We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hope Cooper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hope below.

Hope, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

To be successful, you need to be courageous, resilient, and passionate about what you’re doing. As a creative, it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there, especially when sharing your work with the world. With every journey, there will be new situations and challenges. If you can step outside of your comfort zone and turn your obstacles into opportunities for growth, nothing will stop you from achieving your goals and being successful.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

For those who may not know, my name is Hope Cooper, and I am a photographer located in Tallahassee, FL. My passion for photography started at a young age, and from there, it has flourished into one of the things I love to do most. What began as photoshoots of animals, family members, and my best friends has now become a small business and has allowed me to do things I once only dreamed of doing.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to my business, which is why I capture a variety of photography types. These types range from Weddings and Engagements to Sports, Portraits, Travel, Products, and more!

The one thing that sets me apart from others is my desire to succeed and make my clients happy while doing so. Nothing is better than receiving messages or hearing how much someone loves their photos. This not only motivates me to continue learning and improving my skills but to also provide the people I work with, with the best experience and even better pictures. As someone who strongly dislikes having her photo taken, I understand the struggle and try to make the process easier by helping in any way I can. I always joke that I can do it all. You need a hype woman? I got you. Need someone to hold your accessories? I can do it! I’ve even held onto a dog while taking the owner’s pictures.

As I enter my third year as a small business owner, there are so many different accomplishments that I am not only proud of but also extremely grateful for. Some of these things include fully booking my schedule, photographing the FSU Women’s Soccer team winning the ACC Tournament, capturing FSU’s football and soccer games from the sidelines, and much more. In addition, I am proud of the new skills and techniques I have learned and the confidence I have built to put myself out there and share my work with everyone.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding thing about being a creative comes in two parts. The first part is taking an idea and making it a reality. Every photographer knows how exciting it is to get “the shot.” But then having the ability to take this image, edit it, and watch your ideas appear in the final image is so satisfying.

The second and (in my opinion) the best part about being a creative, is being able to share what I love to do with others daily. When people compliment my work or encourage me to keep doing what I am doing, it reminds me that what once was a hobby for me is now much more than that. The greatest reward will always be looking back on how much I’ve grown as a photographer and small business owner.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Photography groups are one resource I wish I had known about earlier in my creative journey. A few years ago, a popular photographer I followed on social media created a Facebook group for other creatives to join. In this group, other photographers can give advice, get feedback on their pictures, ask for help, and support other small business owners. Now, anytime I have a camera question or need advice on images or settings, I’ll go onto the group and see if someone has already shared a similar issue. The Unscripted app is also an excellent resource for various types of photography and can help with posing clients and managing your own photography business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hcxphoto.mypixieset.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hcxphotos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hcxphotos/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hopeecooper
• Other: Sports Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hcxsports/