C Thomas Cooney

Kirkland, WA - United States

I was born and raised in Southern California and spent my life on the West Coast. In 2002 I became the third generation of my family to live in Washington after moving from San Francisco. I've been taking pictures since my childhood starting with a pin hole camera I made from a National Geographic World. Growing up, my family and I took yearly vacations, and like a lot of kids, I usually wound up posing for photos. It was my father's enthusiasm and love for photography though that inspired me as a child and continues to inspire me today. For a number of years, photography was merely a hobby until a trip I took with friends to New Orleans in 2004. When I returned the images that I captured and the positive response from my friends lead me to pursue a professional career.

What I really enjoy about photography is the challenge to bring a subject to life, and then seeing the reactions from people and listening to their feedback on my works.

Cemeteries are often a favorite subject of my work because of the beauty I find in them. I thinks it is unfortunate how they are often overlooked because of the stigma, when really there is a lot to learn from a cemetery about people's lives, the symbolism of carvings on the headstones and how it relates to our world. While my favorite cemeteries are in New Orleans, I've come across some here in the West that still top my list of favorite locations to shoot.

While I enjoy cemeteries, I also have a great love for lighthouses and the California Missions and the Gold Rush country that I got from my father. My list of plans at the moment includes traveling much of the west coast to photograph them in all types of weather. I hope you enjoy my pictures and seeing the world through my lens.

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