max cooper: photographer

Grace + Aaron at Olivette

A relaxed August wedding, complete with summer showers, swollen rivers and star-lit skies. I met Grace and Aaron in their hotel room, where they prepared together, a feat not many couples attempt. Their calm happiness translated perfectly to the venue. Olivette was the perfect spot for this Quaker-inspired wedding-in-the-round. I like the way the French Broad’s islands provide clear boundaries…

The first of four weddings I shot last season at Homewood. I’m writing this now with a foot of snow on the ground, but Mandy and Hunter chose Spring for their wedding, a decision that resonates in each of these photos through the soft warmth the season offers. A change in the light, a change in the weather, new foliage, and a perfect day for new beginnings.

I’m proud to have shot the first wedding at Asheville’s new AC Hotel. A wedding’s venue is always important, but it was crucial for Phil and Tim, who chose the AC specifically for its interior and architectural style. An intimate affair with only a few guests, gathered on the AC’s rooftop on a gorgeous fall morning.

There’s nothing more insufferable than a photographer bragging about his gear on the internet. But I got a new camera: I make it a rule to never, ever post glamour shots of my gear. But this just showed up on my doorstep. I've always been a die hard SLR shooter, but my father nearly changed my mind in the last few years of his life. Then digital eclipsed film and the question was moot. Now I'm…