Coby Cooper is a wildlife photographer based in the Smoky Mountains and the current President of NANPA. He has enjoyed a 40 year career in video production, broadcast television and digital media and marketing. Coby began as a commercial videographer, writer, producer and director.

He ran a successful , award winning, multifaceted production company before turning to the management of broadcast television outlets. He has managed stations affiliated with all four of the major US broadcast networks. Coby most recently managed the ABC affiliate in Knoxville for Nexstar Media, the US’s largest broadcasting company before retiring and devoting full time to his wildlife photography.

Coby’s love is wildlife photography and travel. He has been fortunate to visit all fifty states and forty-four Countries. He has been above the Arctic Circle and below the Antarctic Circle for his photography. His photography has garnered awards in several contests including the Spider Awards for Black and White Photography, The Monochrome Awards, The International Color Awards, and been published in Outdoor Photography, Mensa Magazine and Digital Photo Magazine as well as several digital publications and on TV sets.

Based in the Smoky Mountains, bears have become his favorite subject. He often has black bears visit his home overlooking Wears Valley adjacent to the National Park and spends countless hours in Cades Cove but travels to capture, coastal brown bears, grizzlies and polar bears.

Coby will be presenting arctic and polar images from his recent trips to Svalbard and Tromso, Norway, Antarctica and Churchill Manitoba, Canada. Each of these areas are unique in their geography and wildlife, but share similarities in the challenge of travel due to their remote locations and often frigid temperatures.

Lighting can also be a hurdle as daylight hours vary greatly in these far north and Far south locations depending on the time of visit. Deciding what gear to take and just getting there with all your camera gear can be tough with weight and travel restrictions.

However, the payoff of traveling to polar regions can be immense. The reward can be sightings and spectacular photo ops with the likes of polar bears, penguins, walrus, various seal and sea lion species, abundant bird and whale species and countless landscape opportunities.

Join Coby for one man’s journey to the far north and far south of our planet for the pursuit of nature.