As we all know, cosplay is fun, exciting, and even riveting. The thrill and excitement of finally wearing that cosplay you worked so hard on is addicting. I have experienced this feeling several times of course but as you know cosplay photography is more my thing. Today I want to discuss a very simple tool that can drastically change the outcome of your photos and possibly even spice up your photography game.
No, I am not talking about new presets, or photoshop techniques. Not even a new camera or lens. Of course, each of these items do create a bit of excitement but once again, its not the tools of the artisan, but how he uses them. Different lenses such as the 50mm lens or 85mm lens are of course going to produce different images but once again, I mean something much cheaper. What could it be you ask? Well, you will just have to keep reading to find out what this amazing technique is.
Ok ok, I think I have made you wait long enough! The simple method I’m talking about is, of course, CHANGING ANGLES! Now, this method sounds easy in theory but there’s a lot to know before you go for that upside down, or off-centered photo. The first aspect I would like to discuss when it comes to changing angles is perspective or composition. It’s so easy nowadays to take a picture and then make all of your adjustments in post. Instead of relying on photoshop or lightroom, why not try to cut your workload a bit by simply making sure items you want and do not want in the shot are well, there or not there.
CLIMB UP HIGH
For example, let’s look at this image. I took this image while on a shoot with the lovely @shaucatcosplay. If you look at this image you can see we created a sense of falling. She has her arms open and since I was above the cosplayer, it appears as though she is welcoming or inviting you. The same effect can, of course, be achieved by shooting the image head-on but by taking it from above, it fools your mind into believing you are coming at her. This is of course because we all understand that all items are affected by gravity and of course when others open their arms in such a manner they are inviting you in.
We achieved the same effect with this image but in my opinion, it’s a lot more subtle and nowhere near as exaggerated. Of course, the expression of the cosplayer also plays a role in the image but the angle at which the photo is taken can greatly change the overall images perception. The next aspect I would like to discuss with regards to changing angles is shooting from below.
Shoot From Below
Similarly to going high, we have going low. This may be the one time that it’s ok to not take the high road (ba-dum ching). Shooting a cosplayer from below, such as with this shoot featuring @The_resident_work_horse is a great way to achieve several effects. One of the most prominent being excluding other cosplayers from your shot. From this image, you would never know that there were tons of cosplayers walking around in the background. Instead of using photoshop to remove them, we simply went low. The second amazing feature of shooting low is creating a grandiose image. The cosplayer looks larger than life when you shoot low and zoom in.
This was a great technique for this shoot as the cosplay was of the Dark Souls Boss, Soul Cinder. By going low, it appears as though the cosplayer is looking down on you. As if to say, you’re not worth even glancing at as he peers into the beyond. Considering the fact that he’s the final boss of dark souls 3, you can only imagine how difficult this character must be to take down. Unfortunately I have never played the 3 iterations of this game but definitely got more than my share of ass whooping’s in the first.
Get Flat
Im not really sure what to call this method but its definitely one of my favorites. Basically it involves taking the cosplayer, in this case, @darkhyperion, and having them lie flat against a wall. Then you take your camera and lie it flat against the wall as well. This essentially causes the camera and wall to be on the same plane, sorta. Then, you focus on the prop or item closest to you causing the cosplayer to become distorted. This works really well when you lower the f-stop causing an amazing bokeh effect. The next time I take this image I will definitely use my 50mm prime lens instead of my kit-lens.
Lay Down
Last but not least we have lying down. I will admit that I have been slacking on using this method but every time I do, I love the way the pictures turn out. When you ask the cosplayer to sit down and then you come down to or below there level, its as though a whole new world unlocks. A lot of distractions are completely removed from the image and as an added bonus, if the grass is tall enough, you can capture some of it in your shot. Another amazing aspect of laying down that many do not consider is that it looks great for close-ups. People are very accustomed to seeing close-ups from the standing position. But, when you lay down, you are tweaking a timeless photography technique and making it just a bit more exciting and fascinating.
Crystal Ball
This is currently a method I am experimenting with but haven’t really mastered or perfected. Crystal Ball photography is very unique as you can see and requires a decent bit of practice. Especially when you involve elements such as external flash and other cosplayers. You don’t want to get all of this in your shot so composition is key. But as you can see it’s very unique and is a photograph people are unlikely to forget. I will definitely be testing this method more this year and cant wait to see how it develops.
I really love taking cosplay pictures and hope I can help you both improve and mix up your photography game a bit. Similar to any hobby, passion or craft, repetition of the same events can become boring. Maybe with a slightly new perspective, you can prevent or delay a bit of burnout. Thanks so much for reading my post. For more awesome cosplay related information, feel free to check out my BLOG! I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Until next time, stay BOUNDLESS!!!
