Friday, September 2, 2011

Interview with "Cooper the Photographer Cat"

By Julia Williams

Have you ever wondered what the world looks like to a cat? I have, and with the advent of lightweight “cat cams” that you can attach to your kitty’s collar, anyone can get a feline’s eye view of their home, their garden or the neighborhood. That’s really all Seattle residents Michael and Deirdre Cross had in mind when they put a digital camera on their outdoor cat Cooper one fateful day back in 2007. The camera was designed to take a photo every two minutes, and Michael and Deirdre were just hoping Cooper would show them where he goes all day and who he hangs out with – a “snapshot” of a typical outdoor cat’s day, if you will.

The photographs Cooper brought back did that, and more. So much more, in fact, that his work has exhibited in art galleries from Seattle to Chicago to London. “Cooper the Photographer Cat” has been featured on Animal Planet’s Must Love Cats, Today Show Australia, Good Morning America and in People Magazine. Two years ago, Cooper snagged Seattle Magazine’s “Best of 2009” and this February was honored in the magazine’s “Best of the Decade” category. Not one to rest on his paws, the talented celebricat has even published a new book titled Cat Cam: The World of Cooper the Photographer Cat. The book is available on Amazon.com for $19.95, and a portion of the proceeds is donated to the nonprofit shelter, PAWS: Progressive Animal Welfare Society.

I’ve viewed Cooper’s photos on his website, on Facebook and Flickr, and have to tell you I am truly impressed. Though skeptics might say he’s merely an accidental artist, I disagree. His photos seem perfectly and purposely framed, and many of them tell a story. Two of my favorites include one where a dog can be seen intently staring at Cooper from an apartment window, and another where the sidewalk shows a shadow of Cooper’s head.

Although there are some recurring characters in his photos, “Cooper is a pretty solitary fellow when he’s out with his camera,” said Michael. “He usually sticks to photographing the landscape, trees and plants. Every now and then we get a surprise cameo appearance from a human subject.” Cooper, who turns six in September, also has a YouTube channel and is now shooting some footage with his new Video Cat Cam.

Ever the gracious feline, Cooper recently took time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions for me. I really enjoyed getting to know this talented pussycat, and hope you do too!

I understand you typically wear your cat cam just once a week. How long do you wear it, and how many photos do you shoot every week?
“I'll shoot pictures for most of the day, and come home with anywhere from 100 to 500 photos, depending on how long the battery lasts.”

Of all the photos you’ve taken, which one is your favorite?
“My favorite photo I've taken has got to be ‘New Haircut.’ It still makes me laugh – the look on my friend's face nearly makes me cough up a hairball every time I see this photo.” (Editor’s note: this photo features a kitty lying under a car with an obvious expression of disapproval, most likely hiding and mad due to the “lion cut” she sports.)

What do you like to do when you’re not out photographing the world?
“I really enjoy napping. It's exhausting being an artist, and there's nothing better than a good snooze by the sunny window to really take the edge off.”

You have 75,000 Facebook fans and have been featured in many major newspapers and on TV. What’s the best thing about being a celebricat?
“I never expected to become famous for my photography. But it's kind of fun, and the coolest part is hearing from cat lovers and photography lovers from all over the world!”

I read that both of your hoomin parents are filmmakers. Do you think you inherited your gift for taking amazing pictures from them?
“Some people think I learned my camera skills from my humans, who are both filmmakers. But it's totally the other way around – I taught them everything they know!”

What kinds of photos will people find in your new book?
Cat Cam: The World of Cooper the Photographer Cat is much more than a book; it is a one-of-a-kind photo experience.  This book investigates the secret life of a cat. Through my eyes we explore places only cats go, witness interactions with neighborhood animals, and see the seasons change from a rare and vivid point of view. The book includes many never-before-seen photos, as well as commentary and tips from yours truly!”

Tell me something about you that people might not know.
“I love the work that PAWS does. PAWS is a champion for animals: rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife, sheltering and adopting homeless cats and dogs, and educating people to make a better world for animals and people. Five years ago my humans adopted me (not from PAWS, but as a stray). They feel it is important to take good care of our pets and be responsible human companions, and PAWS's vision recognizes the intrinsic value of animals. This is why I donate a portion of my proceeds to PAWS.”

You are such a handsome mancat. Do you have a girlfriend?
“Many humans want to know if I have a girlfriend. My response is... ladies, you know my number.”

What exciting things are on the horizon for you?
“I would love to host Saturday Night Live, but am still waiting to hear back on that.”

Read more articles by Julia Williams

22 comments:

  1. We love the interview! We saw Cooper on a cat show awhile back and we adore his art!

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  2. I love this! I first learned about Cooper on "Must Love Cats."

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  3. That is a great story about Cooper and I bet those pictures are good. There are two cats on the blogosphere that do that too. They wear a camera around and it takes pictures.Must be a fun thing to do to look at the pictures. Take care and have a super day.

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  4. Julia , I loved reading about Cooper, and what a funny interview. I would love to see more of the pictures, from his eyes. Thank you so much. You always amaze me with the things you write about. They are all wonderful.
    Lori

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  5. athat really i s cool! Our friends Eric and Flynn were doing that a while back too. Have a great weekend!

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  6. I loved this! I think I saw this nice Kitteh featured on a TV show once! Great interview!

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  7. Julia, we loved this awesome interview and only wish our filmmaker dad had come up with the idea first.75,000 FB fans WOW! Cats will rule the world one day!

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  8. Great story - I had seen this piece a couple times of different TV shows, but had no idea how he had branched out so much with his marketing. Can he please come by and teach Zee and Zoey some tricks? They will be releasing a book in the next few months and could use some expert feline advice!!

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  9. What a great interview! We never heard about Cooper before! How fun that he takes such great photos!

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  10. I also had never heard of Cooper before but I enjoyed learning about him and reading your interview.

    Ever the skeptic, I wish I didn't know his parents are filmmakers...that makes me wonder if the photos really WERE taken with the cam...don't worry, that's just how my brain works.

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  11. Oh, this is great! THank you for pointing us towards this, because I'd never heard of him before!

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  12. Well done Cooper!! I reckon all my photos would be of food...

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  13. Julia, that is an amazing story (my husband and I have often thought it would be something to see what cats see when they go exploring on their own). I've never heard of Cooper before, but that is just so remarkable. The image you've shown is utterly stunning - it's almost as if you can feel fairies play nearby! I've gotta pop over to his website and see more images.
    P.S. I just posted some new images of Rosie - the ones you saw are already outdated and she is much bigger now! And thanks as always for visiting.

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  14. Cooper is one amazing cat! Whenever I get down to a cat's-eye level to play with them or to take pictures I'm intrigued by how different the world looks. And Cooper captures that wonderfully.

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  15. Oh what a treat this will be!!!

    Admiral Hestorb (but mommy's account)

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  16. Wonderful interview! Cooper is one cool cat!

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  17. Cooper is a pawsome photographer! We enjoyed the interview very much! We're going to check out more about him and we'll try to find his number too! :)

    Purrs,
    Angel & Isabella

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  18. We've heard about Cooper and his amazing photographs, so reading this interview was a real treat! It's so cool to see how he sees the world. :)

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  19. That's so cool. I would love to see what happens when my cats are running around! And Cooper's photo's are really beautiful :)

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  20. Wow, great post Julia!! I am seriously jealous that you got to interview the cat himself! :) I love Cooper, and that "Bad Haircut" picture cracks me up! lol!

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  21. Super interview. I've seen Cooper on Animal Planet but didn't know he was published! Thanks for letting me know, I want to see more of his work.

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  22. I want one! Wonderful innerview. Thanks for visiting my blog.

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