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10 Ways to be a Better Cosplay Photographer

Posted on by Mezame

2014-10-25 10.10.38Above: The Art of Mezame crew with the folks from Kachang Puteh and Thailand cosplayer Yuegene Fay as Kaneki from Tokyo Ghoul after a photo shoot in 2014

I was thinking, why not a “10 Ways” series that is more familiar with my Mezfans? Many are cosplay photographers who have experienced difficulties with their own shoots and some have asked me how to be better cosplay photographers.

To be honest, there is no hard and fast way of becoming better cosplay photographers unless you keep on practising (other photogs might have different suggestions).

Here is a list of what I think are ways that could help you out as a cosplay photographer, especially if you’re a beginner! Feel free to share.

“10 Ways to be a Better Cosplay Photographer” by The Art of Mezame

  1. Be polite, and don’t be a creep
  2. Know your cosplayer well (get to know them better to ensure a better photoshoot, be polite with your requests, refer to tip number 1 too)
  3. Know your source material well (or at least some – you’d be amazed at how easier it is to storyboard a photoshoot if you know the source material better)
  4. Know your gear well (it’s never a good idea to fumble with your gear in front of the people you are about to photoshoot, makes people nervous)
  5. Know your skills well (as well as your limits) – basics such as knowing your camera settings and how to compose properly exposed images are important
  6. Know your location(s) well (even for indoor environments such as studios)
  7. In event halls, keep your gear close or risk losing them to theft; keep track of your gear too
  8. In event halls, don’t create/leave a mess – it’s just being polite, especially so if it’s a public place
  9. Safety first – keep your cosplay talents, your crew, assistants, yourself safe
  10. Don’t take too long with your edits; creating works of art may take a lot of time, and if you do, at least inform the people you are working with of how long you need before the release of images (i.e. keep them updated, it’s just being polite!)