he still loved high school life in general.
“I tell students all the time, cherish every moment you can,” Cooper said. “Once you are gone, you are gone. Involve yourself with groups and student life. It is a great way to grow and meet people. Get out of your comfort zone! I get to do what I love, but many people don’t know the hard work and late night effort that is put forth into shooting concerts. Once the concert is over, you have to quickly edit and turn them back in. It’s very challenging, yet rewarding at the same time. You’re always on the go, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
