Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Coogler.
Hi Joshua, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I first started doing photography when I was in middle school. I loved going outside and discovering all the tiny bugs, plants, and other little things living right in my own backyard. Almost every night, I would photograph as much as I could, always trying to find something I hadn’t seen before. I’d look under small pieces of wood, through leaf litter, around plants, basically anywhere I could think to look. I quickly realized that if you look closely enough, there’s almost always something interesting to find.
I started out doing all of this with my twin sister’s iPod Touch. Eventually, someone online noticed that I was constantly posting these photos and actually bought me my first real camera. It still feels crazy to think that something I was doing purely because I loved it led to someone giving me my first camera.
From there, I just kept going. Many camera upgrades later, I’m still doing macro photography, but my interests have expanded into astrophotography, bird photography, landscapes, and pretty much anything involving wildlife and nature. What started with exploring my own backyard has grown into a lifelong passion for finding and photographing the interesting things most people overlook.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t always been smooth, though. One of the biggest struggles for me has always been wanting to get better and better. Sometimes that means wanting to upgrade my equipment, and other times it means wanting to travel to see and photograph something specific. Of course, not everything is always feasible, but I think that’s also part of what keeps photography exciting for me. There is always something new to work toward, something I want to learn, or somewhere I want to go. Even when I can’t do those things right away, having something to look forward to gives me motivation to keep going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My actual job is as a landscaper, so I get to spend a lot of my time outdoors and surrounded by plants and wildlife. I really enjoy that aspect of my work because I’m constantly getting to see different plants, insects, birds, and other animals in the environments I work in. Being around nature every day has naturally influenced my photography and given me even more opportunities to notice and photograph things that other people might overlook.
My photography is primarily focused on nature and wildlife, with a particular passion for macro photography. I love photographing the small things that are easy to miss, especially insects, springtails, spiders, plants, and other tiny organisms. Macro photography is what originally got me into photography, and it is still the area I feel most connected to. I’m fascinated by how much diversity can exist in places that, at first glance, seem completely ordinary.
Over time, my photography has expanded into astrophotography, bird photography, landscapes, and wildlife in general. I enjoy exploring different environments and finding things that are unusual, beautiful, or simply not commonly seen. My background in landscaping and my interest in plants have also made me especially interested in habitats and the relationships between the plants, animals, and environments I photograph.
I think what sets my work apart is my curiosity and attention to detail. I’m not just interested in taking a picture of something. I like finding things that are unusual or difficult to notice, learning what they are, understanding where they live, and then trying to photograph them in a way that shows people something they might otherwise never see.
I’ve been doing photography for over a decade now, and one of the things I’m most proud of is that it has remained an interest throughout all those years. It gives me a reason to go outside and explore, even when I don’t have a specific destination or subject in mind. I can step outside almost anywhere and know that there is something new to find, whether it’s a tiny insect hiding in the leaf litter, an interesting plant, a bird passing overhead, or something completely unexpected. Having an interest that continually motivates me to get outside, explore, and spend time in nature is something I really value.
More than anything, photography has taught me to slow down and pay attention. Working as a landscaper gives me the opportunity to be outside every day, but photography has taught me to really look at what is around me. There is always something interesting to find if you are willing to look closely enough, and that idea is at the heart of what I do.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
A few resources have been especially helpful to me, both for photography and for getting more out of my time outdoors. I use iNaturalist a lot to discover places to explore and learn what plants, insects, animals, and other interesting species can be found in different areas. It’s a great way to turn a general interest in nature into a reason to actually get outside and explore somewhere new.
I also use Instagram to follow other photographers and see what they are creating. It gives me inspiration, helps me discover different styles and subjects, and keeps me excited about photography.
YouTube is another resource I use regularly, especially for learning new photography techniques. There is such a huge amount of information available that I can usually find tutorials or examples whenever I want to improve a particular skill or try something new.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @josh.coogle.it
