thePULSEBy Mary Ouellette
Ansel Adams once said, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” As a freelance photographer, Peter Cooke specializes in sports and event photography and has been “making” photographs for the past five years. Currently serving as the in-house photographer for Worcester’s own DCU Center, Cooke is tasked with shooting sporting events and concerts that pass through the hallowed halls.
Picking up photography as a hobby in high school and predominately a self-taught shutterbug, Cooke really reintroduced himself to his passion for photography about five years ago. Since then, he’s been covering local sports ~ and those gigs led to his in-house job at the DCU Center, which he’s had for the past two years. At the DCU, Cooke can cover everything from a Sharks hockey game to an American Idol concert; in other words, he tackles a full spectrum of subjects. It’s these kinds of challenges that have helped Cooke hone his skills as one of the go-to photographers in the area.
Cooke ~ who says that football is his favorite sport to shoot ~ can often be found on the sidelines at youth and college sporting events in Central MA, too, capturing timeless moments for local teams. As the team plays their hearts out during the game, Cooke is anticipating every action. “Your primary goal is to create an image that stops the action and tells a story at the same time. Whether it’s in the emotion of the player, or something self-explanatory like crossing a goal line, it’s all about expression. If you can get facial expression along with action, to me as a photographer that’s a great image.” Cooke credits youth sports with helping him develop his distinct skills as a sports photographer: “To create a good image at a youth sports game is something that really shows off your craft. The talent level is not the same. The ideal conditions are not the same. A Friday night high school game is probably the worst lighting you’ll find yourself in and as a photographer you have to decide what you will do to overcome that.” And what is his advice to anyone looking to follow in his footsteps? “Sports photography is more than just understanding the mechanics ~ it’s understanding the lighting, the environment around you, the sport in front of you, and anticipating the action. Those four things rolled up into a split second and being in the right place at the right time is the key.”
While shooting sports is very rewarding to Cooke, he finds concert photography fun and challenging as well. The main difference between the two is the amount of time a photographer is given. For concerts, a photographer is usually allowed to shoot only a few songs, the dreaded “First three, no flash” rule. So given that restriction, Cooke has to know what he’s looking for right from the start. “I’m looking for emotion out of the artist, whether that’s them playing a guitar or interacting with the audience or something as simple as a facial expression as they belt out a song.” His favorite concerts that he’s shot at the DCU Center include Bob Seger and My Chemical Romance. “[They] brought me back to the days when I use to go to concerts when I was a teenager. Their show was indicative of a rock and roll show,” says Cooke.
Given his impressive list of accomplishments you have to wonder, what would Cooke’s dream gig be? Given the opportunity, Cooke would love to shoot The Masters or a Super Bowl. With any luck, he’ll take our New England Patriots along with him for the ride!
Photo: “Perfection” by Peter Cooke
