Although Goddess photos (see previous post) have a special place in my heart, a close second for my favorite type of session to shoot is cosplay. I am enamored with the extensiveness and limitless possibilities that people create through costumes. A close friend of mine got my spark going a few years ago. Since high school I had been a bit more involved in communities with interests in manga, Japanese, and fan art through a long time friend. A few years ago I was able to get more involved with the cosplay aspect of this interest and I love it!
My passion often lies in the creative spark of my clients. With cosplay, it's not "what are you going to be for Halloween" dress up. Cosplay ranges from the passion people have behind characters that others created who they fell in love with to creating their own character from scratch and bringing them to life. The ability to experience the embodiment of a fictional person through clothes, props, and makeup truly fascinates me!
My favorite part about cosplay is the commitment of those who do it. The artistry and crastmanship and resourcefulness that goes into making costumes always impresses me. A budget doesn't have to be generous for people to create elaborate or interesting costumes, which I something I admire creatively and respect financially. I've seen the effort behind making a vision come to life and it's enlightening creatively but also, just...fun!
Capturing characters brought to life by people is playful! Even the most serious character brightens a light in me when photographing because I know the passion and dedication spanning all skill levels that went into bringing it to life. Whether the costume is whimsical or badass or sexy or strong...so much heart is in it! Not only do I thoroughly enjoy the entire experience photographing these characters, but I appreciate that I'm trusted with something so special to people.
This was a tougher post to write because I just keep getting excited and saying to myself "it's just so much fun!" and lost any creativity to my language to describe the respect and excitement that I have for those who cosplay. I have been lucky enough to experience assisting in making some costumes and I know the time and effort involved first hand. I have heard background stories and adventures and learned about personalities and dreams of people that have been brought in to life that I can literally interact with to learn even more about.
What's even more fun is editing! Special effects and magic and fire are just some of what I've used to finish images and create a final product worthy of the characters I've photographed. One thing I would love to do is learn Photoshop better in order to enhance my images better in post to give these amazing characters that much more life. I'd love to hear how you think I could take my images to the next level with effects...but also not overdo it. I want to add the visual final touches but not take away from the characters themselves. I'd love more practice with this and the thought of more and new sessions is thrilling. Talk to me about special effects and where to start!
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