Written by Mark Vawser – Castleforge Photography
Your fingers are raw and your eyes blurry after you spent dozens, maybe even hundreds of hours crafting your new cosplay. It’s everything you wanted, and you can’t wait to show everyone. Except your mirror is dirty, your bedroom light is terrible, your phone camera just can’t do the cosplay justice and in every shot, your face is doing that weird thing. You know, deep down, that you need a proper photoshoot. But the outside world is scary, and you don’t know where to start. Sit down and put your boots on because this article will give you the weapons you need to book your first location shoot. The process is broken down into four steps: Choosing a cosplay, choosing a photographer, Choosing a location, and what to expect after the shoot. Just be careful of snakes.
Choosing a Cosplay
The first step is often the hardest, choosing your cosplay. Nobody can make this decision for you, not even your mum, you must choose. Not to put any pressure on you but the whole endeavour rides on this decision! Maybe even your life! Ok, I’m being dramatic, but any further decisions are based on your choice of cosplay (we will get to location and vibe later). However, it’s not dramatic to state that if you do not “want” to shoot a particular cosplay, to say your not excited and are donning it for the wrong reasons (trends, clout, outside pressure), the results will be a bit lacklustre. Choose a cosplay you are passionate about, feel good in and have a connection with. This will help everything go smoothly and reduce the nerves of being photographed. Once you’ve chosen THE ONE be sure to research various poses and give them a little practice, trust me, this helps a lot. Knowing the material your cosplay is based on is key. Photographers may know, but learning the skills of a photographer takes up precious gaming and anime time, and some of us are still stuck on The Witcher 3.
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Make a list of your cosplays.
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Choose one that your excited about/comfortable in.
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Research poses and get a feel for the character.
Choosing a Photographer
Book me.
Ok, it’s not that easy. Choosing a photographer is also a critical decision. The last thing you want is someone who doesn’t know what they are doing, doesn’t know what a “cosplay” is, and spends way too much time focusing on your chest. Don’t laugh, it happens too often. The best way is via referral from your other cosplay friends, ask around, and you’ll probably find the same names popping up from your cities cosplay community. If not, you’ll have to find them, they might be shy.
You’ll find Cosplay Photographers at their favourite hunting grounds, the local comic con. Comic Cons allow people to freely interact in a safe environment and there are always photographers, new or established, looking for some dynamic subjects. There you can interact with them, find the ones you vibe with and avoid the ones that showcase para social behaviours. However, if you are between cons, there is one sure-fire place to find one, Instagram.
Cosplay Photographers use Instagram more than any other app. Using the hashtags of your local comic con (OZCC, PAX, Supanova etc) and clicking on the best photos you like will often lead you to a tagged photographer with an aesthetic that matches your cosplays (this is why researching your character is critical). Each photographer will have their own “look” forged after many months or years of practice. Do your due diligence and check their profile, find multiple shots you like and if you are confident they can do the job, DM them to start organising the shoot.
A couple red flags to look out for: Do they have very few cosplay photos? Is the rest of their work to a similar quality to the photo you liked? Is their work hyper sexualised? None of these are dealbreakers on their own, but it is possible that they simply don’t post their work, got lucky with a couple shots or are only in it to take advantage of cosplayers. The best way to find out is to ask someone who has shot with them, “How did you find the shoot?”. Community reputation and references count for a lot.
A note on etiquette: Unless a photographer reaches out to you personally to do a shoot, it is a paid booking. You chose the photographer based on their skills and their time is not free, payment should be discussed early in the conversation and prices respected. If it’s out of your budget, communicate that and try another photographer. If the photographer has approached you to organise a shoot, and demands payment, this is considered bad etiquette from the tog, they approached you. Free shoots do happen but again, vet your tog first, and discuss early if this is a paid shoot or a free shoot.
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Ask the community.
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Research on Instagram.
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Find the aesthetic you like.
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Vet the Photographer.
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Discuss payment early.
Choosing a Location
The world is big, too big. The first tow steps helped you get a sense for what you want from the shoot, now you get to see how far you’ll drive in a lycra suit to make it a reality. Here are some examples of what you might expect: *see photos attached, your choice on layout of course*
City shoots require alleyways, parking structures, grand architecture or neon lights. Nature shoots require tall trees, falling leaves, budding flowers and jagged rocks. Beach shoots are all sunsets and soft light, sand and salt seas, and the wind blowing through your hair and into your eyes. But I digress, all these elements all depend on what fits for your character. Nobody wants a Spider-man in a forest, a cyberpunk on a beach or fairy on Flinders Street Station. Give the people what they want, Spider-Gwen in a city hanging from a ledge, any ledge!
Chances are that your photographer already knows a place. Locations are like Maltesers to a photographer, we can’t get enough, and we always want more. If you have found a place in your research that looks good tell your Tog and they will work out the logistics. Weather is always a concern so check your weather app and if it’s raining and you’re in Melbourne, don’t worry, it will change in 30 minutes *laughs in stable Adelaide weather*
Finally, you need to communicate what aesthetic vibe you want from the photos. This is important because the Tog will need to adjust their camera setting and compositions to best suit the time and location. If you are after a bright and airy look, your Tog will need to shoot in at a time and area with a lot of available light. If you want a dark and gritty look, night or shadows with light beams are best. Sunsets can be spectacular but challenging, the light changes often and quickly, so be prepared for a wide range of outcomes. Communication and organisation are key.
Etiquette: If you don’t know the photographer personally it is probably a good idea to bring a friend. This protects you and the photographer from any bad behaviour and misunderstandings. It’s also helpful to have a spare pair of hands to hold lights and fling capes. If a photographer doesn’t show you the in-camera photos as the shoot progresses, that can sometime be a red flag, always ask to see what they just shot for your own safety.
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Find the aesthetic vibe your cosplay needs.
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Ask the photographer for suggestions.
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Find a time with suitable light.
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Communicate what you want from the shoot.
After the shoot
You did it! The shoot was booked, you arrived on time and endangered yourself for that one shot. Congratulations! Now you must sit there and wait for the photos to be processed. The hardest part.
The photographer will work on the shots based on your previous communications and some will keep in contact to ask for corrections or permissions. Some, work without much contact and deliver a full set without consultation. You booked them because you liked their style, trust them to deliver. If you are in anyway un-happy with your photos, or expected something different, communicate that in the most diplomatic way possible and give them a chance to fulfil your expectations. Most Togs will deliver within 2-6 weeks for a paid shoot, free shoots, well, are delivered when they are. This will depend on the amount of post editing that is required, Lightroom, Photoshop, film development time are all variable and dependent on the photographers’ skills and workload. Be patient, ask nicely.
Finally, you received your shots and are ecstatic! You look exactly like Margot Robbie in Barbie/Suicide Squad/Neighbours. You boot up Instagram and post as fast as you can on your lunch break. Photographers love this but be sure to tag them in the photo, after all, it’s probably how you found them on Instagram in the first place and its how the next person will find them. The collaboration feature is also a great too to use but be sure to ask first when possible and don’t be offended if they do not collaborate with your post, they probably post in rows of three.
Etiquette: If you plan on selling these photos as prints or using them as a product, this needs to be communicated early in the process and will affect pricing. Don’t pull a sneaky on your Tog or you’ll find them less willing to work with you.
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Wait patiently.
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Tag your photographers.
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Enjoy your new photos.
That’s it! Kick your boots off and relax, you’ve now booked your first location shoot and survived to tell the tale. Now you just need to survive the next cosplay build and start the process again. Yee-Haw.
You can find more about Castleforge Photography on Instagram, Youtube and Twitch.
