Dale Cooper started his journey early in life when discovering black and white film photography in high school. Later, teaching SCUBA in San Diego CA while attending college, he took his first underwater images, on film, in black and white, on his Nikon Nikonos "I" camera. Later it would become color film with flash on the Nikonos "III", and the "V". He frequently worked as a safety diver and assisted other underwater photographers / cinematographers with their lighting and filming needs in the Channel Islands off the coast of California, or night diving off the shores of La Jolla, while developing his own photography skills. The end of college, and the need to earn a living led to a career in industry, and not photography. Dale picked up the camera again in 2023, as well as the desire to create "quality photographic art " for all to enjoy. The images here capture just a sample of that passion.
The artist’s philosophy is simple and "old school". While "Raw" images are appropriately edited to bring out their full attributes, and perhaps minor imperfections are adjusted or hidden, it is the intent of the artist to represent the subject in their environment accurately, without the addition of "Outside Qualities" that were not actually present when the image was captured. Images significantly altered by the artist for art’s sake are stated as so and found in the "Abstract / Altered" Work Page section.