Cleveland photographer, Chad Cochran, unites the souls and mysterious scenes in the work of landscape and landscape.

 Cleveland photographer, Chad Cochran, unites the souls and mysterious scenes in the work of landscape and landscape.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - With the advent of cell phones, cameras are everywhere. Every day, people post pictures on social media; their photos, their friends, good sunset, good sunrise.

It is not uncommon for an amateur photographer to skip a “good” photo and become a real photographer, the kind that can officially affix a “artist” to his or her name. With her shocking and beautiful landscapes in central Ohio and photos of artists, Chad Cochran took that step.

Cochran got a camera on his 40th birthday and did not look back. Ten years later he has seen his work appear in art programs, in a national magazine and has become the most sought-after photographer for artists in the American music world.

The escape from an amateur photographer to a professional photographer did not come overnight in Cochran. He struggled with his camera and admits he was bad at it for the first few years. Until a friend of the photographer gives a brief and concise advice - read your camera. Taking pictures quickly became a passion that made him learn and try new things with the camera.

Although he had no experience as a photographer Cochran had some faith in his artistic ability. Throughout high school and college he was in the bands that helped him develop his artistic connections. He realized that as soon as he read the camera, he was able to take pictures quickly.

His talent eventually reached his vision and Cochran was producing stunning scenes in Knox County and surrounding areas, Ohio where he grew up. These images captured the brilliance of rural areas; rusty cars, demolished warehouses and empty houses set in a dark background.

"Ohio is a beautiful country and I've taken pictures of places like Hocking Hills," Cochran said. “I see myself as a happy person. I shoot the black side of Ohio, it has always been my beauty and what I am attracted to. ”

The newly learned artist enjoyed comments from friends and family about how beautiful her photos were. He took it in stride until one day someone wanted to know how to buy one of his notes. When Cochran was new in the world of photography the ins and outs of art sales were completely unknown to him.

“I thought, did I buy my script? How does that work, ”said Cochran. “That thought never entered my mind. They may also ask, 'Can you help me find the unicorn?' ”

I'll steal it back

A shooting of an abandoned home in rural Ohio.

When Cochran made the purchase and sale of the prints he thought he had found a plain in his journey as an artist. The art world, which seemed far and wide in Fredericktown, the native OH, once again reached out to him.

"I was invited to an art exhibition in Columbus and expressed my interest," Cochran said. "Because I was selling prints, I also had no experience showing work. I went to my friends and asked them how it was done. They explain that I should put my pictures in a frame, go and look for space and hang pictures there. However, 'Oh, I can do that!' ”

At the time Cochran was living in Columbus which is home to the Short North, which was full of art galleries. One of the first places Cochran hung on his artwork was a hair salon that regularly showcased local artists and participated in Friday Night Art Hop in Short North.

The owner of the salon had seen his work on Instagram, followed him and asked if he would agree to hang his work there. A former Fredicktown High School football player had officially found his way into the arts.

Cochran is very comfortable talking about his humble journey to and from the art world. He told stories of how he got there with details and jokes in his spartan studio under the Karpinksi engineering building in Midtown Cleveland. His sales years obviously gave him the ability to talk to people and keep them comfortable. Little did he know that those same skills would enable him to enter a new field of art.

Singer / songwriter Lydia Loveless found Cochran's place while researching on Instagram. Like Cochran, Loveless grew up in rural Ohio and was fascinated by her portraits. He was photographed because we took an Ohio that he knew and loved. Cochran's photographs showed his vision of the place.

"Everyone is talking about Ohio being flat with corn fields," Loveless said, while on his way as the opening act of Drive By Truckers. “But where I grew up in eastern Ohio it was hilly and beautiful. You admire the beauty even in these old, secluded buildings. ”

Lydia Loveless in the barber shop

Ohio-based singer-songwriter and songwriter Lydia Loveless is gaining the attention of a Columbus barber. Loveless was the key to Cochran's dream of becoming a photographer.

Loveless was amazed at how he managed to take the soul of a place he knew so well and loved. He saw that if he could not capture the local soul, why could he not take the souls of the people. Finally, he contacted Cochran to express his admiration for his work and asked, “Have you ever taken pictures?”

Cochran raised Loveless's challenge and soon word got out that he was one of the best in the business. The former metalhead soon found a niche in the American music world, described as an Alternative Country genre. Cochran recently produced masterpieces of Orville Peck, Roger Harvey, Mary Gauthier and Elizabeth Cook.

"He was very friendly and impartial with his reputation as a talented photographer before him," said Cook, who made his portrait behind the Kent Stage building. “We walked out of the theater and there was a big ivy wall on which to grow. Pictures of Chad a