I was recently looking through some old cosplay pictures on my computer when I got reminded of this.
>Had been out of cosplaying for almost 3 years
>Decide to make super-eleborate costume as a comeback, worked on it for almost a year
>Pretty damn proud
>Contact photographers from back then, almost everybody quit or asks big amounts of money now
>Character is ultra-niche so nobody is going to ask for pictures if I just go to the con.
>Decide to throw some shout-outs online for the con where I'm planning to debut.
>Time passes, no replies.
1 week before the con
>Finally a photographer replies
>Young, new guy. Quality of his photo's is not the highest, but not bad.
>"Yeah, sure we can shoot. I only want you to buy the entrance ticket to the con for me,"
>Nope, I'm not buying a random stranger a convention ticket and hope he makes good pictures.
2 days before the con
>Another photographer replies, thank God.
>"I'm new and not that good, but let me know if you want to shoot!"
>Check portfolio
>Pretty damn good.
>He's also excited.
>YES
>>8814023 continue
At the con
>Meet photographer. First impression was very bad: small, unhygenic guy with a very pervy face,
>As long as he doesn't touch me or tries anything weird it's okay I guess.
>During shooting he keeps on reminding me how he's new. So I give him tips about directing me and telling me if any part of my costume starts failing to notice me asap (I had a few "weak spots", such as the wig styling that would obstruct my face and some small ribbons that would move in the wrong direction).
>He seems to understand. Points me at places to look, tells me how to improve poses, he lets me know if any makeup is wrong etc.
>Except for a few almost-touches his creep-level seems lower than expected.
>Seems like the guy has a few same interests as me, so we also have a nice chat here and there.
>Leave the con and shoot satisfied.
Get pictures 3 day after the con
>WORST.
>PICTURES.
>I.
>EVER.
>GOT
>Real hair showing, coming from underneath the wig in every picture.
>Unflattering poses that make me look constipated
>Half-closed eyes
>Bad lighting
>People or distractions in background
>Close-ups so close you can see every small mistake in my make-up.
>This list can go on for ages.
>>8814025 continue
>Photographer asks for feedback in the same message with the horrible pictures attached.
>Take hours to give him feedback that is honest, but doesn't bash him.
>He replies with "Oh...okay, I was hoping you would like them, but you don't?"
>Feel guilty and don't want to crush this newbie guys' heart, so I come up with a plan (if I could reverse time I wouldn't have said this)
>Choose least bad looking picture.
>I ask him if it's okay if I make some small edits on this one, then send it back to him and if he's okay with it we can both put it on our pages/portfolio. Only edits would be editing out my visible real hair and fixing some lighting.
>Photographer undergoes completely personality switch in next message.
>IT'S MY ART YOU CAN'T ALTER IT
>I OWN THE PICTURES
>WHY ARE ALL COSPLAYERS LIKE THIS
>and I shit you not, he quotes this article in the lawbook about how I would commit a crime if I change any of his works.
>I try to calmly let him know I didn't mean anything with it, I just wanted a picture that would make both of us as happy as possible, but if he doesn't want it. I don't edit.
>He replies back that if I do any editing and he finds out, he will sue me.
>What the fuck.
Interesting to add is that after this shoot, he never went to any convention with cosplayers again and he started removing all pictures with cosplayers from his portfolio.
I'm most annoyed that my heavily announced costume debut ended up not getting any pictures I could share online. I would make up fake excuses whenever someone asked me about it and on a convention a month later I managed to find a good photographer for this costume, so I could completely act like this never happened.
Why did you want to shoot at the convention wouldn't it be better to shoot outside at a better location that represents the character you are cosplaying. Con photos arent always the best. I mean I've had one or 2 bad shoots before but didn't give up.
>>8814047
It was my debut for this costume, so I wanted a few nice pictures to post online quickly after the convention.
I luckily got the chance to do an on-location shoot with this costume half a year after my debut!
>>8814025
>Real hair showing, coming from underneath the wig in every picture
I feel this. I have a military dress jacket that the collar likes to flop over. All i takes for me to dix it is brushing my thumb on it get it back into place. It takes half a second. I adjust it a lot but some times i dont notice. I have so many bad pictures of that cosplay because the photographer didnt check their veiw finder and or didnt show me a preview. It takes half a second to fix and it is really noticeable when it's out of place. If my collar looks like dog with one popped up ear, tell me. Let me fix it. Dont just take photos when something is clearly off. Youre the one looking down the veiw finder. Yse you people words and tell me if you something. It's my biggest pet peeve with photogs.
Not as bad as OP's story, but similar.
>Make elaborate costume to wear at gathering
>Want photoshoot to show it off
>Get a good photographer
>A few weeks before con>"Sorry Anon-chan, I have to drop out of this con for personal reasons"
>No hard feelings, hope your personal shit goes well
>Ask everywhere for another photographer
>Can't find one
>Some girl messages me
>"Anon-chan, I'm getting into cosplay photography, so if you still don't have a photographer, you can shoot with me!"
>No examples of her work
>Whatever it's better than no shoot
>Get to con
>Photog-chan is 30 minutes late to shoot
>Does shoot without giving much direction
>Costume large and unwieldy, I can't adjust trailing parts myself and have to constantly direct Photog-chan
>Get photos back after con
>Terrible
>I look bad in all of them
>Editing is the worst, everything is blown-out, looks like she took the brightness and vibrance sliders and put them all the way up
>Big patches of color that have been reduced to a single patchy shade of yellow kind of bad
>"Uhh...Photog-chan, is it okay if I do some editing on these, to fix a few things that went wrong with my costume?"
>"Sure, Anon-chan!"
>Tries to fix the two best
>Photos are beyond hope
If she ever asks me about it, I'll just say that I forgot about the photos and try to fix one up the best I can and post it. I don't know if she even knows there's anything wrong with the photos since she didn't ask for critique or ask if everything was okay with them.
I remember hearing there was a photographer a cosplayer said tried to touch her inappropriately during a shoot and trying to finger her, but the photographer didn't know about the rumor/lies until she started posting shit on her myspace wall, but eventually the cosplayer's story fell apart and people figured out the truth as she was the type who liked being center of attention and the cosplayer was always bugging the photographer at cons when she saw him for photos. The photographer stayed quiet during it all, ignoring the bs stories during the time
>>8814591
How the Hell? I can only imagine the type of torment and lies that photographer went through until the truth came out!
>>8814023
>>8814025
>>8814028
>announcing new costume and expecting photographers to flock to your post
Prima donna much? Unless you're ~*~cosplay famous desu~*~ no talented photographers are going to just pop up and ask to shoot with you. You should have been proactive and asked photographers you like to schedule shoots. Don't assume you're so great that people are going to go out of their way for you.
>>8814434
Have you communicated that to the photographers before that they should check for that? Things you see as obvious major flaws may not actually be seen as flaws. If you don't point it out it can be glossed over easily.
OP here
>>8814434
Reminds me of my most recent shoot, where we found out after 5 different poses at 2 places that my convention badge was visible. I find out, tell the photog. He says "Oh, should have paid attention to that, oh well."
>>8814477
Does she plan on keeping photographing? If yes, you could kindly try to give some feedback?
>>8814635
Did you read the parts about me asking photographers and they all said no? Or did you read the part about me posting multiple shout-outs for a photographer? Guess not.
>>8814653
some cosplayers like having badges shown, it's a mark of that they were at the con, others don't. best to tell the photographer if you don't want it in, or better yet take it off yourself before you start shooting.
>>8814653
Kind of curious to see how you look if no one was interested at all. Not gonna lie, cosplay photography is a very shallow thing, especially if you're doing it for free.
>>8814653
I don't know if she does. I don't follow her on social media (she follows me, or did at the time I haven't checked if she still does). I looked through her FB account before agreeing and she's primarily a cosplayer from what I could tell. I've had bad luck with girls who are primarily cosplayers who shoot on the side in general but nothing this bad.
This was a year and a half ago, so it's too late to bring it up now. I'd be happy to give critique if asked but I wasn't able to find a way at the time that would break it gently. I was under the impression that she wasn't the type to take critique well and it wouldn't be worth causing drama over a free shoot that she volunteered to do. She hasn't contacted me since so I hope she forgot about the whole thing and has stopped shooting. I just remembered myself because of this thread.
>Haven't had a chance to wear the costume since
>Still need a real shoot
It went over well at the gathering at least.
>>8814659
I would say that most cosplayers don't like having badges shown. At least most of the ones I've met, especially at a formal shoot. Hall shots are different. It should still be on the photographer to notice something like that and ask about it, knowing that most cosplayers prefer to hide badges.
>>8814635
I would rather people approach me when I post a lineup saying "I love ____ series pls lets collaborate" rather than desperately begging 'famous' photographers to shoot shit they aren't interested in. I don't see that as an ego problem wtf?
Why the fuck don't you guys look at the photo right after they took the shot? I get super self concious about my facial expression so I look at the photo right away so I can fix it
>Get pictures taken
>Arms look flabby
>Not an ounce of fat on my body
i don't know fucking how. I'm maximum skeleton 8 days of the week.
Whatever, i'm grateful to the photographer for even taking the pictures in the firstplace. Would totally let that misty drill me.
>>8814864
A real photographer won't allow this because it crushes their the models self esteem kek.
>>8814877
Nah, not her. Facebook wasn't even a thing when this happened. Facebook was still just for students when this happened. Myspace was the rage
>>8814876
No. Rules.
>>8814896
No one cares about shit photographers anon they're scamming you bitches ask /p/.
>>8814864
I would never allow a model to do this because I take so many photos. I'll generally take several first, then ask them to look. I don't get people to check often at all unless they ask, but if a model asked me after every photo? kek, gtfo.
I don't charge for photos though.
>>8814434
>Youre the one looking down the veiw finder. Yse you people words and tell me if you something. It's my biggest pet peeve with photogs.
I see this a lot on photog threads and like.... first, like >>8814641 said, these things aren't always communicated with us, so we don't even know to look in the first place. Second, when I'm looking through the viewfinder, I'm not looking at the minute details of your costume. I'm looking at the composition, your pose and posture, and the lighting. It's very hard for me to spot things like this from behind the camera, even when they've been brought to my attention at the beginning. I do my best, but it is ultimately on you, the cosplayer, to check (or ask us to check before/after a shot) if something is properly aligned or whatever.
This also sort of goes for personal issues you may have with your face or parts of your body. LET YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER KNOW so they can adjust, and then if they don't show you pictures to confirm, ask to see them. Photographers should want you to look your best! Most are happy to work with you so we all come away from a shoot happy.
>>8815119
>I see this a lot on photog threads and like.... first, like >>8814641 said, these things aren't always communicated with us, so we don't even know to look in the first place. Second, when I'm looking through the viewfinder, I'm not looking at the minute details of your costume. I'm looking at the composition, your pose and posture, and the lighting.
As a photographer, this is true, but no excuse. End of the day, the end result picture is solely the photographer's responsibility. I've found photos that were otherwise gorgeous, but the cosplayer's wig was twisted, and her real hair was showing underneath. I had to scrap the whole shoot. Luckily it was a free shoot.
You have to pay attention to details. This is just how it is.
>>8815301
If you want to play the blame game shouldn't a cosplayer have a little mirror to check things too? Blame the photographer for not knowing your costume wasn't as you intended, blame yourself for not having a mirror on hand, heck, blame one of your friends for not being there to wrangle your hair or your costume.
>>8815319
Absolutely. It's not all the photographer's fault. I've had cosplayers show up to shoot with me looking terrible, but as the photographer, I should have just not taken their picture.
Cosplayers, don't look shitty, and photographers, if they look shitty, don't work with them.
>>8814883
That's not fat, bruh. That's your skin hanging loose because you don't have any muscle definition.
>make a ballgown
>only get waist up shots
Fuck that noise.
>>8815319
As a photographer would you seriously want a cosplayer to pause and hold up a mirror between every pose? My costume could look great at the start of the shoot, but fabric flipping, wig shifting, etc, can happen as you move around or just from certain poses. Most good photographers I've worked with (who are usually also good with pose direction) will notice and fix things like this because they don't want a fugly, eye-catching detail messing up their photo. It's on par with "not noticing behind the lens" that your model's body looks a hot mess from the angle you chose. I wouldn't expect a photographer to catch little things like fabric wrinkling weirdly, but if a huge chunk of hoopskirt is showing or my collar is falling down? I'm going to be angry if half my photos have a huge problem like that.
>>8814023
He said he was new. He said he was not that good. I'm assuming he didn't charge you. What exactly were you expecting? You didn't want to crush him but you did. He's erased all trace of this experience and now you're dredging it up to bash him again. Nice.
>>8815368
To answer your question, as long as fixing their outfit doesn't take more than 10-20 seconds what's that gonna do?
That's their time spent.
I like it when cosplayers show up with pre-planned poses. Too many fandoms for me to try to learn them all, especially if a cosplayers tells me they are doing one outfit, but then change it up without letting me know. I can try to research some poses for your cosplays if you tell me in advance, but don't switch that shit up and not tell me
>>8815368
you're not going rapid fire 10 frames a second doing a shoot so downtime is natural. you're also probably not going to be doing crazy movements that cause your shit to go all nilly willy (and if you were it was an action shot so being out of place would happen anyway).
OP again
>>8814659
Never heard of that before, but will keep it in mind!
>>8814763
I'm skinny and have an above average looking face. I think the problem was that it was an unknown character and I was out of the cosplay community for so long, so I had a hard time finding people to work with.
>>8814764
I hope you find someone good to shoot with!
>>8815419
His portfolio looked good. He was asking for feedback. I tried to be as polite as possible. Never expected him to flip his shit.
I can say this with certainty that no cosplayer, during a shoot, wants their real hair showing under a wig. No cosplayer ever wants this. Please tell us. I try and put reference photos/pose ideas on my phone so I can show the photographer and say "if at any point anything looks not like this, please tell me".
>>8815656
>unknown character
yeah that'll definitely do it. niche characters (even characters from a few seasons ago are now niche) are always going to be less popular than flavor of the month new stuff.
if you don't mind, what character was it?
>>8815319
Having shot with professionals for non-cosplay stuff, if I pay for a shoot, I sure as hell at least expect the photographer to make sure my wig is looking good or my costume is draped nicely. I always show reference pictures before and explain both the characters personality and setting but I cannot see if one of the many bows at the back of my costume has done something odd due to someone brushing against it on my way to location and cannot help the wind messing up the back of my wig. Modelling, the photographer will come up to you and brush your hair out of your face, adjust the way your dress falls or ask someone to fix up your straps or more major hair/make up/outfit issues. Cosplay they act like you need to have a 360 view of yourself at all times and be able to fix it up yourself even if you're paying $100 for a shoot. There is a damn good reason cosplay photographers rarely ever make it beyond a hobby.
>>8815705
This is so true. This is why I only shoot with friends and no longer pay for shoots. I've done paid shoots and received stuff back that there are things like wig sliding up, outfit being drapped like shit and then I had to pay for it. Best thing with friends is they say "Hey anon let me fix your hair, or this looks like shit let's do something else" aka they're honest if I look bad too. I know this isn't an option for everyone, I'm kind of lucky my friends do some photography but really they're amateurs and we both just learn together.
I wish I knew some good photographers that would give me awesome photos like I want, I would pay them too but it almost feels too risky. Especially when they want to post ugly photos of me around, I hate that.
Who are the worst cosfamous photographers? Creepy reputations and everything else not photography related aside, who takes the worst pictures? I need this for science.
>>8818397
Plenty of archived threads . Just check the vendettas ones
>>8814023
>>8814025
>>8814028
Let me translate all this bullshit for you guys:
>I made some bullshit cosplay of some obscure character because hurr durr too mainstream
>Expected photographers to fight to the death for the chance to shoot me
>Shocked, SHOCKED that none do
>I do absolutely zero research, approach no photographers ever and am completely passive in my selection process, even though they advertise incessantly
>Choose an absolute newb faggot who was cheap as fuck
>Am shocked, SHOCKED when this newb faggot gives me newb faggot pictures
>Am further shocked, SHOCKED when newb faggot decides to enforce his copyright over the images he owns
I bet next time you'll just go to the related group for your convention and hire a good photographer and pay his rate if you want good pictures.
>even further tl'dr:
Was cheap, so I hired a cheap photog and got cheap pictures
No sympathy for you.
>>8814477
ITT: Cheap cosplayers who are mad they can't get Annie Liebovitz photos for $15 an hour.
Here's how to get good photos:
STOP hiring people that are so new that they ACTUALLY tell clients "I'm new, so don't expect anything"
STOP hiring photographers that have shitty portfolios. If they've been shooting shit, they will shoot shit of you too.
START hiring the photographers who actually know what the fuck they're doing. There are plenty of us. If they're taking pictures and your wig is halfway twisted around your head, and they aren't paying enough attention to notice, THEY DON'T DESERVE YOUR MONEY.
>>8815705
>>8817446
The reason cosplay photographers don't come and adjust your costume or brush your hair out of your face is because the second we try to, we have a thread on 4chan labeling us creeps and perverts. So fuck your cosplay, fix it yourself.
I would much rather take a fucked up shot than have some fat 15 year old girl say I tried to molest her.
I still take bookings, but I learned from my own experiences with cosplayers who are trying to get fame by crying (figuratively, sometimes literally) on Facebook for likes. I'm very hands off now, and it shouldn't be like that.
Go to target. $299 for a canon rebel t3i
Old body but good bang 4 buck.
Buy a sigma lens 50mm f1.4
Don't worry about high end lenses you're not good enough to use the sigma to full potential.
Set it to "creative auto" turn flash off.
In fact break it off.
Stand in front of something green or interesting.
Have a friend take a picture of your face off center in one third of the picture.
The background should have a bokeh effect.
Take two big fucking steps back
Do the same thing but with your entire body.
Done. I saved you $80
Since you women are super cheap return the camera to target and ship the lens back claiming all the images came out too soft for your liking
Fucked up and posted in the photographer thread. I'll try again.
This one is still unfolding, but here goes.
>have a large online friends circle
> known each other for almost 10 years
> start meeting up at cons, everything is great
> One guy has a camera, offers to take pics of the girls' group cosplays
>do a few shoots, group and individual
>guy hands over photos
>~70% are of me or have me featured prominently
>we all ask him why
>he says I'm the most photogenic, so it just happened
>he proceeds to put his foot in his mouth about beauty and aesthetics despite being not conventionally attractive himself
>explain we wanted the photos for posterity, not notoriety
>guy continues to say things implying that my friends are ugly
I am buying my own camera so we don't have to deal with this again. I'm so embarrassed
>>8819714
Sorry that you're pretty?
>>8819728
I'm on the same level as my friends, I just have more experience with wigs and makeup. Forgot to mention that. Sorry.
>at mid-size lolita meetup (about 15 people)
>girl who always takes amazing coord photos offers to shoot
>the location is gorgeous and the lighting is nice
>feel like the photos are gonna be the best coord photos I'll get yet
>get photos back
>one sock looks way lower than the other
>wearing shoes in pic related (not me) and the bows on one shoe aren't aligned
>shadow from hat obscures my eyes and everything above (could be fixed by asking me to tilt my hat)
>colors are so green that multiple color balance fixes still make my white blouse look green tinted
>whythis.jpg
>>8814477
The costume wasn't Rydia from FF4, was it?
>>8819714
I lold.
Even though it may be true, people shouldn't say things like this out loud. Fucking autist.
>>8819740
You're modest too. Fuck you for being adorable, anon.
But really, joking aside that guy went wrong when he started implying your friends are ugly. I don't blame him for going for the person who he felt was more pleasing to the eye (I guess?) and all but he could have handled the situation much better.
You can't really blame him for having an opinion like that but I can see why you would feel uncomfortable in the situation. The only part I would have to say sounded a little... eh was when you said...
>despite being not conventionally attractive himself
But that's just me.
>>8820376
I added that bit in because he was making excuses about how xyz features are beautiful and it sounded hypocritical of him to diss my friends when he doesn't have the qualities that he mentioned.
>>8820396
Fuck all that. Post your face.
>>8819399
This. You bitches aren't even real models. You're wasting your time thinking photogs give a shit about your opinions. This is a service, not a charity. If you're too chicken shit to name and shame then don't fucking complain.
>>8815705
there's a difference between actual modelling shoots and cosplay shoots. in a modelling shoot, the photographer is going to have a specific vision and they're going to make adjustments to fit their vision. with cosplay shoots they're quite often shooting a character they're not as familiar with as you are so you might see a bow that looks a little off, but they might just think that's how the character is supposed to look.
and as others have stated, there is a certain fear of adjusting cosplayers during shoots. make a wrong move or say the wrong thing and a witch hunt will be started on tumblr.
a lot of this shit can be solved by just communicating with each other before the shoot starts. clearly point out how your costume should look, let the photographer know if you're okay with them helping you adjust things or if you want them to only give verbal direction, and tell them what you generally envision for the shoot. if you're insecure about a certain part of your body, let them know. it's easier to avoid shooting from a certain angle, than it is to try fixing everything later in photoshop.
>>8819740
He was flirting with you
>>8820415
>>8819399
What's with these tears? You're just making it worse for your image.
I never said anyone is creepy at all. I know some cosplayers have a bad rep with crying out "creeper" online but I'm an adult. I would not do something so petty. If someone makes me uncomfortable I would talk to them about it, and I see no reason to go online with that drama. I've never had that kind of experience with a photographer though. I just said I wish they'd help out with my outfit? If I'm paying them for good pictures that is important to me.
Really all your butt hurt generalizing just gave me more reasons to stay away from paid photographers.
>>8820441
>there's a difference between actual modelling shoots and cosplay shoots.
Motherfucker no. The photographer you're paying your money to should know your fandom, and have shots in mind, or be skilled enough to think on his / her feet.
>make a wrong move or say the wrong thing and a witch hunt will be started on tumblr.
This is why I don't shoot tumblrinas. hopefully the site won't even exist in a few months.
They whine about how cosplay is not consent, but you never hear the male cosplayers whining about this shit, and I'm sure there's PLENTY of gay photographers.
Female cosplayers are simply too sensitive and ready to jump to conclusions. Not everybody is trying to fuck you. Get over yourself. And even if they were, some of you could use a good fuck in your lives to loosen you up.
>>8820468
>Really all your butt hurt generalizing just gave me more reasons to stay away from paid photographers.
I'm very sure we'll be fine without you, thx.
>>8814653
The only people I shoot for free are close friends. A shout out is worthless. Why? WHY?! Why the fuck would I want to spend my time working on photos for you for free? Are you 12?
>>8815301
Bullshit. Do better at your cosplay or hire a professional.
>>8815368
Do you want quality or quantity? As a photographer, I would be perfectly okay with taking the time to get the smaller amount of excellent photos rather than all the in-betweens.
Nobody wants to see your 125 images that looks exactly the same. Cosplayers should recognize that and aim for a few solid images instead of hundreds of pieces of shit.
>>8820468
>I would not do something so petty. If someone makes me uncomfortable I would talk to them about it
you're forgetting that not everyone is you. while you might not do it, others will, and it's hard to tell what kind of person you're dealing with
>>8820396
Ahhh I get it now. When you put it that way yeah it sounds a little rude of him to criticize.
>>8820474
Motherfucker, yes. I do paid shoots ALL THE TIME of cosplay I'm unfamiliar with. I don't tell the coplayer "no, I'm not interested in shooting you." I always ask details as we shoot if I don't get the name and details of the cosplay before the shoot.
Do you know how many fucking fandoms there are, bruh? And just like OP said, her cosplay was niche and probably wouldn't even be recognized.
I agree with skilled enough to think on your feet, but that's just the role of a good photographer anyways.
>>8820474
>The photographer you're paying your money to should know your fandom
That's kind of flawed thinking.
While I agree the photographer should have an idea of what they're doing this is like going up to an artist in an artist alley and asking them to commission work for an anime they don't watch.
It isn't always the photographer's responsibility. If someone were to pay me to take photos of them I should do some research but realistically will work with basic knowledge.
I am aware that I don't have the time to watch all the anime or play video games and because of that I ask people what their characters are like to get a good idea on what to shoot. Pretty sure other photographers do too.
>>8820601
>Very pervy face
HOW DID I FORGET TO ADDRESS THAT?
Seriously, the OP has no credibility after that.
>>8815344
I'm not a cosplayer, I'm a photographer. And I totally say that all finished images I make public are my responsibility. If shit is fucked up, I shouldn't take the picture of the fucked up shit.
>>8819399
I've had photographers stop and tell me I had something out of place and if they can move it. It's about asking. Don't just go willy nilly and touch someone you don't know? If you ask and they say no, you just tell them where it's fucked up and they can fix it themselves.
If you had someone crying wolf it's because you either made them uncomfortable or went to go reach at them without asking.
Also probably stop taking pics of 15 year olds?
>>8820616
1000 percent this.
In fact, if a photographer posts 40 images and they are all same-looking and boring, its a big red flag that you should be working with someone else.
>>8820633
>>8820636
We're pretty much in agreement then. If you're being booked ahead of time, it's simple to google some pictures or watch a few episodes of the anime to see how the character is. If you don't care enough to at least watch 2 episodes, why take their money?
>>8820643
I touch and adjust cosplayers, but I always ask first. It's not like I walk up and lift their boobs up or anything.
Communication is the key.
Advice? I've got a photographer pestering me on my fb page probably 3 times a week (pm and comments) talking to me about my life,wanting to do shoots etc. I've met them at a con before and in all honesty, they just make me feel so uncomfortable. I've been making up excuses since October as to why I cant do a shoot. What's the nicest way to tell them to fuck off?
>>8820647
Awesome. a sensible being!
When I open bookings up and people send me the required info, I often include:
>Character
>Series
>Character Details
>Additional Requests and Information
That way they can say "It's _______ from ________ and I would really like this specific victory pose, like in this image!"
Do good if you are taking someones money. It's okay to do not good if you are not being paid.
Want to get paid? You have to be willing to be bad to be good.
>>8820658
Tell them that you are very busy and will get back to them when you feel it would be a good time for a shoot . This way the ball is in your court and you can keep the ball if you choose to.
>>8820647
>>8820659
To be honest I often don't get the time to watch the anime but I do YouTube the character and I do a quick bio reading on a wiki (when available). Most, if not all the time, I ask about what the character is like and ask them what they'd most likely do in [scenario].
It also helps get the ball rolling, since I am just encouraging the cosplayer to just be the character and I'll roll with however they act.
I'll be damned if the cosplayer wouldn't know the character they're cosplaying but think they can judge my portrayal of them if they don't help lol
>>8820658
You should just be honest and tell them you're not interested.
I had a cosplayer tell me she was afraid of me because I made a joke post on social media about charging couples 10 times more than single cosplayers during Valentine's Day.
I said cool, and refunded her money. Nothing of value was lost. I was upset, but it probably would have saved me from having an incident with a tumblrina in person. And no one wants that.
>>8820659
Pretty much this. As a cosplayer, when I book shoots, I tell the photographer this type of basic information. Literally all I expect them to know is the type of shoot I'm looking for (is it an action shoot, a glamour shoot, etc.) and some very basic information about the character. I tend to do more video games than anime so I don't expect them to watch anything. JRPGs rarely have anything to really watch anyway. Even if I did anime I wouldn't expect them to watch anything unless there was a very specific type of pose or inside joke or something like that I wanted them to get, and even then I'd probably just send a clip of that one thing and briefly explain any relevant backstory.
The most I tend to expect, unless they are already a fan of the series, is information like "this character is an evil sorceress who wants to destroy the world. I want to look intimidating, but in a glamorous way, and I want to get at least one shot that shows off the large trailing bow in the back of the dress" or "this character is flirtatious and cute, and she dances a lot, and here are some images of her signature poses as a starting point." They don't need to know my character's entire tragic backstory or anything.
It's a bonus if they already know the character, but most characters fall into archetypes and they don't really need to know anything more than that to get good photos or help come up with poses. It's pretty unrealistic to expect more than that, especially if I'm approaching them as a customer.
>>8820704
Holy shit, a cosplayer who's on top of her shit.
I hope you're going to Katsu and that you book me. :D
>>8820699
wat?
>>8820712
True story.
So many cosplayers act so timid and frightened of everything, it's like they're kids. It's sad.
>>8820704
A+ anon you are best
>>8814028
Im gonna be honest with you op. People who may look "pervy" are not always. Do not assume. Secondly did you look at his photos and notice how bad they were? Probably not.always book someone who you know has good work. Notbthe first random person who responds. You should always be proactive and mssage photogs yourself because nobody goodbwill message you unless they have heard of you. Lastly it isnt the photogs issue if your wig is showing or you have ugly poses. A good photog will direct you if they can if not its up to you. Ask the photog if you need to adjust.
I shot with new photogs this year in a costume i also worked hard on. The ones i shot with told me when my wig was askew,when i had camel toe,and when my tits were falling out. They were amazing and i was approached by them at the con without booking. Good photogs are good for a reason.
>>8820829
To be 100 percent honest, cosplayers bitch 24 hours a day about cosplay not being consent, and that cosplayers not being treated any certain type of way because of how they look. For a coplayer to say a guy "looks pervy" is hypocritical in the extreme.
However, I wouldn't have told you about camel toe at all. I would have thought to myself, "damn, that thing fat tho" and took a few shots of it for later. lol
>>8814025
>As long as he doesn't touch me or tries anything weird it's okay I guess.
I feel like anyone who thinks they're too good to be touched is not worth my time to shoot. One cosplayer when I tried to get a selfie after our shoot was like, "No touching".
She's still waiting for her pictures.
>>8820699
Sounds like a crybaby looking to try garner attention. That's actually a pathetic reason to be afraid of someone. The hell.
On the subject of horror togs; how does one go about letting a tog know that their watermarks are impeding their photos and that if people are continually asking it to be resized or for a pre-watermarked version for their coscards then they aren't liking the work because of it? The watermark is covering half the subject. Without them going into gorilla fits of rage over it?
>>8820704
Yeah, this. I try to come up with an "elevator pitch" for the character, especially more obscure ones, so photographers have an idea of what they're shooting.
>>8814598
You should know better, when did /cgl/ ever care what photographer had to say in his/her defense. Especially if it was a he. The more he would say the more they would pick him apart like vultures.
This is probably the only thing even resembling a photographer horror story that I have.
>hanging out at convention
>costume isn't amazing but I've slaved away for a solid hour doing the facial tattoo designs
>getting some photos over that
>professional looking photographer (big expensive camera basically) is snapping photos
>girl with cellphone slides up to him, takes photos as well
>guy leaves, the girl with the phone comes up to me
>"Hey! You mind if I get in your face?"
>what?
>just tell her "Uh.. sure?"
>whips out her cellphone and pushes it nearly up against my nose
>flash from the cellphone taking a picture nearly blinds me
>she snaps some more pictures, all with flash, right in my face
>hands me a slip of paper with a URL and walks away
>checking my bag after the con is over
>find the slip of paper and check the URL
>her page is full of terrible photos of people's faces and zoomed in eye photos
>page is covered with "Please tag yourself to promote my photography!!!!!!" requests
>my photos make me look like I'm mid-40s with some kind of skin disease that results in random blobs of colored patches because photo is so in my face you can't tell the blobs are an actual design.
>>8821090
Sorry but you sound like a shitty photographer and a terrible troll.
>>8821163
THAT AIN'T GONNA GET YOUR PHOTOS BACK ANY FASTER. :)
>>8821111
Just ask them. If you're paying, you should, as a common courtesy, get un-watermarked images to use in your portfolio.
I watermark everything, but just because my WM is very unobtrusive. No one has complained yet.
>>8821158
LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
The people in the cosplay community frighten me sometimes.
>>8821111
Ask them
"hey I want to use your photo for a business card, can you send me a non-watermarked version?
>>8821314
Then you know you made a mistake in your booking selection. :)
>>8814023
Don't NA cosplayers have to sign up a document agreement with photographers? Also doesn't photo-protection exist in USA? Like your face is your copyright - photographers have no rights to photos with people unless it's a group photo or photo that clearly portrays a location, an animal etc.
>>8821158
i wanna see
>>8821319
LOL no.
The person who takes the image (physically presses the shutter) owns the copyright. People have almost no rights to privacy in public spaces.
If what you say was the case, security cameras would be illegal.
>>8820396
He's not the one being photographed. His looks are completely irrelevant.
>>8821158
I mean.... at least she asked?
>>8821324
>security cameras
They're protecting a place or taking pictures of crowds. I feel safe knowing I'm protected from creepers.
>Also there's a law that photos require ártistic input in order to be copyrighted - random photo of sky or a castle isn't copyrighted, but a photo of orange sky with filters or castle by night with photos and fireworks are protected.
>>8819422
Not only this, but while you're at target, make sure you tell the cashier that the $300 camera is actually $200 on sale. Some stores don't check and will just give it to you. Then when you return it, if you don't have the receipt, they just check your id and give you full price back. There. Just helped you make $100.
-anon who just quit Target because it's a shitty company
>Young and new with cosplay, shooting together with friend
>Photog suggests we should sit on high stools
>We do a few poses until my friend falls backwards from the chair
>I try to grab her and almost fall myself
>Meanwhile photographer is happily shooting away without helping us
>We are 99% sure flashing our panties
>After we stand up again photog says "That's for the fap folder!"
>Me and friend try to see what pictures he took, but he refuses to show
We were too stupid to do anything against it back then and all these years later I still don't know what he shot.
>>8821431
Wow. That's pretty fucked up.
0/10 would not condone.
Who was it?
>Meet a photog who is shooting a photoshoot I'm at
>he asks for pics of just me afterwards, I oblige
>gets some pretty cool pics, ends up in a magazine, pretty happy with it
>become buddy-buddy with him and his girlfriend, talk post-con, etc
>he asks what I'm cosplaying next con, says to make sure I text him, he'll take some shots and we'll all get drinks afterwards
>we meet up, he's half an hour late, apologizes.
>he takes photos
>ok that's $100, do you have cash or do you want to paypal?
>what?
>for your photoshoot how are you paying?
>I thought this was just a friend thing? never agreed to give money, much less $100
>he gets pissed, friendship is over, I never get the photos
ok.
>>8821477
Wtf who even charges someone without agreeing on a price first.
>>8821324
that oesn't mean that you're allowed to randomly take pictures of people. EU law is that the photog owns the rights but the person still needs to have consented to taking the picture
>Be a semi-popular cosplayer
>Friends with a hobbyist photographer who practices cosplay photographing with me as the model
>Friend suddenly gets a huge ego trip after I advertise their page and they get more fame by photographing my costumes
>Kindly ask for a permission to use 2 of the photographs for a press release thing
>Friend suddenly goes on a long, greedy, angry tirade about how the photos don't belong to me and I have to pay a ludicrous amount of money if I want to use them even though I'm not making a profit myself either
>Friend still freely uses the photos they took of me everywhere even though it's my face, my body and my costume which I worked my ass off for
Photographers are always complaining about cosplayers being divas but often it's the other way around. I'm still mad about this and almost broke all ties with my friend.
>>8821743
From a copyright standpoint he's okay to do that
>>8821743
This is a case of he said-she said. Right now it sounds like you were being nice, but the truth could be different. Still the copyright law is on his side.
>>8821743
Find a new photographer.
>>8821729
>EU Law
>US situation
>>8814028
This guy sounds like a tool.
this isn't a horror story per se but rather a wtf moment:
>walking back to hotel while in cosplay
>stopped by a tog and asked about my costume
>starts to become clear from his questions he is just a street photographer and wasn't aware there was a con going a couple blocks away
>he asks if he can take some pics
>sure why not, pose
>"that's really good, you look cool"
>"show me an angry face"
>"angrier!"
>"angrier!!"
dozens of snaps later and more demands of "angrier!" later:
>"that was really good, thanks!"
>he walks away without sharing a website or contact info
>whatjusthappened.jpg
>>8821289
For con shoots, I only provide watermarked images. They are still getting excellent images and it's cross-promoting.
>>8821298
If the cosplayer NEEDS un-watermarked images, they can ask and we can discuss it. I always give un-watermarked images for business cards.
>>8821431
Sounds fake.
>>8821729
US is apparently completely different. We can photograph anybody, anywhere. We can be asked to stop, but they cannot view or destroy the image without legal right, which is a long process.
>>8822820
Yeh, it's pretty wacky here in the states.
>>8821848
US law is we can photograph in public spaces, and anywhere viewable by the public, including through an open window, if we're on the street and you leave the curtains open. Semi-public places are different, the same with private property. The copyright belongs to the photographer, but we can't do anything with the photos in any commercial capacity without the person's consent in the photo, but photographers can sell prints privately as fine art without consent.
>>8821848
I have never had such an appreciation for some of the photogs I have worked with before. I never hire out or pay for shoots because I'm not about the publicity. no one's been an asshole and everyone's been fine with letting me use their images as needed.
>take baby brother cosplaying tiny Link
>Photog with con press asks for photos
>devotes time and energy into making 4 year old pose, gets great shots, posts online
>ask for picture fullsize/unwatermarked for 8x10 print outs for senpai, get them no problem, print at Walmart
>go to pick up prints and they call manager
>get taken aside by 4 employees
>they think we are infringing on copyright and stealing photos so they won't let us take the image without a written disclaimer from the photog
>have to email this dude and get him to write a release of image for printing use
>he does it without question for a free shoot
>>8823008
I guess they were just really really good photos.
Not that bad of a story but...
>at a con wearing cosplay
>photographer approaches me and asks for a few photos
>we go to a more quiet place and he starts shooting
>everything going smoothly
>he asks for a bunch of wacky poses that take me a while to do
>he never stops shooting
>con ends, a week later he posts the pictures on his page
>he posted EVERY SINGLE one he took
>including mid-blinking face shots, weird tries for the pose he wanted, EVERYTHING
>almost 40 pictures
If you put them together on a gif it would look like a video, holy shit.
>>8823050
a photographer did that to me too. posted EVERYTHING. me fixing my hair, adjusting my sleeves, blinking. I guess they dont have the time to filter through? but the thing is, each photo had his watermark on it
>>8823093
Exactly. He put his watermark in every single one of them! He also edited then and blew up the colors.
Who goes through such trouble and can't be bothered deleting a few bad ones? Geez.
>>8822820
US law is rational in a different sense of "if it's in public, deal with it"
>>8821090
Wow you're a cunt
>>8821090
sound like EMCP or Black Luigi, they always be trying to take selfies with cosplay girls and trying to mack in pics
>>8823008
He went above and beyond. You should tip him at least. And at least shout him out so that he can get more work.
And I'm a photographer , not a complainer saying this.
>>8821319
If you read the terms and agreement to a lot of cons, when you buy your ticket, some actually state by buying the con ticket and stepping onto the convention center, legally anyone can take your photograph. So you can't get mad someone took your picture and sue them or the convention over it.
>month before con
>bad photog messages me
>'omg you are my favorite cosplayer ever, please please shoot with me'
>agree because shooting is fun, even if I won't like most of the photos he'll give back
>week before con
>"can't wait to shoot you!"
>haha yeah it'll be nice
>"oh btw I charge, do you want to PayPal me or cash at the con"
>wat
>actually just cancel our shoot
>"OMGGG NOOOO UR MY FAVORITE I'LL SHOOT YOU FOR FREE"
Now I keep turning down his 'free' shoots because that was not okay
>>8823835
That's sheisty af
>talk to a dude online, we become friends over Japanese shit
>turns out he's a local photographer
>neat
>am super shy and unphotogenic unless the photographer makes jokes, or is my friend.
>this is my chance to finally get good pictures yes
>ask him if I can have him for a shoot, have no problem paying him
>he says he'll do it for free just to get cosplay shots in his portfolio
>neato burrito, discuss location
"I like your room, or maybe a hotel with similar lighting"
...what...
>he also said it needs to be at a time where his wife is at work
Nooooope.
>drop contact
>>8821090
Please tell me you're trolling.
>>8823870
Instead of assuming, you could just ask what his plans are for the shoot? Y'all just seem to assume the worst right away without asking any questions.
>shoot great set of a Vanille and a Sheryl Nome at Fanime a few years ago
>alternating between both girls every few minutes, there's a couple of us shooting them
>touch up the photos after con, they all came out hella nice because we had a whole team of people with reflectors and shit helping out
>Vanille cosplayer took the photos I posted and liquefied her entire fucking face
>no pores, no discernible light source
>she went full Curecos on these nice-ass photos
At least ask before you do that?? I did that shoot for a hot dog. Why would you betray my hot dog trust like that.
>>8823951
>wanting to shoot photos in subject's bedroom or hotel room
>has to wait until his wife is at work so she won't know where he is or what he's doing
Not OP but that's a red flag if I ever saw one.
>>8824064
>Why would you betray my hot dog trust like that.
>>8824064
Same shit happen to me; her face got liquified...
>>8824076
There isn't enough context here to judge. I've waited to do shoots when my girlfriend wasn't around so I could focus completely without distractions. Not only that, but I preferred to hang with my gf when I could and would shoots when I knew she was busy.
There are some questions to arise from that suggestion he made, but you should have clarified instead of assuming.
>being 15
>cosplayed as Alicia from valkyrie Profile
>being a poorfag in school, saved 1 entire year for make the cosplay and buy the ticket for con
>There was a bunch of photographers promotiong themselves
>Suddenly, one of the best, well know, approaches to me
>"Hello cute! Do you want a photoshoot?" or something like that
>I tried to kindly refuse it, but he keeps insist, so I ending saying I didn't have money for that.
>"Hmmm...Don't worry! Your cosplay is so well done, I want to include some pictures of you in my book, how about that? I'll give some photos for free"
>Free?? Sure??
>So we exchanged numbers and agree the date of photoshoot
>We meet in a field area, I keep insisting "..sure is free right?..." "Yeah of course, don't worry". So he taked photos...
>BUT
>After a week, he calls me regarding the payment.
>I panicked a little, but I remembered him who I am and the deal
>"Yes the photos were free, but the photoshop and retouchs I made after, the car travel, gasoline, labor, etc weren't included"
>WAT
>I just trying to talk about he offered the photos for free, and he says the printed photos themselves were free, not the photoshoop and stuff
>He keeps calling me asking for 300$ I didn't have, threatening to call my parents...
>He calls me even on very late night
>He ended putting my name and last name in a public debtor list he have on his FaceBook
>I'm still ashamed
btw sorry for my engrish
>>8824156
You shouldn't be ashamed. That guy is what we call a massive faggot in America
>>8824156
You should put out his name and information. If he put your name out in public, you should do the same thing. I'd love to know who it is because that's just fucked up.
>>8824156
You were 15 and he was putting your name on websites? Isn't that illegal?? I am pretty sure that is illegal since your under age.
>>8814883
ok but this is obviously not a photoshoot so maybe dont complain
>>8824238
You can write whatever the hell you want on a website.
>>8824216
I'm just gonna say is a well know photographer from France, lately involved on some dramas
>>8823050
Lol was this Brian Ngai? Sweet guy but really needs to learn to curate his photos.
>>8824141
Dude, I've seen dealt with some pretty absurd assumptions before (I'm talking "Don't post on my wall or else people will think you've been to my house!". True story.) but I think it's very fair for someone who wants to shoot her without their spouse around at a private location with a bed would reasonably raise a flag. Definitely raise discomfort.
>>8824309
I suppose it matters on how the person says it. I've done this many times and it's never been a problem. I am kinda charismatic though, I guess. So maybe it's all how it's brought up and how trustworthy you are.
>>8823444
Agreed... I tho if it was nice how they made sure I looked good and never once was disgusting. I'm pretty friendly with them even still and they were all male. They may talk shit behind my back but I doubt it. They seem like okay people. I've never had photographers be that honest and nice in my life. Unless they were friends and for complete strangers and male I felt completely safe in their hands. Not creepy and definitely professional.
This guy sounds like a tool and probably one of those photogs who fans to people he shoots. You aren't a professional.
>>8824251
Not when it comes to personal information especially if you try to defame someone.
Why do you pay for someone to take photos?
A 300$ camera pirated book, and a friend who isnt retarded would be all you need and would pay off after 3 cons
Seriously 100 dollars for a photo shoot? I jews run the movies but do they also run everything with cameras?
>>8823951
for more context why he didn't want his girlfriend showing up he said "well I'd like the shoot to be in your bedroom for optimal lighting (my lighting is shit btw) and I don't want my wife to know that I'm going to be taking pictures of a pretty girl alone in her bedroom.
to add to this, he lied about being married until the subject came up of "I need to avoid my wife"
Reeeeeeedddd flags.
This thread makes me so sad about the state of cosplay photography. I met many of my long-term con friends by shooting with them. Now between the paranoia that's come from all of these asshole photogs and the crazy scheduling that cosplayers do, I can't imagine that happening at all.
I never had any interest in fame as a photographer or helping cosplayers get famous, I just liked taking nice photos of people I liked being around. There's way too much stress and drama to do that these days.
>>8824425
Because, in theory, you're paying for experience and a hell of a lot more equipment than a $300 camera.
I used to have about $20,000 worth of gear, and still have around $8k now that I don't shoot for a living anymore.
However, I never charged for cosplay photography, that was a hobby for me.
>>8824425
>Why do you pay for someone to take photos?
You get what you pay for. Besides, just because someone is willing to learn a hobby doesn't guarantee they'll ever be good at it. Your friend and a vast majority of photographers will never be able to take a single photo as good as Ansel Adams for the same reason that you and a vast majority of cosplayers will never make a single costume as good that guy with the semi functional Iron Man suit. Photography is a skill and there's a limit to what the average person can achieve without investing a substantial amount of time, money and energy into it. So if you think your friend can pick up a camera and learn to take quality photos in three cons, then go for it.
>>8824440
$300 is definitely a stretch, you could make very flattering photos for under $1500 though. The consistency you get with a bigger kit and a more experienced photog wouldn't be there, but one or two lenses and some chinese lighting equipment can take you a long way.
>>8824467
>>8824468
>>8824425
I have con prices and normal rates I charge. I give cosplayers who want full shoots outside of cons a better rate then other, normal shoots.
It's a lot of work, still. Often times there is lots of on location, travel, planning, studio equipment, and significant post processing. If you are paying under $100 dollars at a con for a good photographer, understand you are paying a discounted rate.
Tipping your photographer, even just a drink or food at a con, will go a long way. Trust me.
Would any photographers here agree?
>>8824440
If you can't handle a crazy schedule you aren't professional, you're only a hobbyist. I've made tons of my friends shooting for money and free inbetween.
>>8824473
Cons are a vacation for me. I don't want them to be a job. I tried the paid shoot thing and got sick of having my con ruined by cosplayer drama, sitting around all day waiting for somebody who shows up 3 hours late, instant pressure to deliver photos when I'm trying to do my real job, etc.
I'm absolutely a professional photographer with a crazy schedule in "real" life, but I don't want my cons to be that. I'd rather keep it free and casual, enjoy my cons, and not worry about it.
Besides, if I'm gonna shoot for money, I'll go shoot something that will pay my real rate, instead of doing it for peanuts at a con. I don't think anybody's gonna pay me a grand an hour to shoot cosplay.
I'm surprised no one has brought up Studio Henshin photography
>>8825287
In what regard?
>>8824440
You sound like what I want to do now, I mean I take photos to learn (and going to 6+ cons a year has taught me so damn much, because as they say, you only learn through doing), and the money thing, this hobby is a black hole for cash)
>>8825287
It's obvious he's only interested in getting pretty girls naked.
>>8825287
I have some friends that are considering shooting with him. Should I be worried?
He seemed nice in person.
>>8824425
Coswhores already do this and end up going with gofund me shit instead. With our work. If we're all that they're selling to their fanbase then we deserve compensation. You wouldn't sell your +1k cosplay for under $100 right?
>>8825886
1k cosplay?
Shiggy diggy. What cosplay costs that much?
Dranted im diy, but 1k? We talking yen?
>>8825938
I'm sure there are some, but I mean.. that's a stretch. Resale value at 1k, sure. Cost of making, 1k? Uhh..
>>8825938
How much does a monstrosity like this cost to make?
>>8825341
I never understand what goes through the heads of guys like this.
Even if you get a girl to do a nude shoot, it's not like she's gonna have sex with you. Just go to a strip club if you want to look at naked girls or look at porn if you want pictures of them.
I hate that this scene is flooded with people that do shit like this. (Even if the guy in question isn't actually one of them, I don't know him.)
I won't deny that meeting girls is a minor motivating factor for doing cosplay photography, but I literally mean meeting them, not conning them into some skeezy fap material shoot.
>>8825974
I agree. But I'm sure there is some sort of fetish to photographing them and sneaking shots for their spankbank.
In reality, it really doesn't matter. More than likely this images will never show up anywhere. It's just sad to see the plain motivation of some cosplay photographers. Thirsty as fuck.
>>8825974
There are generally two parallel schools of theories as to why men go through complex schemes to see a woman naked and possibly stick it in her when internet pornography and prostitution are both quicker and more reliable ways to arrive at the exact same end results. The first school of thought is The Hunt Theory. Under this school of thought, it is hypothesized that men do not care about 'the catch', or the end result as much as they do about 'the hunt'. Men don't photograph a female cosplayer's breasts because they want to see a picture of said cosplayer's breasts. A quick search through google would achieve the same, or at the very least, similar results. What they crave is the idea that they can convince a female cosplayer to pose for them while they themselves take the pictures. The cosplayer and the cosplayer's boob are themselves irrelevant, what the man actually desires is the thrill of the hunt. The second school of thought is The Forbidden Fruit theory. Why do men lust after subpar women who may or may not ever sleep with them or even get naked for them specially since naked women are easily accessible via internet porn, prostitution and strip clubs? Because porn stars, prostitutes and strippers are a common, and basically worthless commodity. The fact that men have such easy access to these things devalues the women involved as a whole. Everyone has seen Jenna Haze's pussy, as a commodity it's basically worthless. Now compare that to a relatively unknown cosplayer, any cosplayer. How many people have seen this cosplayer's nipples? Very few. Maybe a few ex-boyfriends. Assuming isn't dumb enough to let her nudes surface online. The lack of men who have seen her naked makes her nude form infinitely more valuable than porn superstar Jenna Haze's. It's quite easy how these two schools of thought support each other. The hunt for forbidden fruit is much sweeter than being handed a loaf of moldy old bread that everyone has already taken a bite off of.
In my country it's normal that con pays for few photographers and then cosplayers can use their services for free. So I booked a time for a free photoshoot, it was gonna be my first photoshoot with a real photographer and I was really excited. The photographer gave me a lot of advice and he seemd to know his stuff so I thought that pics were surely gonna be awesome. We shooted for over 30mins. Since he took so much photos I didn't take any other photos of my costume. When he finally contacted me to send me the photos he only gave me one shot. It wasn't really a good photo and he explained that he'll only give one for free... I really got my hopes up for nothing. Also, all my friends who have used free con-photographers have gotten all their photos to their use so I don't know why this one photographer had a different system.
>>8826019
It's not like I don't understand the theory behind it, or even empathize with the satisfaction of "I got this woman to take her clothes off for me" vs "here's a picture of a woman with her clothes off."
What I don't understand is how these guys in the cosplay community don't have the sense to not do stuff like this when they're well-aware that this is a very gossip-heavy community and that they're likely to self-destruct by doing it, the fact that they have no conscience about doing something really skeezy, and the fact that they damage the cosplay community as a whole by destroying the bond of trust between cosplayers and photographers.
Even five or six years ago, it was normal to go to a con party and see cosplayers and photographers in the same room, now they're totally separate, paranoid about one another, and don't socialize at all. I used to know tons of photog/cosplayer couples who met through shoots, I haven't seen one of those form in years. As a photographer, I now have to constantly be paranoid and afraid that I'll do something relatively normal that will be interpreted the wrong way, thanks to the atmosphere that other photographers have created, and it makes it really hard to do photography.
>>8826019
>There are generally two parallel schools..
tl;dr
>>8825969
>cgl
>mech cosplays
But really like 500$
20 in aluminum foil.
100 in stilts
Inbetween 300-100 for the body pieces depending if you go to the dump and get lucky or you rent a 3d printer. I suppose you could also use that special foam.
20 in paint.
12$ in gas to the dump to grab random ass car parts and a screen
Also 20 in felt.
>>8826051
Cosplayers don't want to date photographers unless they're "cosfamous".
When I get cosfamous, I'm gonna be tearing their asses up.
>>8827531
Deus vult, comrade. One day we will be living the dream.
>>8826181
GTFO of here! That shit ain't aluminum foil!
>>8828627
Underneat the arms? Looks like foil to me
>obtain free photoshoot
>19:00 p.m.
>appears photographer, after three days doing free photoshoot a lot of people
>photographer eally tired about all
>I'm tired after the con
>exterior photoshoot
>Really windy
>after waiting one month to see the photos
>really hideous photos
I don't blame the photographer, all parts were really tired about all those cons days
I'm most just amused at the amount of "horror stories" people are posting about shit photos/no photos/wasted time from free photogs. Really. You don't say. So--so you're telling me, that you didn't pay for someone to do a service that typically costs money, cannot be done without a prior investment from the person doing the service, and the results were really BAD? What?
And then people go around bitching about photographers who DO charge. If it's not one thing it's another with y'all. Free shoot is shit but you don't want to pay. Dunno what to tell you.
>>8831254
This
Unless the free photographer was a fucking creep or something don't complain about the qualities of the photos, they're obviously gonna be shit if you want good photos you gotta be willing to pay for it
>>8827531
You mean famous cosplayers date photogs, or cosplayers want to date famous photogs?
My cosplayer ex and I kind of got "cosfamous" together, I took pretty much all of the photos of her that were featured in the endless blogs, magazine articles, etc that she was all over, and got a decent amount of name recognition for myself. After we broke up, though, the only women that seemed to have any interest in me because of my photography were girls that were notorious desperate ladder-climbers that obviously only wanted to date me because they thought I could make them famous.
I totally stopped shooting after breaking up with my ex, and now that it's been a few years everybody's already forgotten about me, though the photos I took of her still circulate a lot.
>>8831278
>they're obviously gonna be shit if you want good photos you gotta be willing to pay for it
This isn't true at all, many of the best photographers I know are free ones. I myself never charged except when the cosplayer was making a profit off of my photos (I'd take a cut of prints etc.), and my work was very highly regarded.
It's just that good photogs who shoot for free tend to be much less willing to put up with bullshit and drama and therefore are much more selective about who they shoot with, and do far fewer shoots than the paid photogs or the shitty free ones.
I'd still be doing shoots and not charging for them, but lost too much of my "network" when I broke up with my cosplayer ex and I'm not interested in building everything back up from scratch.
>>8831049
It might be coated in foil, but i thought you meant all of the yellow parts are also only part of the $20 in aluminum foil
>>8831617
>"that's not true some of the best photogs dont charge"
>"for example, MYSELF"
lmfao. Right. And no one cares about your relationship with a Cool Cosplayer. Now you're just sitting on cgl being butthurt and not even making a dime
>>8819399
Honestly this is the reason I come to shoots for friends. Aside from the fact that I just like photoshoots. I'm so anal about those kind of things (Stray wig strands, crooked pieces, etc.) And it seems to relieve photographers that they don't really have to adjust them themselves.
>>8831909
I'm the one you quoted, but this is the first time I've mentioned this. It might be a more common story than you'd think, I actually know 2 or 3 other guys who could tell almost exactly the same story though.
I guess I haven't said anything bad that would bite me in the ass or anything. I'm cosplayshots.com.
>>8832015
Maybe it's you three just telling the same story at different times because I've seen it more than a few on cgl
>>8832030
That's possible, it's not unreasonable that I'd know many of the people with similar stories. I know friends of mine go on here too and may have retold stories I told them.
I actually come on /cgl/ pretty rarely, so I hadn't really seen much like it myself. I just happened to take a look a few days ago and thought this thread and the photog equivalent were interesting, so I've been following them.
>>8832015
I was waiting for the reveal to be Euphoria. Jacob's also whining about his ex, Foxy
>>8832045
Ah, I don't know either of them. I just googled, is she the one who sells nude shoots? I can't even imagine what it'd be like to date and photography a cosplayer who does "porn." I've never even done a nude shoot or anything approaching one.
I hope my stuff didn't come off as ex whining, I'm not saying anything about her at all. It's just that she was my main point of contact with most of the people I shot with.
>>8831617
Hi Vince.
>>8832108
LOL.
I know Vince, but I'm not him, I already said who I am.
>>8832057
Yeah Foxy sells nude photos of herself and her friends, as well as poses for Cosplay Deviants. Jacob likes to brag he used to date her, he tries to drop it often as a cool fact about him, but it just comes off obsessive and pathetic. When you first posted about dating a popular cosplayer, it sounded like it was going in the direction in the beginning
>>8823008
I don't know why Walmart does this. I've had this happen to me too for some graduation pictures my bf took. Good thing he was standing right there. Just say you took them next time, they won't know. ( I know, copyright, photographer's rights, etc. but it's just a strange thing they do for photographs that appear above average)
>>8832108
Vince as in Vander? God. His photography is a fucking disgrace. It blows my mind anyone pays for his services. It really truly does. Because it's all terrible.
>>8832522
I assumed it was Vince as in Darkain. He used to date a decently well-known cosplayer back in the day.
I just looked up that Vander dude and lol, that guy actually charges money for photography like that?
>>8832569
Can you share an example of the Vander guy's photos? I've never seen it.
I like some of Darkain's stuff. I thought they were talking about him as well because of his ex who was someone or something.
I feel like Vince is more well known now then whoever she was.
>>8832569
More upsetting than that is people pay him for it.
>>8832603
I'm not going out of my way to look at his photos to show you. Just fb search it
>>8832522
I just looked him up on FB. 2,298 likes and no photo comments or LIKES on them at all? KEK KEK KEK
>>8832603
Yeah, Vince is totally awesome. I mean check out that blur tool.
>>8832603 #
Yes, Vince is very well known. Have you checked out his latest attempt to start a human trafficking circle? Why else would the self proclaimed roofie master himself, who still associates with Richard Bui, want to make a back end secret support network? There is no reason for them to be this hush hush.
>>8832763
LMAO @ CONVENTION BATMAN
/thread. I can't take it anymore.
>>8832763
Oh god. This fucking freak. He is still trying to pass his con disappearances on playing hero?
When he disappears he is usually whining about his back or having a temper tantrum because he got rejected by another cosplayer at one of his parties. Let me find one of the screen caps from the facebook group convos of him going off on this one girl calling her a slut because she wouldn't come back to the room with him.
God. All this drama makes me so glad I'm not in this scene to network and suck up to cosfamous turds and mediocre brown-nosing photogs. I'm there to do my job, make clients who book me happy, and be done. It's my guilty pleasure looking at this shit. Idiots writing these long ass photography posts on fb as if anyone gives a shit in the long run. Just do your job. Take photos and go home. Why is that so hard.
>>8833751
I make meaningful friends with people pretty easily, but I think that it's because I do the same thing. Show up, take good photos, communicate well, and not make drama.
Granted, this is a >>8832763 good thing if it actually benefits anyone.. But, really. What the fuck? Are a bunch of fat photographers going to jump people in naruto outfits or something?
>>8832763
By stating the good things you're doing and claiming you're not doing it for something comes off as trying to do it for said something.
Just do it and don't fucking talk about any "seekret backend" shit unless you plan on putting a name on it for the community's sake.
>>8833771
They shit talk you and defame you to the point you are treated like a convention rapist. This is the Ultimate Fedora Network. If anyone gets on board with this, you deserve whatever shit they throw on your reputation when you don't put out for these fucking losers. If you can't see what this stupid support network is really about, you are naive as fuck.
>>8834002
That makes sense.. OH. I just realized that this is also a ploy for girls to come running to their UFN so they can act the hero and use that to try and get in their panties.
That along with the hopes that girls bang them for photos, or at least pose awkwardly naked for them, they are trying to cover all the bases.
>>8821335
Must have been a shit store that doesn't have a good AP. No receipt equals giftcard, not your actual money back. That and at least my store, if you're bringing back a high price camera, too bad, no receipt or card, we ain't taking it. Too much fraud bullshit we deal with.
If anon does decide to follow this advice, just be warned, you may be put on a "look out for" list that gets passed to the stores in the district you are in. (Though I agree with anon, this company fucking sucks working for, personally can't wait to get the fuck out)
Sorry to derail slightly, guess I can contribute with a little story.
>usually don't like to pay for photoshoot unless it's not at a con, ie. Location shoots, but whatever
>photographer messages me about doing a shoot at a con coming up
>not bad pricing, work seems good, agree to it
>had fun shooting, eager to get photos back
>get them less than month later (not bad timing I will say)
>some shots I'd love to use but have a bad edit on the wig (literally glaring, dead center in the middle of the photo)
>can't fix myself due to shitty laptop
>>8833840
This is how I felt when ever I used to see Black Luigi posting about how he helps a female friend because of a drunk ex or whatever the excuse is or when Gerardo used to post a post about helping out a stranger in need or Lawrence Brenner saying they helped set up a sight for a cosplayer/celeb guest for free. Stop posting good deeds as that just reeks of bragging. You asses are doing good deeds for the wrong reason and we can see through that shit! So glad I unfriended these asses years ago! Now I see these new cats EMCP, Jason Laboy, Geek Photography and Edward Photography posting about teaching photographers to shoot and their own photos are messes going from underexposed BS to photos of cosplayers with hair and splotchy ass skin. No cosplayer or model wants photos were they look like haggard pieces of old shit. Fucking learn your craft before you start teaching people or begging for paid shoots.
>>8815319
>>8815368
As a cosplayer who's had this problem, I have a friend or fellow cosplayer in the wings check for this stuff, arrange my hair and costume, etc. in between poses and check to see if things are slipping. I also do the same for my cosplay friends. It helps both the cosplayers in the shoot and the photographer, as they're both concentrating on other things.
>>8832763
I've had a few run-ins with this guy and his pals, They seem very cliquey and circlejerky with a lot of unwarranted self importance.
>>8832763
What "worse" is he talking about? Is there a hit man killing cosplayers now?
>>8834253
You seem extremely full of hate. You're angry about photographers who are doing good things, and frankly, if you're angry at photographers who do bad things and also photographers who are doing good things, that doesn't leave a lot of people left for you to work with.
I hope that you get some counseling to help you get over the anger and the grudges you hold against people.
>>8834481
There actually was a cosplayer kidnapped and murdered at a convention a few years back, if memory serves correctly.
>>8833771
For what it's worth, a lot of the people volunteering in the comments were women, and few of them were photogs.
If anything, I don't think these guys are trying to hook up with victims, but I would believe that maybe they think that being involved in it will make them look good to women who aren't "using their services."
>>8834011
> the hopes that girls bang them for photos, or at least pose awkwardly naked for them
This is the one that I never get. I know all of these guys who think that photography will get them laid, and I'm pretty sure I've never actually heard of it working. Maybe photography can be used as a decent icebreaker to get you talking to a girl you otherwise wouldn't have had an opportunity to interact with, but that's pretty much where it stops, and it's my personal opinion that it does more harm than good because of the community's perception of single male photographers and their intentions.
this isn't a horror story so much as my asking for some perspective....
About 6 months back now (maybe a little more) I did a shoot with a bunch of my friends with a photographer I had worked with once before. He was really nice at the initial shoot we'd done and he spotted me at the next event and asked if he could do a shoot with us there too.
It was a really fun shoot and we were all excited to get back the photos but... he still hasn't even replied to any of my messages, and I don't know what's going on?
They were free so of course I'm not going to slander his name or anything. I'm honestly not even upset that I don't have the pics back, I'm more upset that he's not even bothering to speak to me? A brief explanation of why he can't give us the photos would be enough to put my mind at ease, even if that explanation involves permanently losing the photos.
Have any of you been in this situation before, either from my side of the story or the photog's side? I'm just really curious what happened, and don't know how much more is appropriate to bug him considering that they were free photos to begin with.
>>8834766
I've been the photog in this situation.
It could be a few things. He could be going through shit in his personal life that just makes him not feel like sitting down and editing photos, I've certainly been there before. He also may just feel like the photos aren't good, and maybe there's something about them that he feels like he can't explain to you. (I've been there, shot with a girl who had a really visible "pooch" in her bare-midriffed costume, and had no idea what to say because I knew she wouldn't like them but I couldn't exactly tell her "the photos are no good because you look fat.") In either case, he may be ignoring messages because he's too embarassed about the delay to say anything.
>>8834776
I told him that I could do the editing if he didn't have time to do it... though the last editing job I did I think was pretty bad so he may not trust me. (This is because I was overly ambitious though; what I know that he maybe doesn't is that these would be much more straight forward white balance, spot heal, etc, rather than the crazy vision I had for the other costume... I tried to explain this but maybe didn't do a good job of it)
>>8834784
Personally, I'm pretty controlling of my own photographs, and don't like to let other people edit them. If they have some special effects thing in mind I'll do my basic editing and then hand over full-size files, but for normal photos I really dislike having my name on something I didn't edit. It's not an issue of not trusting somebody else to do it right, just that I have a particular style of editing and filtering and don't like having work out there with my name on it if it doesn't fit my "brand image."
I'm actually in the same boat right now. I did two shoots with a friend and her friend way back at Fanime and never delivered, and I feel horrible about it. The friend's friend added me on FB at the con, and then at some point unfreinded me, and I'm pretty certain it's over the lack of photos or communication.
There are a few reasons for it in my case. One is that I lost my job literally the day after the con and that pretty much turned my whole life upside down, and by the time I'd gotten things back together it had been so long since the shoot that I lost the "momentum" to finish the photos. Another is that I've had a long break since I was shooting regularly that I've gotten really rusty and don't feel satisfied with my editing work, and I rely heavily on a few photoshop plugins that I need to pay to update, and it's hard to drop $300 when I'm out of work.
>>8834807
yeah, it does make sense... I do always ask permission first before touching the photos at all, but it can be a sticky situation having others edit your work. In his case he doesn't have much of a "brand" worked up right now, but it might be something he wants to do in the future, and of course there's still some sort of credit going to him even without a watermark on the image.
If I were you I'd really suggest just making it the best you can and then handing them over. If they're not cosfamous or anything those photos are going to hold precious memories to them, and even getting them much later and maybe not top-quality, I'm sure it'll still mean a lot. At least I think you should talk to them about what's going on. Unless they're massive bitches, they're bound to understand your situation, and it's better than just leaving them hanging.
>>8834819
Yeah, I've actually been meaning to get them up this week. I'm planning on dusting off the old gear and maybe doing some shoots at ALA and I'd like to clear the backlog before I add more to it.
>>8834562
Not that anon but I think it's not so much good things but the idea that they're being bragged about.
I generally don't care either way as long as the photog isn't being Richard Bui levels of creep or curing cancer but I do feel that if someone were doing something good, it looks less selfless when they post about it afterwards. As if they're trying to prove to others they're good.
Of course, if it's a service they're offering then addressing it is all fine and dandy since they're trying to make it more available. But to talk about "behind the scenes" shit or talk about their generosity without making it available sounds more like fishing for acknowledgement.
I'm mostly pulling this from non cosplay/photography/con related Facebook shit that I read but it applies to this discussion.
>>8834562
or they're driving clicks to their Facebook, because people may want to check out bad photos and find out they are actually excellent
>>8825974
I never understand what goes through the heads of guys like you. First off, nude portraiture, pinup and boudoir are all legitimate genres of photography. Second, since when is the scene "flooded" with guys who do this. Seems like you've been doing a lot of searching online for this kind of stuff. Stop judging and just mind your own business.
>>8831617
But his point still stands by that same logic. If the really good free photographers are super selective, which is completely understandable, then you have to find a good paid photographer in order to get good photos since the free ones won't just lend their services to anyone.
>>8835171
Yeah, you probably have a good point there.
That said, selectivity isn't that extreme. Whether you think my work is good or not aside, my criteria is really just that somebody isn't a known drama hound, has a nice costume, and takes care of themselves. (The last point, by the way, isn't an "I only shoot with cute girls I want to bang" thing or anything, it's just that it's a billion times easier to make good photos of somebody who looks decent, and I want subjects that look good in my portfolio.)
>>8834703
A cosplayer kidnapped and murdered? WHEN? WHERE? I thought that would have turned into a fucking legendary horror story by now.
Also, women and fat photographers are not going to do shit but come to Tumblr, /cgl/ and Facebook to complain.
And finally, I have fucked cosplayers and models from photography, but it's not fun when they just want something from you, instead of legitimately enjoying being with you. Don't get me wrong, I'll fuck some more when the opportunity presents itself, but I'd rather find a sweetheart than a piece of ass anyday.
>>8834766
He's busy. Don't stop messaging him altogether, because he may actually forget about you, but don't be like, up his ass about it. Life happens. Free shoots are already back-burner stuff as it is.
>tfw this post could actually be referencing me
>>8834776
I have photos sitting for a year from this one girl who looked terrible all the way through. She looks great in her selfies, and I knew she was a big girl before I told her to come shoot but... bleh.
I guess I'm not as good as I say I am after all. lol
>>8834807
I think you're Earth 2.0 clone me.
>>8835211
Can confirm. Fucked many models and cosplayers through photography.
My problem is finding the balance of talking to a girl I dig and not make it appear as just photography interest. Photography is just part of my life now, so the balance can be difficult.
>>8835217
I have photos that I haven't finished from forever ago. Not out of spite, but lack of motivation for that person. Never a paid client, I always get that out timely.
If you do a free shoot, unless you specify a time frame, just expect the photos someday. We already invested time in the shoot. You'll get them. But feel free to inquire and communicate.
>>8834979
When I do good things, I'm gonna post about them. Because I want that good publicity and for people to think about me in a positive light. Fuck all that good deeds done in silence shit... this is the 21st century. Look at the shit people say about photographers just on 4chan alone. No way I'm gonna let other people define my narrative.
>>8835165
This. /thread
>>8835204
>>8835171
I was thinking about going the F2S (Free to Shoot) route for an upcoming convention, but I still need to make the money to get there. But even if I don't go free, I'm still going to be extremely, extremely selective with my cosplay models.
Models are nearly everything in an image. If the model sucks, the image is going to be at a huge disadvantage, and 9 times out of 10, the image will suck.
It's a domino effect; you shoot terrible cosplayers, and that gives you terrible pictures. Then you get a rep for taking terrible pictures. Then you can't get work with the pretty cosplayers because all you have to show them is terrible pictures of terrible cosplayers. You get stuck in a rut.
The reason the best photographers are the best is because they work with the best models, in the best locations, with the best team. Period.
>>8834703
So, ultimate fedora network, as we said.
>>8835295
UFN - Ultimate Fedora Network.
"We dress in white to treat m'lady right."
It's official.
>>8835211
I think it was San Diego. I don't remember the details though, it may have been 3 or 4 years ago now that I think about it.
>>8835211
>And finally, I have fucked cosplayers and models from photography
>>8835220
>Can confirm. Fucked many models and cosplayers through photography.
Huh, it always surprises me when this actually happens. I know a ton of cosplayers and pretty much every single one of them that's attractive is in a relationship. I wish I knew how to pull that stuff off, I've dated and slept with cosplayers but never through photography, and it's been a long, long time since I had any luck with one.
>>8835322
They're not angels. They're human beings, awkward insecure girls in funny costumes.
The reason they act the way they do is because we put them up on a pedestal. Treat them like regular people, and they'll come down to earth.
>>8835222
The only other photos that have ever taken this long are the ones from 5 years ago that I know I'm never getting back though. I'm a patient person, but beyond a certain point it seems like if he was going to finish them they'd be done by now right?
And again, it's not the lack of photos bothering me but the fact that he won't reply to any of my messages.
>>8832763
But. This doesn't make any sense at all. Why keep a 'valuable service' like this hidden for all this time? What if a cosplayer was being stalked and needed help, but had no one to turn to because she didn't know this 'service' existed? Why provide a service where the ones who could benefit from it the most doesn't even know it exists?
>>8835363
>stop doing time for prints like a filthy poorfag
>tell a photographer you'll pay them only after they deliver your photos
There, I just solved 70% of /cgl/'s problem with regards to photographers. I don't know why anyone would give money to anyone without any guarantees that they'll follow through and provide the service. If you're complaining about not getting photos back from your free photoshoots, well that's your fault for wasting your time on them in the first place.
>>8835378
Again, I'm not complaining about not getting the photos back, it's the lack of communication. And anyways most of my free photo experiences have been stellar. Even this isn't to me an overall bad experience. I don't need the photos for anything (not selling prints even, it'd be shitty not to pay the photog for that) and just shooting was a fun experience even without getting the photos back
>>8835368
At first I assume it was just a friends network and he kept somehow getting roped into it and now wants to go public?
>>8835353
I guess so. I've never really tried to get girls with a camera, the whole time I was shooting regularly I had a GF, so I don't know how easy or hard it was. Girls flirted with me sometimes but I always just figured they were being competitive with my GF.
Most of my experience with this kind of thing is from all the cosplayers I know complaining about it, and watching the photog guys I know constantly make fools of themselves trying.
It also still stands that attractive single girls in the cosplay scene seem to be incredibly rare unless you go for girls under like 21, but maybe it's different in other parts of the country, or you guys are just going after young ones.
>>8835410
The mistake a lot of idiots make, that ends up ruining it for everyone (model AND photographer alike) is when horny fucknuts try to go in guns blazing Terry Richardson style, laying on the negging and the pickup lines and bullrushing a model/cosplayer into doing a behind-closed-doors shoot and taking their clothes off and generally just making everything an unpleasant shitshow for all people involved.
If you want to get laid then the trick is to be polite and professional. First you shoot the pictures, THEN once you've done your part and the shoot is over, offer to buy them a drink or whatever and let the vibes take their course. You know, act like a human being and approach them as an equal, since at the end of the day they're there to have fun just like everyone else and sex is p. fun. And if they say no? Take it gracefully and SEND THEIR FUCKING PICTURES once you've finished up the edits.
>>8835410
>>8835353
>>8835322
Just don't act like a thirsty fucking idiot and treat them like real people.
When I'm with my attractive friend/model/cosplayer and you other photogs are sending shade my way, the cosplayer notices too. I don't typically get along with other cosplay photographers because they tend to circlejerk each other and thirst so blatantly.
>>8835430
>be polite and professional
Really, more togs in the cosplay scene could to with remembering this just as general procedure. Don't act like you're hot shit just because your camera cost four figures and you know how to bounce a flash off a wall.
>>8835322
>I think it was San Diego
Are you talking about that Roger Rabbit cosplayer that got completely shitfaced and tried to jump a hotel fence only to busted her face on the concrete, and when someone found her, everyone started screaming "Rape!"?
>>8835430
Yeah, the Terry wannabes are exactly the kind of guys I worry about ruining it for the rest of us. I suppose even I've been taken a bit by the perception that other photographers are trying to do that.
I'm totally cool with what you're saying, I think if you're gonna use photography to get laid at all, it's just as a tool to get a conversation going. I just see too many of these guys thinking that a camera is a ticket straight into a girl's panties and making an ass out of those of us who are normal people.
>>8835433
> I don't typically get along with other cosplay photographers because they tend to circlejerk each other and thirst so blatantly.
Oh man, this shit, so much. I think it's so ridiculous how photographers have created their own separate circles and community from that of cosplayers, it's really weird. I kind of blame that whole Cosplay Photographers group for a lot of it, Bui actually invited me to join when he founded the group and man am I glad I turned him down.
I just realized that the shoots I have coming up are actually the first I'll ever do where the girls in them are meeting me as a photographer and as a single guy. It'll be interested to see how that goes.
>>8835465
I remember that. She was pretty and dressed in scantily clad cosplay, so everyone assumed the worst and started freaking out.
Once it was revealed she did it herself, that whole thing silently went away. Fuckin' Tumblr.
>>8835465
No, there was a girl found dead quite some distance from the con, and then it turned out that the last place she'd been seen alive was at the con in costume.
I'm not finding any news about it, but I'd swear there were articles posted at the time.
>>8835466
Just focus on taking the good photos, don't drool all over them and try to sneak any perverse shots.
Cosplayers are interested in cosplaying. They are usually really uncomfortable in their awesome costumes and aren't thinking "I want to fuck that neckbeard!"
I'm familiar with the Cosplay Photographer people. I don't really understand it. I've seen their logo and I'm always confused on who actually took the photos.
I'm glad they haven't asked me to join, although I am curious why not. I hope it's because they don't like me or something. That'd be funny.
>>8835477
Oh, yeah, absolutely. Part of what I don't get about the guys who solicit these lingerie and nude shoots etc is how they can just be so blatantly perverted and not feel ashamed of themselves for doing it.
I know a very attractive cosplayer who's been trying to get me to do lingerie shoots and the like for ages, but I feel ridiculously uncomfortable with it, doubly so because she has a boyfriend that she's been with for years.
But she's very unusual, and I know exactly what it's like for normal cosplayers. I dated one for almost five years, and spent every single con around her and her cosplayer friends, listening to creeper stories and them talk about how uncomfortable they were when in photoshoots, etc.
As for Cosplay Photographers, they're pretty much over. Their founder was exposed for being a huge Terry wannabe, including soliciting and receiving underage nudes, and he's now been completely blacklisted from the community. I don't think they invite a lot of people, I just happened to kinda know him because he'd taken pictures of friends of mine, and my work was well-respected by other photographers for a while so I think he wanted it on his site. I also suspect that part of why he invited me was for access to my ex.
