Celebrating Humanity: Faces from Five Continents

A collection of my favorite black & white portraits. I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity to travel extensively over the past decade, and to meet and photograph hundreds of people in more than 25 countries. The "take-away" from all of those portrait sessions is that, despite obvious differences in appearance and way of life, people are remarkably alike -- at least in the most important and fundamental ways. That seems like an important message, perhaps more so now than ever.

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We Are Santa

Portraits & Profiles

Who doesn’t love Santa Claus? From award-winning photographer Ron Cooper comes a beautifully curated collection of fifty professional Santas from across the country. We Are Santa is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of those who slip into the red suit to spread Christmas cheer. Before and after portraits, behind-the-scenes stories of custom made costumes and specialized training, and surprising anecdotes of on-the-job encounters bring these Santas to life.

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Fabulous Drag!

Near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Late last year I had the opportunity to meet and photograph many of New Mexico's top drag performers. I asked them to arrive for the shoot in street clothes - no costumes, wigs, make-up or kinky boots - so I could make a black and white portrait of them "before" their fabulous transformation. Following that session, they changed into character and costume, a meticulous process than can take more than two hours. I then photographed them in color - and in character. It was a blast!

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Celebrating Humanity
Digest Series

I frequently release compilations of photographs along with descriptions and stories from my travels. These digests are offered in PDF format and free to download.

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