“I’m From Albany” Photographer Mike Cooke

 

Where were you born?
Albany Georgia, its about 3 hours south of Atlanta

Where do you live?
Currently I live in Atlanta

When did you decide that this is what you want to do?

I decided I wanted to take photography serious my senior year in highschool. I had done a few photoshoots in my art class with my 4 megapixel point and shoot and after graduation I had received alot of checks from friend’s a family. With all of that money I bought my first digital SLR which was a nikon d70s and the rest is soon to be history

Are there any celebrities that you’ve worked with?

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the RAWREPORT which is a DVD hip hop magazine based here in Atlanta. Through them I’ve had the chance to work with Gorilla Zoe, Roxy Reynolds, and T.I. to name a few. But I’d like to think most of the people I shoot with though are soon to be celebrities

Which Celebrities fit your style, and that you would want to work with?

I really liked Gorilla Zoe, he was very cool and down to earth. And I liked Roxy Reynolds for obvious reasons, but she had a glorious personality and always wore a smile on set.

Do you enjoy shooting by the water?

Me and water have a great connection and vibe. We’ve really gotten to know each other and some of my best shoots have come out of water. Thanks water

Do you make your own sets or you enjoy going on location?

I love shooting location, when I started out I shot location because thats all I had at my disposal. I still prefer it because there is an extra challenge that comes out of shooting location. EVERYTHING has to be in harmony from the models, to the wardrobe, to the hair, to the location. If even one thing is off it can damage your photo. But taking the time and making sure everything is just right gives you a better sense of satisfaction in my opinion.

What is some advice that you can give to a future male/female model?

Don’t think, the minute you think is the minute you’ll get a bad photo. I’ve told countless models to just be natural. And the poses you should do infront of the camera are the same ones you do in your bathroom mirror. We know what looks good, you’ve got TV and internet that tells you what looks good, and you do a great job at mocking it. Don’t second guess yourself, and don’t think, just do.

If there is one celebrity who you could work with who would it be?

Will Smith, the way this man markets himself and his movies is the reason why he is the ONLY actor in todays media that can still make money on a headline film. Plus people say I have his ears, I think we’d vibe very well.

If there is one model you could shoot, who would it be? male or female…

I’d love to shoot the next season of America’s next top model.

What is one thing that you hate people to do while on set?

Smoke, that is my biggest pet peve on set

When its time for you to do an interview do you enjoy it or get nervous?

I get an enjoyment nervous, I can’t even lie. Im not used to talking about myself and trying to hype up my talents, but when someone actually wants to know detailed info about what I do I run through a million answers a second. I still not quite used to it

Which do you really enjoy working on…Print, editorial, nude, commercial, etc?

I love a combination of editorial and commercial. I’ve seen it done very well and I love photos that can be artistically engaging while still selling a product.

Which shoot to date was the one you most enjoyed shooting, and why?

It would have to be my first shoot with HD The Agency Talent. Dawn Montgomery. It was her and 5 other models, we did a masquerade themed shoot and everything flowed sooo well. Dawn was a breeze to work with and it didn’t even feel like work, it felt like I was shooting one of my friends. All the models leeched off her energy and we got amazing results. I can honestly say that shoot was another turning point for my photography style.

What helps you get creative when when coming up with new shoot concepts?
(music,people,movies)

I’ve gotten inspiration from people simply saying something that caught my ear, I’ve found locations to shoot that matched a certain song I listened to, and movies inspire me everyday to go out and recreate a similar experience in a photographic world. So I’d have to say all three

Do you have a team that you work with that helps you come up with new
concepts and lighting options?

I have a team of people that help me out on all my shoots. Most times these people are my creative concepts. I’ll meet with them before hand explain to them who the shoot is for, what they want, etc etc and most times we’ll come to an agreed upon lighting situation or atleast a theme to push it toward in the model’s posing or post production effects

What type of model would you rather work with? Hi-Fashion, Urban, Male,
Female, Kids,Nature etc…
Hi Fashion

Is it more important to have a great make up artist or a good stylist?

Ooo that is like asking me to pick my favorite son…. I think on this one im going to have to go hairstyling is more important. I may be able to salvage a makeup job if the model has naturally clear skin, and alot of post work. But hair is a little to tedious to be able to fix in photoshop

Weblinks…

My website: www.MDSGstudios.com
HD The Agency: www.myspace.com/hatkahd
My favorite promo agency: http://www.monstarentertainment.com/

Any shout outs?
haha I feel like i should be yelling this part into a microphone. First off my Mom and Dad who continue to show me support, Dawn Montgromery and Jay Glover of HD the Agency who see the determination and drive in me and continue to show me love. All the folks at Broke & Boujee and Visual Vyanl, Hannibal Matthews, and last but not least my group of supporters and everyone who steps foot infront of my camera. Shouts out and thanks to all of you.

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