Douglas Hopkins

Douglas Hopkins is a photographer whose fashion and beauty images have appeared in Vogue, W, Women's Wear Daily, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and The New York Times. Among his creative endeavors, he has done volcanic research and photography, has co-directed a science documentary film, founded a fine fragrance company, and has authored a book on photography, "Real Views", scheduled to be released in 2022.

Biography

The son of Cleveland and Lillian Hopkins, Douglas Hopkins grew up in Alaska and Boston. As a young man, Hopkins worked as a ranch hand in Montana. In high school he spent a year in Europe studying German. He attended the University of California, San Diego where he majored in physics and German literature. He later attended MIT, where he became a senior staff member of the MIT Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences.

Most recently, Hopkins has written a textbook, "Real Views", teaching his seminar teaching studies with the famed photographer Minor White's existential method of "heightened visual awareness". This is scheduled to be released in 2023. Hopkins currently lives in New York City and continues to direct his fragrance company.

Photography

Hopkins' approach to photography was influenced by the intensive visual awareness training program he took with MIT professor, famed, reclusive Minor White.

Some of Hopkins' early photographs of volcano eruptions appeared in popular and technical publications and textbooks. Working in this environment could be dangerous; regarding one of these photographs, Hopkins made the notation: "About 100 feet away. Almost ate it."

During his photography career, Hopkins free-lanced for W, WWD, Vogue, Connoisseur, Harvard Magazine, Rolling Stone, Mademoiselle, Elle, Barrons, Cosmopolitan, New York Times, Revlon, Clairol, and L'Oreal. Some interesting comments on his work:

Hopkins photographed a cover shot for W magazine that featured Calvin Klein's first, post-designer jeans; high-fashion gowns, with supermodel Janice Dickinson in a busy Times Square street. The cover was important because of the clothes worn by Ms. Dickenson and was said by the publisher of W, John Fairchild, to be the best cover of W magazine in 30 years. Hopkins was almost struck by a taxi when shooting, grabbing the flash of a cab's color identical to the gown, the cover. A quick-acting assistant grabbed him.

Hopkins has remained active in the photography field through commissioned portraits, exhibits, design awards, articles, lecturing, and teaching at The New School in New York City. He has also served as a consultant to clients such as Polaroid and Fuji.

Hopkins has an interesting perspective on the fragrance industry:

The company also sells Geothermology, a personal treatment line, launched in 2005 with 35 products. This line "offers the volcanic and natural mineral substances derived from multiple, active, naturally occurring geothermal healing sources around the world".