Greg Cooper
Brooks Institute of Photography
Faculty
Greg Cooper currently teaches full time in the School of Visual Journalism at Brooks Institute, Ventura, California. Cooper, a native of Ojai, Calif., graduated in May 1996 from Western Kentucky University with a double major in photojournalism and anthropology. While there, he served three internships in Jackson, Mich., Columbus, Ohio, and in Ventura, Calif. Prior to his experience with Western Kentucky, Cooper was hooked by photojournalism in 1988, while attending classes at Ventura College. During his time in junior college, Cooper worked as a staff photographer at the Ojai Valley News in his hometown. He would spend the next eight years finishing up an associate’s degree, traveling abroad, working part-time in photo labs, shooting freelance and working as a staff photographer.
After leaving Western Kentucky, he returned to Southern California, where he worked at the Ventura County Star, initially as an intern, he worked his way up to assistant picture editor. The Columbus Dispatch lured him away to work as the Sunday picture editor. Three years later, Cooper returned once again to his native Ventura County, this time to pursue his Master’s Degree in Photography at Brooks, where he graduated in December of 2004. While studying at Brooks, Cooper did his Master’s thesis on the future of digital photography at newspapers -- “Still Photography at Newspapers: It’s Uncertain Future as a Medium.” Most recently though, Cooper has been cutting his teeth in video and Web design. A graduate of the Platypus Workshop, Cooper continues to tell stories with a variety of mediums. This is Cooper’s 13th year with the Workshop.
