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[brucer007]

@ ash2kawaii

Possibly, your best choice could be a used, older model of DSLR like a Canon 40D, for example. I see prices from about $250-$300 for the body, then you have a some money to find a used zoom lens. It will not be the best and easiest equipment for some situations, but it is a good start, and you can build an improve your set of lenses over time.

Using bounce flash or flash on a light stand can be a helpful way to make moving poses clear. Otherwise you need to shoot in plenty of light to get a good shutter speed 1/250 or faster. Most point and shoot cameras stay in auto focus, so there will always be a delay when you hit the trigger, waiting for it to focus. DSLR cameras can have the auto focus turned off after you find the focus ahead of time, for instant shutter release action.

[ichigo_m.]

Do cosplay photographers prefer for the cosplayer to come to the shoot with ideas such as the theme to the shoot or do you prefer to come up with your own ideas? (:

[Rander]

It depends, of course If it is a character that I know well, I'll usually let the cosplayer run with their ideas and then I would add or propose changes to the idea to get the shot. Once they run out of ideas then I'll propose my own based on what I know of the anime/manga/game and character. If its an original creation or I have no idea about the anime/manga/gam , then I'll talk with the cosplayer for a few minutes to get the story behind their character, why they chose the character, what story do they want to tell, what emotions do they want to portray.

If you are setting this up in advance, let photog know what you want or at least give them some source material such as images you like, AMV or video clips of the anime/game. This has helped me in the past when I had never seen the anime that they want to shoot. I could get the general feel of the anime and even take some screenshots that I could use to help with poses. All in all, I think collaborations work well because the more input the better and have a clear idea of what you want and communicate that to the photographer.

[Surfsama]

Originally Posted by Rander

If you are setting this up in advance, let photog know what you want or at least give them some source material such as images you like, AMV or video clips of the anime/game. This has helped me in the past when I had never seen the anime that they want to shoot. I could get the general feel of the anime and even take some screenshots that I could use to help with poses. All in all, I think collaborations work well because the more input the better and have a clear idea of what you want and communicate that to the photographer.

^^^^^Yes. This is so helpful when character and/or plot photos are desired ^^^^^

I always ask the cosplayer if they have character poses they'd like to capture. If they don't I ask about the character's personality and just build from there. If none of the above apply I use model poses and work with the cosplayer to get nice shots.

[brucer007]

Originally Posted by VisualRemix

I'm going to be honest and sound like a jerk. But here's what you need to work on first. The basics.

-Use manual mode

After your first 10,000 shots in Manual mode, you will recognize the difference in skill.
You will thank me later.

Using manual settings on your camera certainly has it's place in helping photographers learn more about photography, but I would not limit anyone to only use manual mode. Getting the best quality sometimes results from choosing the right mode for each situation. Sometimes using all manual settings will make you miss shots because of taking longer to set the camera, or from getting shots that are too dark or too bright.

I often use Shutter Priority or Aperture Priority to get moments that happen too fast for me to use manual mode. Also, there are situations when lighting changes from moment to moment, so using some automatic exposure features can be helpful in getting better exposures. Decide which is more important in a situation; choosing a precise shutter speed, or a certain aperture. If your shots are not looking the right exposure, use Exposure Compensation, which lets you use some, or all automatic exposure, and still guide the exposure to be brighter or darker.

[firecloak]

Originally Posted by ichigo_m.

Do cosplay photographers prefer for the cosplayer to come to the shoot with ideas such as the theme to the shoot or do you prefer to come up with your own ideas? (:

I really do prefer that cosplayers come up with their own ideas, especially if it's an anime I don't know about. This usually doesn't happen though. It's mostly me implementing my ideas in my shoots. When it's an anime or game I don't know about, I just run off reference photos. I think my photos come out better when it's an anime I've seen though, because then I'll have a better idea of what type of photo I should capture.

I think the end result is best when both the cosplayer and photographers have an idea of what they want.

[Geisha]

Question! How do I find photographers in my area?

I live in NY, and the only time photographers post their info here [fees, portfolio, availability etc..] is when NYCC is going on, and even then, it's only a few that post.

So... how do I get into contact, or get to pick and choose who I'd like to work with? Is there a DA group, or a "database" with photogs info and links?

Thanks!

[nathancarter]

Originally Posted by Geisha

Question! How do I find photographers in my area?

I live in NY, and the only time photographers post their info here [fees, portfolio, availability etc..] is when NYCC is going on, and even then, it's only a few that post.

So... how do I get into contact, or get to pick and choose who I'd like to work with? Is there a DA group, or a "database" with photogs info and links?

Thanks!

A couple of suggestions:

Post a "looking for photographer" thread in the Photoshoot Scheduling forum here on coscom.

Look for photos taken at local conventions, on Facebook, Flickr, DA, or here on coscom. Find photographs that you like, and get in touch with the photographer to see if they will do a private shoot. You might even look for photos from local cons that are smaller than NYCC, so you'll be more likely to find local photographers instead of those who traveled from far away to the big con.

Search your area for photography clubs, and volunteer to model. Meetup.com is a great way to find photography clubs; from personal experience, the clubs will always be looking for models for their meet days. There are always plenty of photographers and not enough models. Go to a meetup or two, and if you find a photographer that you like, see if they'll do a session with your cosplay(s).

I've had a lot of luck with meetup.com. My usual photography group is always needing models, so at the past few shoots I've been modeling in my costumes or cosplays, instead of taking photographs.

[Access]

Yes nathancarter is right -- Go onto meetup and look for photography clubs, I know in my area for instance, there is a large photo club (70+ active members) and many would be glad to shoot people for free just for the experience. Meetup is great because you get real people who are used to meeting up in person for photos, I've never had a bad experience with a meetup group.

stay away from the 'usual' sites like mm, craigslist, etc. Some of the people I've worked with mention they've had pretty bad experiences with those sites.

[nathancarter]

One of the benefits of working with a large group meet is that you'll get shots from several (sometimes dozens of) different photographers. So, you'll get photos with a wide variety of shooting, lighting, and processing styles from just one event.

Of course, that can be one of the drawbacks as well. If it's not well-organized, a large group meet turns into a paparazzi-style mess, with all the photographers clamoring over each other for the same shot.

Fortunately, my usual group is quite well run. The organizer makes groups, putting one experienced photographer with two or three less-experienced photographers and one or two models. The small groups shoot together for about an hour, then everyone is free to mingle with different photographers and models.

[Ashurachan]

Originally Posted by ichigo_m.

Do cosplay photographers prefer for the cosplayer to come to the shoot with ideas such as the theme to the shoot or do you prefer to come up with your own ideas? (:

My best shoots are always when both the cosplayer and I have ideas, by exchanging them we come up with something new and end up with more varied shots.
When I have a planned location shoot, I try to chat a bit with the cosplayer beforehand, talking about the mood of the shoot, the story we want to tell, the accessories we should bring.
The shoot generally ends up quite lengthy as a result of all the ideas we got (3 hours is generally a minimum)

[KJH-Photography]

Another question for you all, any photographers selling prints of their cosplay photos, or allowing the cosplayer to sell them? If so, were contracts, or any stipulations made regarding sales?

[nathancarter]

I don't mind if the cosplayer sells prints; the funds generally go toward bigger and better costumes in the future, and they'll remember me for future shoots.

[FlashBlitzen]

Originally Posted by ichigo_m.

Do cosplay photographers prefer for the cosplayer to come to the shoot with ideas such as the theme to the shoot or do you prefer to come up with your own ideas? (:

I think it is awesome when cosplayers get involved at that level. Even better, if there is a discussion way ahead of the shoot, both the photographer and cosplayer can bounce ideas and usually have enough to keep everything fun for everyone. You can never have too many ideas for themes, poses.

[FlashBlitzen]

Originally Posted by KJH-Photography

Another question for you all, any photographers selling prints of their cosplay photos, or allowing the cosplayer to sell them? If so, were contracts, or any stipulations made regarding sales?

Great question!

I would definitely refer to a model release in that case and discuss with the cosplayer a possible agreement which may include further usage rights or selling of prints by cosplayer.
Photographers usually retain rights unless otherwise stated as in ugh... Works made for hire.

I don't really see a market for selling prints to anyone other than the player but I would definitely be willing to profit share if there was. I would like to see both parties benefit from beautiful art in the event it goes viral or big money comes sniffing around.

This should be clear to both parties BEFORE anything gets signed. Awesome you should bring that up. The main thing is to agree on it and be honest and fair about it.


In my case, I make my living with photography. I pay taxes from it. It pays my bills and puts food on the table. I have a vested interest in selling prints to cosplayers (or anyone I photograph for that matter). I don't like the idea of charging sitting fees or selling downloads. Worse yet is giving hi res downloads away for free only to sit in a folder on some forgotten hard drive. I really value what I do and would hope someone I work with would feel the same.

Low res shots for facebook are another story. Not a problem. These types of public shots in the middle of a giant conventions with crazy background clutter and photobombs everywhere are not what I would consider sale worthy. Unless you did some crazy photoshop composite stuff and got lucky.

Some cosplayers pour thousands into their craft. Some photographers do too.

Cosplayers really deserve photography that they would want on their wall as a poster or on a nightstand. So I would say yes. Selling prints is good... But they need to be very good...