Guest Interview with Paul Cooper

Paul Cooper has been a professional photographer for over 30 years — running Baily-Cooper Photography with his wife Kate, and a photography education business, Master Your Photography, on the side.Marcus and Sam talk to Paul about the long road from amateur to professional, why he thinks lighting matters more than the camera you own, and what it actually takes to earn a photography qualification.How ten years in IT led to a 30-year photography career, almost by accidentWhy Paul’s business has spent more on lighting than on camerasThe photographer who inspired Paul — and made him a frittata in his studioWhat actually goes into a Master Photographers Association qualification panelHow Paul and Kate split the work, and when they come together for the big jobsWhy teaching clients to use their own cameras became a business in itselfA long career built on lighting, teaching, and knowing when to specialise — and when not to.Long careers come up again and again on this show — The 40-Year Secret: Sustaining a Commercial Photography Career Through Mentorship is another photographer reflecting on decades in the industry.