Cooper Douglass
CFAC Creative Works Contest
2025 Winners
Cooper Douglass | Visual Media
3rd Place
Design
Cooper Douglass is a senior in photo- and lens-based design at BYU. He submitted visual media about his experience backpacking through the Italian Dolomites with professor Paul Adams.
“I was not just learning about photography; I was living it, surrounded by mentors and peers who elevated the experience. I learned that learning can be difficult, but it often brings incredible results.”
This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to backpack through the Italian Dolomites with professor Paul Adams and fellow student Henry Whiteley. Supported by funding from the College of Fine Arts and Communications, I spent 10 days immersed in both nature and photography — waking early and staying out late to capture stunning landscapes and street-style portraits, including time spent shooting in Venice.
Throughout this experience, I developed skills that cannot be taught in a classroom: how to adapt to constantly changing light, compose quickly in unpredictable environments and push through physical and creative fatigue. I learned what it truly means to be a dedicated photographer — waiting patiently for the right moment, often after hours of hiking or standing in the same spot. Paul mentored us through the process, teaching me how to see beyond the lens and anticipate the elements of a great image.
More than technical growth, this experience shaped my perspective as an artist. I now have a clearer understanding of my own visual style and the emotional qualities I am drawn to. My photographs often feel nostalgic, and I have learned to trust that instinct in my creative decision-making. This clarity makes me a more intentional and expressive visual communicator.
The trip also deepened my testimony. I witnessed so many small miracles — shifts in weather, perfect light breaking through clouds, quiet moments of stillness in vast landscapes — that reminded me God is aware of us and involved in the details. I felt His presence in nature and in the quiet confidence that grew within me as I worked through challenges. I returned with greater faith in both His plan and my ability to walk it. I now better understand God's role as my creator.
This experience embodied President C. Shane Reese’s vision for inspiring learning. It pushed me beyond passive observation into deep engagement — physical, mental and spiritual. I was not just learning about photography; I was living it, surrounded by mentors and peers who elevated the experience. I learned that learning can be difficult, but it often brings incredible results.