2020 Is nearly upon us and that means its time to start gearing up for those 2020 shoots. There are a wide variety of styles, locations, and cameras to fit each photographer’s needs. Whether you go MIRRORLESS CAMERA or DSLR makes no difference since its only half of the journey. You, of course, have to learn to use these cameras but an aspect that you may not have been considering is COSPLAY PROPS. Props can add that missing element to your shoot. Whether it be something as simple as FOG or FLOWERS, you can definitely enhance your pictures by adding in these outside elements. So with this idea in mind, let’s check out some awesome cosplay props.
Flowers
Let’s start with something very simple. Flowers have been around for a very long time and have been used in photography for even longer. Whether you choose real or artificial flowers, their bright colors are sure to draw out not only the cosplayer’s attire but also the cosplayer’s expression. People can’t help but feel joy and smile when they see flowers. If you’re using the pedals of the flower, you can toss them in the air, directly at the camera or even scatter them on the ground around the cosplayer for the shoot. I have found that flowers work best for of course glamour shots. They enhance the overall atmosphere of the shoot and should definitely be considered for your next shoot.
Sparklers
This is likely my favorite item on the entire list, I love sparklers. They are a lot of fun to work with and relatively inexpensive. This means that you can not only take multiple pictures but get extremely creative with them and since they’re so cheap, it doesn’t matter if you mess up. Cosplay photography is all about trial and error. Sometimes you have a great idea In mind only to find out that it doesn’t exactly work when you attempt to shoot it. If your feeling really ambitious, you can attempt some light painting with the sparklers. Light painting involves setting your shutter speed for seconds such as 1,5, 10 and so on. You then write whatever you want with the SPARKLERS. It takes a while to perfect but can look amazing once mastered.
Fog
I dare say that this is the most popular accessory that photographers add to shoots. FOG allows you to do so many things within a shoot. Most are only thinking of blasting the FOG and then snapping the picture. Oh no my friend, there’s so much more that can be done with this accessory. For starters, you can take amazing backlight silhouette photos. As you can see from the image above, the light which is usually a MONOLIGHT has been placed behind the cosplayer. This blocks the light from entering the camera and essentially outlines the cosplayer. Mix this in with the FOG and you have one dramatic shot. There are so many other possibilities with fog such as LASERS and even coloring the smoke. Start experimenting now so you will be ready for 2020.
Color Powder
Ok, so you really have to be careful with this item as you do not want to mess up those amazing cosplays you spent so much time working on. COLOR POWDERS are commonly used in those 5k races or gender reveal parties. If you set your camera at a very high shutter speed than you can capture some amazing photos as you throw this powder. Some examples of when you could use this powder are to replicate Elsas or Subzeroes ice powers. I do not see many images being produced with this prop so it would definitely be a great accessory to start using to make your images stand out from the crowd.
Bubbles
Remember how much pleasure BUBBLES would bring. Such simple creations bring pleasure to children all around the world. Bubbles transcend race, economic status, and religion. Now that we’re older, let’s revisit these wonderful works of soapy creation. BUBBLES can be used in many ways to enhance a shoot. Such as demonstrating an attack with Pokémon or Sailor Mercury. They can also be used to add innocence to a photo or exaggerate playfulness. This is also a very easy prop to use as you can simply set the bubble machine or have a friend blow bubbles into the shots. Bubbles are also extremely easy to clean up following a shoot and do not take much time to prepare. This makes them ideal for both studios and on the run shoots.
Feathers
Aside from the fact that people use feathers with large cosplay wing creations, FEATHERS like flowers, can be used as amazing cosplay shoot props. Assistants can sprinkle the cosplayers with FEATHERS, place them on the ground or even drop them as the cosplayer jumps to create a flight trail effect. FEATHERS also come in a variety of colors meaning you’re sure to find some that fit any occasion. Whether you prefer white, blue, pink or red, you sure to be able to find them for that next awesome shoot. Side note, using actual feathers takes a lot of work away from photoshop. Instead of creating FEATHERS or using a feather brush, you can copy the feathers you already used or simply use so many that you do not need more!
Water Gun
Cosplay props can become rather expensive. Everything from swords and shields to staffs and guns. Although not exactly cosplay accurate for every costume, there are many cosplays that have a pool or summer version. For these shoots why not double the WATER GUN as both a cosplay accessory and shoot prop. Again, with a high enough shutter speed, you can freeze the shot-making a very unique water trail that either ends or originates at the cosplayer. I would personally opt for being sprayed with a water gun as the splatter effect would look really awesome. This is definitely a shoot I plan to make happen in 2020.
A bit of advice for anyone looking to incorporate these techniques into their shoots, I would highly recommend purchasing a few photography necessities. For starters, you are likely going to need an off-camera flash to make most of the shots happen. You can use anything ranging from a MONOLIGHT to budget YONGNUO SPEED LIGHT. You, of course, will also need either a MIRRORLESS CAMERA or DSLR. Finally, you are going to need LIGHT STANDS and SOFT BOXES. These come in various sizes but in general the larger the SOFTBOX the larger the spread of light. Meaning less post work. Most of the items can be bought used for a discount so feel free to get your feet wet before diving directly into the deep end of the photography pool.
Of course, there are a few other items which would be helpful but this should get you started. With regards to cosplay props, I hope this post helped spark a wave of creativity. Props can add so much to shoots and completely change the outcome of the final image. Just try one or two for experimentation purposes and if you do not like it, Amazon has a great return policy! Thanks so much for checking out my post and for more awesome cosplay related news feel free to click HERE! Until next time, MERRY CHRISTMAS and stay BOUNDLESS!!!
PS: The Featured image is Cosplay By Rei-Doll Photo By Kifir
