Emma Cooper is 19 and bicoastal.

MOSSLESS: How is shooting photos in LA different than in New York?
EMMA COOPER: The biggest thing for me is the light that happens on each coast. In LA the light is so dang warm. I love it. I take a lot of my photos in the afternoon and when I’m shooting in New York the light is so much cooler. Also the types of things I shoot in LA are different. When I go home I do a lot more work about my family, I also go out and shoot with my mom and dad. My parents are the best photo assistants. I’ve been here for almost two years and am still learning about what I’m shooting in New York, I guess that’s one reason I’m here, to challenge myself. I like getting out of the city and taking photos. I still get stoked on how different the east coast is from the west. It does suck not having my car though because in LA I can drive all the way out to the desert to shoot for the day if I want or go to Mexico.

ML: How about the music scenes?
EC: I get beaten up a lot for saying this but I’m not a big fan of the New York music scene. Coming from LA I grew up at The Smell in Downtown LA and that place is still like my home away from home. My experiences in LA over the years is more intimate than New York. I think it’s because we have a great all ages scene and a lot more house shows which New York is totally lacking. Because of that I’ve been able to take a lot of photos of some of my favorite bands, and not like playing on stage but just hangin’ out. In my oppinion its really cool and exciting but now my mom thinks im a groupie. Anyway, I’ve been going to shows with some of these kids since I was 15 and they are the people I see when I go back to LA. We have a great community of bands, artists, a few awesome venues, and a lot of rad kids, plus when the shows are over there are these ladies who sell bacon wrapped hot dogs outside which makes the whole experience way better. When I go to shows in LA I pay 5 bucks to see a bunch of bands play and socialize and eat good food. When I go to shows in New York I usually pay too much for the show and its in a dark room with no ins or outs and no one wants to talk and if i’m lucky I get a slice of pizza after. Don’t get me wrong I have been to great shows here too, but they have always been when LA bands come to play, like when we met at Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. That was a great show. 

ML: How long have you had your tumblr account for? Is there anything about it that surprised you?
EC: I just had to go and check, but since August 12, 2008. I had a real blog once but that got neglected when I got super into tumblin. Tumblr is so weird I never thought I would use it when I made mine. I actually only made one to take the URL emmacooper.tumblr.com. It wasn’t even until the the end of 2008 that I really got into it. I completely stoped posting on my original blog and using Flickr and every other type of internet thing for awhile. Not many people looked at my other blog so I don’t get why anyone looks at this one. I have a feeling its because I used to post a lot of kitties and titties. I think everyone likes pictures of cats and naked people. It’s so messed up but I began to realize there is an art to using Tumblr, a lot of patterns and shit to posting, which makes the recent death of tumblarity a good thing. You should tumblr for the right reasons not to make your tumblarity 5,000, its just stupid. I am surprised how many cool people I have met though Tumblr. One of my best friend’s and I were brought together by the forces of Tumblr, when people ask how we met we tell them the story and explain it’s like E-harmony for friends. I have also had dudes come up to me at parties and tell me I’m their Tumblr crush, it’s a weird pick up line but it has worked before. The internet just creeps me out.

ML: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
EC: I don’t even know where I will be in 5 months, but I have been getting antsy to go travel or live somewhere that isn’t LA or New York. I also find it hard sometimes going back and forth between the coasts. I might become a nomadic gypsy or live in one of those crazy tree houses. I think its an effect of living in the same house for 19 years.