Cosplay Photography Etiquette

By Figment_Of_Orange. 31/03/09, 03:13 pm

From a cosplayer's point of view and opinion; what makes a good cosplay photographer?

By KotoneVersus. 31/03/09, 03:13 pm

A good camera. 8|

By **Duckeh**. 31/03/09, 03:16 pm

Someone who'll tell you when somethings not looking quite right, whether it's the wigs slightly mucked up or your pose isn't all that flattering or something's falling off~ Atleast I know they're trying their best to make the photo worth it.

By Rikki-Leigh. 31/03/09, 03:35 pm

Someone assertive and attentive, yet understanding. I'd hate to work with a photographer (or ever be the type of photographer) who is controlling and demanding and never asks for the cosplayers input.

When I'm doing cosplay photos, the first thing I ask the cosplayer is, "What do you want for your photos?" By this I mean things like poses, backgrounds, feelings. All that sort of thing. From there, I help them to get what they want in their photos, pointing out things like adjusting a part of their pose, where their standing, wigs/outfit muck-ups (creases or boofy bits where they shouldn't be) and stuff like that, whilst still trying to keep to the cosplayers original idea.

Also, I hate photographers who just take a photo and leave it at that. The good photographers, even just passers-by in cons, should take the photo and share it with the cosplayer and ask for their opinion of it. That way the cosplayer can decide if they can do a better photo (i.e. if the original one wasn't flattering or there were people in the background where they shouldn't have been or someone was pulling faces or all those other photo screw ups)

**Guest** Guest

A good cosplay photographer is one that isn't obviously angling to get a shot up your skirt Very Happy

And that makes sure you're ready for it. Sneak attack photos never look any good.

By **jpwise**. 01/04/09, 01:21 am

oops.. fail on my part for most of those so far. ;P I just take lots of photos. Mostly casual ones, but some posed too. :)

**Guest** Guest

hmmm Maybe I should go into Cosplay Photography...I seem to lose motivation with making costumes...maybe I should go into taking photos of them...I got told good things when I took control of my Aunt's Camera at my Cousin's Wedding last year...lol

SS

**Guest** Guest

jpwise wrote:: oops.. fail on my part for most of those so far. ;P I just take lots of photos. Mostly casual ones, but some posed too. :)

Yeah but you filter out the ones where we look awful. I dont mean casual ones either. It when the cosplayer is clearly the focus of the picture, but they've just shoved half a museli bar into their mouth and can't possibly be attractive. If you're just taking photos of the action thats happening, thats equal opportunity horrificness of photos.

By Kitten Slave. 01/04/09, 01:58 am

Best Photographer:
Must be slightly unshaven, smell slightly of alcohol, have a trench coat and unkept hair. Lying on their back, so they can take close up~~skirts~~ at close distance and upside down?

lulz Razz

Ok, Ill try and take note of some of these points nodnod

By Suixelo. 01/04/09, 03:15 am

Hmm well... To have the time and focus for proper photography, you either need to be not at a con, or at least away from the crowds.

With con photography though, like JP said, I take as many as I can. In my view, it is different than cosplay photography because you have less time, and less focus with your subject. I may be only a beginner photographer with no training, but I read and research a lot. I think it's a problem =P
Anyway, for a good photo, you need a connection with the subject. So that's either by knowing them already and having the trust there, or by being nice and friendly, making them trust you enough to get a good shot. With con photography, it is harder to make the photo rather than just taking it, because most of the photos you take are either not posed, or you are unable to make the photo because your subject is just walking past when you ask for a photo.

Frr now I'm just ranting XD

By Static. 01/04/09, 03:28 am

Depends on whether they're dong a shoot with a cosplayer/cosplay group or just doing event photos. I try to get more "arty" shots, because I know there are people like Jp ( Razz

) who take ALL THE PHOTOS IN THE WORLD EVER and make them available for download. I prefer to go for the photos that nobody else is taking - usally candid closeups, but yeah...putting up awful horrible my-mouth-is-full-and-I-am-crosseyed photos is a pretty cunty thing to do.

With all photographers, you need some professionalism - and according to a recent survey I conducted (on these forums, hehe) the manner and personality of the photographer is a pretty big thing. Good photos can also be taken on cheapo cameras - if you don't know how to use a big fancy one, then they'll probably turn out worse!

**Guest** Guest

I rule at landscape Shots...(or shots of old buildings, as I walk past them following JP and Static..lol) But I want to try my hand at cosplay shots: Convention and Photoshoots...

SS

By neimhaille. 01/04/09, 04:31 am

Not taking a photo when someone is clearly adjusting a costume or about to speak... So annoying.

I know sometimes people are too shy to want to make you wait for them to get a good picture- my big failure in taking photos of people right there- but when people are clearly there for a while, then just be patient and get the good pics ;)

By Figment_Of_Orange. 01/04/09, 08:11 am

Woah, these are quick responses. (Heheh, damn newbie)

Another question: After securing the photos, is photo editing preferred?

(Photo editing as in changing the contrast of colours to touching up the actual cosplayer/s themselves).

By Suixelo. 01/04/09, 08:17 am

I never put photos online until they have been sharpened and colour corrected. I see it as part of the photo, a neccesity. It does take a long time if you take as many photos as I tend to though, so I forgive people who don't =P

Other parts of editing, such as airbrushing etc, I will only do if I have been asked to and I can see their reasoning. I may do something spiffy with a photo if I take a liking to it, but generally I don't have time ;__;

By IcyRose. 01/04/09, 08:31 am

As a cosplayer I appreciate time given to pose and adjust cosplay as necessary.

On a side note. as a photographer, I tend to like getting poses and action-pose shots and I MUCH prefer proper photos taken outside than ones inside the con, but given that there is generally not much time to do that at the con, unless you are part of a specific group organising a proper photoshoot you don't get that much time to do such a thing.

I tend to upload my photos as is, if someone wants to touch up a photo of mine they are welcome to. But considering the number of them I take I don't really have the time to go through all of them and make them look pretty outside rotating them to the right angle.

By Pura. 01/04/09, 10:37 am

I always ask for a photo first, that way I have their attention and a pose if they have one/want to. And if they are busy then I wait until they aren't and then ask.

And I avoid photos of myself =__= (As JP knows xDD)

By KotoneVersus. 01/04/09, 01:31 pm

Hopefully now, Nats, this will teach you not to be so much of a stalker/lurker. 8D Get your paws off those Kipi photos and make your own.

I think it's also pretty important for the cosplayer to feel comfortable with the photographer, like... I trust them and know them and have seen work they've done before and I know what they're going to do with the photos after.

Which is why I've only trusted Shelley so far to take mine. 8D I can't remember how decent your camera is.

By Figment_Of_Orange. 02/04/09, 11:31 am

Hey, I'm responsible in looking after these pictures (in my own twisted head). nodnod

I dunno if it's just me, but I would prefer to put only a few photographs that I see that are good and edit them if necessary. This is because I believe the quality of the photographs will reflect on the photographer and the cosplayer.

By Mischa. 02/04/09, 11:52 am

It's usually a good sign when the photographer is kneeling, crouching or climbing up a ladder!

By Nazgul. 02/04/09, 12:15 pm

Mischa wrote:: It's usually a good sign when the photographer is kneeling, crouching or climbing up a ladder!

yes yes, I perfectly agree! it means they're trying to get a good angle of the cosplayer to make them look much better~ 8D

By Rolly. 02/04/09, 12:45 pm

Unless they are doing it to the extreme and that may mean that they're getting shots that they're not supposed to.... DX

**Guest** Guest

Mischa wrote:: It's usually a good sign when the photographer is kneeling, crouching or climbing up a ladder!

Well, if you're anything like my sister she hates shots done while someone is kneeling because she is paranoid that you'll see her double chin so I try to avoid that. shush

**Guest** Guest

animemay wrote:

Mischa wrote:: It's usually a good sign when the photographer is kneeling, crouching or climbing up a ladder!

Well, if you're anything like my sister she hates shots done while someone is kneeling because she is paranoid that you'll see her double chin so I try to avoid that. shush

I found one tip to get rid of double chins in photos is to crane your neck out forwards a little and tilt your chin up a touch.
My wording's a bit weird but ajshfsdf it's.. kinda hard to explain without being able to show what I mean in person? >:

By deceptivemagick. 15/04/09, 03:19 pm

Trying out different angles can also take care of that and also make shots look more epic

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