Whats the difference between East and West coast cosplayers in the US?
>>8940924
their geographical position on a map
West Coast people don't pay photographers
Honestly I was blown the fuck away when I saw that most cons outside of socal, you pay for photoshoots
There's so many photographers here that unless someone is truly absolutely incredibly talented, it's a hobby job and you don't make money
>>8940946
This still blows me away. Every one over here at East Coast gets their panties in a bunch when people dont want to pay
>>8940924
Most of them aren'T slutty and cosplay for attention...
>>8940924
Easterners know how to use photoshop better than westerners because they have years of experience shooping their chink faces to look whiter.
>>8941112
Not what we're talking about. East coast of the US vs. west coast of the US. But way to bring your weird racism into it anyway.
>>8941112
>Whats the difference between East and West coast cosplayers in the US?
>in the US
How did you manage to read the entire OP wrong?
>>8941086
Agree with anon
Every East coast cosplayer just does the skimpiest shit they can find while West Coast does anime and eloborate cosplays
>>8941198
A better question is why did OP make such a boring fruitless thread?
>>8941599
Tbh I think this is interesting
>>8941234
Yeah. Katsucon might as well be called boob armor con.
What the fuck? People pay for photos? Why? It's not a goddamn business. We can do our own photograpy and usually would rather do our own than have some outsider squeeze in anyway.
>>8941234
>west coast vs. east coast
>picture of midwest con
the midwest is a cold barren wasteland of not being included in drama threads like this
East Coast = Beast Coast
West Coast = Best Coast
That's all you need to know.
>>8941808
East coast charges out the ass for like 2 pictures. The photogs get upset when you ask to do TFP, whereas that's the norm in Socal.
>>8941808
I must have missed the part where you were being forced at gun point to pay for photos
>>8941808
Some people prefer it for convenience I guess, but like you said it's really just a waste of money if you already have someone who can take pictures for you.
>>8942119
>hey, let me waste your time by asking you to step over here to let me take pictures of you and then slap on a price tag if you ever want to see them again
Time is money, anon.
>>8942430
ok but what you seem to be missing is that literally everyone charges for photos. it's not like you (unless you're cosfamous) have a ton of options and are just choosing to pay some stranger. to get free pics you have to be famous or have a slutty costumes
>>8941822
That's because the midwest doesnt know what it wants. We want to be serious cosplayers like the east, but also want to not take cosplay seriously and be all inclusive partiers like the south. So midwest cons are this weird mix of try hards and rave folk who dont agree on how to con.
>>8940977
How is it a ridiculous concept? It's natural for people to want to get paid for their work. You wouldnt cheat an artist out of commission. How is playing for a photog any different? Especially if you arent friends already. It's business. Fucking pay the man. That said if you hire a bad point and click photog that's a personal problem. Do some research before booking.
>>8942922
It always cracks me up when this subject comes up because its always so clear who is from where. On the west (California in particular), its pretty crazy to pay for photos. No one is saying that photographers aren't worth it, but there is no reason to pay for photos because talented people will work for free.
Most people at cons are hobbyists, very few cosplayers are getting paid for their work, and its the same for the photographers. Sorry it doesn't work that way where you are.
>>8942922
Cosplaying and photography are hobbies for the majority of congoers. When I pay for photos, they had better be top tier and I had better be able to use them in my professional portfolio. For East coast photogs, this is not the case as almost all of them are hobbyists that just want money. If I had to pay every mediocre person I worked with just to take some gun shots, I'd be broke after Day 1 and would be paying for a subpar product.
>>8943005
Fun*
>>8941112
Lol a prime example of a reading deficiency
>>8942922
I started as a cosplayer and dabbled into photography. The shit I got from other photographers on the East coast for being free was mind boggling. Why I didnt charge was simple, that cosplayer put tons of time and money into their cosplay and without them I would have nothing to put in my portfolio. They don't get money from photographers so why should i make them give me money. Just like the cosplayer works to produce good pieces so should the photography. Photographer choose to go into that hobby and buy their expensive equipment, they shouldnt pass the cost onto the cosplayer.
>>8941172
doesn't make it less true.
>>8942451
stop cosplaying for a year, save and buy yourself a camera and a light reflector. do photoshoots with your friends. end of the story.
>>8943058
Have you seen the cosplay photos people on the East Coast pay for?
Why buy a camera at all? I can do better than this with an iPhone.
>>8943058
As someone who both shoots and cosplays, why would you think this would work? How do you expect a cosplayer to photograph themselves? With a tripod? I can take great photos of my friends, but when I plunk my camera down in their hands, odds are that the composition or lighting is going to be garbage.
IMO the problem on the east coast is not even that people charge.... it's the sheer disproportion in terms of cost vs talent. Baby's first photography with blurry, dark results is commonly $40-50 a session. If you decide you aren't paying for that garbage and want to upgrade to someone with photos worth paying for, be prepared to spend $25 for a single photograph. Most cosplayers aren't prepared to stomach a $150 photoshoot. And to boot, often those photos aren't even at a professional level. Most of the upper crust of east coast photographers do not do open bookings, so our choices are pricey garbage, or really expensive decent photos.
>>8942917
it's true
>>8943118
Fucking this. And I'll bet they charged $50 for about 5 photos.
>>8943118
>lit at close range from a direct flash
>poses that obscure their outfits
>nonsensical weird backdrop that has nothing to do with anything
I'd ask for my money back
>>8943051
I got called selfish and heartless for saying this once. Didn't shoot with them again.
>>8943207
This type of thing makes me so mad flr a photographer to try and blame the client. I'm from Florida charge up the ass for some of the worst photography around and to boot most photographers won't shoot with certain people (males, over weight, not cos famous boobs out). It's why I had started free shooting and still offer free shots open to all on a first come first serve. This makes me want to shoot on the west coast all the more
>>8941800
Finally someone said it.
It's been a long time since I've been back to an east coast con, but circa 2010, which was the last time I was really at an east coast con, I noticed a distinct difference in the approach to cosplay:
west coast cosplayers tended to focus more on craftsmanship and creating clean, well-tailored outfits that tended to be more simple, while east coast cosplayers tended to try to create the most elaborate, extravagant costumes they could, foregoing finishing details for the sake of creating something large and impressive looking.
Midwestern cosplayers generally have the worst of both worlds: poor craftsmanship, low effort costumes, and yet have the general attitude of cosplayers who have both skill and experience. They tend to put in as little effort as possible and expect big reactions. :T
>>8943251
To be perfectly honest, I'm a photographer who used to shoot with every type of cosplayer, but I got nothing out of it.
At least you'd think I could make a few new friends along the way, right? WRONG. I remember spending hours and hours Photoshopping acne, dark splotches, and self-cutting scars off one client, only for her to turn around and talk shit about me and try to get me kicked out of a convention a few months later.
Why should I have to put up with that shit?
From now on, I shoot what I want, how I want, and anybody who has a problem with it can suck my dick.
>>8943690
the demand outstrips the supply unfortunately
>>8943693
If cosplayers would stop being cheap, the overall quality of photos received would go up, because only the good people would get booked. For 10-20 dollars a shoot, you're just rolling the dice, and you might get something that's half-ass decent.
Photography is a service, one that cosplayers are already getting at heavily discounted prices. And the "cosplayers put tons of time and money into their cosplay" argument is nonsense; it's like saying "I put all my money into rent, so food should be free". If you want great photos, pay a great price for them. If you pay pennies for one of these pretenders with a camera, you have no right to bitch about the quality you receive. Period.
WESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST
East coast: mostly store bought and closet costumes, most hand made ones look decent at best, lack of available materials to male good costumes, people to lazy and unmotivated to learn and make better costumes because due to lack of competition, generally friendly people over all.
West: the exact opposite
>>8944028
West Coast has more costume buyers but East Coast has a handful Of Fabric stores all over the place.
>>8944028
If the west coast is jam packed full of such perfect, sparkling unicorns, why most of the well known names from the east?
>>8943729
>10-20 dollars
sweet anon, how do I travel back to 2009 with you
try 40-70 dollars a shoot for garbage. and if you don't book them, someone else will. GOOD photogs don't even open up to public bookings.
>>8943688
Hi Travis
>>8944110
There's legions of these clowns with their T3is or 3100s talking about how they're "just starting" and "only want to charge a little bit". Just check any Facebook group for a convention.
You'll know them because they post pictures where it's obvious they have no clue what they're doing. Dark faces, obscured costumes, weird "Dutch angles", and the shittiest Photoshop you ever saw in your life.
I don't know how they still get people to pay.
>>8944237
Not Travis, but I'm sure he and a lot of other photographers feel my energy.
>>8944092
Because f the "cosplay elite " click of photographers and cosplays constantly circle jerking each other.
>>8944110
Most of these shitty photogs are booked because they're cheap, but they raise their prices, they won't get clients because there lack of skill will show then.
Most of these con photogs talking at panels are jokes too since more than half don't even know what the fuck they are saying.
>>8944354
Sounds like you haven't been browsing Katsucon's photography groups lately.
People charge $50 for a shoot with pics like the one you have there, and they do get bookings. Other cons I could believe the $20 price tag, but people absolutely price gouge at places like Katsucon or Otakon.
The usual in Florida
>>8944092
west coast has a lot less photo drama when you're not trying to push yourself to be efamous or get more shoots so you can get more money. leads to people flying under the radar.
>>8944546
>$75
>one photo
nigger what
>post shoot reveal session
what the fuck is this even?
photo is not bad but still, what?
man if I wasn't west coast I'd probably be swimming in cosplay cash if these are any indicators
>>8944575
clearly you shouldn't be because it clearly costs oh so much to do photography for cosplayers that you can only just afford to live.
East Coast = Hotter white girls
West Coast = Ehh white girls and lotsa chinks, foreigners.
>>8944627
I'd be fine with the $75 price tag if it included more than ONE FUCKING PHOTO
>>8944639
Only Asians can cosplay properly.
>>8944011
Not even west coast but this is great.
>>8944546
Damn you best me to posting him but lucky there's more Florida photos with similar pricing
>>8944363
>>8944354
AHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHA The fuck is this? Who would pay for this shit?
>>8944546
$75????? For ONE PHOTO????????? AND THE ONE PHOTO LOOKS LIKE THAT??????????????????????????? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
I thought I was doing cosplayers a favor with my rates. But I see they'll pay for anything.
>>8945202
It's Florida where your lowest price is 20-30 for some blurry ass poor photos like D99 Studios, Crimsonsoul photography, inper1um, the list is never ending here :/
I remember having this conversation with some seagulls at katsucon.
I mostly go to west coast cons, I notice cosplayers don't differ all that much, you'll have your basic bitchs, your babys first cosplay, the walking photo shoots, and the tits the cosplay, it's the atmosphere I find different.
Seriously folks brought what I consider saturday level of cosplays to day zero at katsucon. Cons on the west coast feel much more like a big costume party. East cons cons feel to me more like prolonged photo shoots. I also felt like compititions were a bigger deal out east. I met a lot of people who had been involved with WCS out there where as out here in the west I only know a few people who tried to qualify.
And the whole paying for photoshoots things. I know of a few photographers who charge out where I'm at, but certainly no where near the prices of east coast photographers.
I also noticed just how small seagull meets outside of California are, but I guess thats so cal con culture for ya.
As a west coast cosplayer, I am a little biased when I say that I like the laid back style of west coast. When I do cons on the east coast, there is an intensity and seriousness about cosplay I both like, and dislike.
Of course, I have never paid for a shoot, because I am well connected and know California photographers. I also hit them up for east coast cons, at least the ones who go there.
I can't believe people would pay for such terrible photos when I can get stuff a hundred times better for free.
>>8945506
>I can't believe people would pay for such terrible photos when I can get stuff a hundred times better for free.
Literally read the thread. The people paying for these shit pics are ones don't know any better (their fault), or who can't find anyone better for reasonable prices because they don't have connections. I have shelled out $50 for decent mediocrity because there was literally nobody better attending the local con I was at.
>>8944739
This guy isn't bad. I mean, you can see her face, and there's light in the picture. That's better than 90% of photographers shooting right now.
Plus, $60 for 4 photos is A GREAT PRICE. Go ask a professional portrait photographer what it costs to get in front of their lens.
>>8944739
Average price for the number of photos. Hit a real photographer and for that price, you'd only get one photo for a 15-30 minute shoot.
>>8943122
I'm a cosplay photographer outside Birmingham Alabama I've only done a couple of paid shoots, but since I'm still learning, I only charged about 20 bucks and gave the cosplayers about ten photos each time.
>>8951142
people like you irk me. don't charge if you are still learning!!!
>>8951142
Do free shoots if you are still learning. Why bother charging if your skills still need polishing?
>>8941112
it's proud again...
>>8950022
Except cosplay photography is a fucking hobby! If you're only taking pics for cash and don't appreciate the culture or the art, you're no better than fake bitches doing camwhoring on patreon. Photogs are fucking up cosplay culture just as much a jnig
>>8943251
Can I ask who you are? I'm very new to cosplay but Ive been wanting some photos, but with all the drama in Florida I never know which photog to go to, much less if Im going to get horrible pictures after paying for it. I'm from Florida too and I'd love to support a fellow gull! If you dont want to give out your identity I understand though.
>>8953799
Doesn't matter where they're from. They don't cosplay titty armor for west coast cons. That honor is reserved for the Gazebo.
>>8953517
Are you retarded?
There's no such thing as "cosplay photography". It's photography. And I'm a professional photographer. I ALREADY don't charge my normal rate to cosplayers, putting my relationship with my real clients at risk:
"Hey anon, I saw you were shooting the people in the funny costumes for $100 an hour, but you're charging me $250. What gives?"
NO COSPLAYER IS PAYING LEGITIMATE PORTRAIT PRICES FOR THEIR PHOTOS. Right there, you guys have no cause to complain. Plus, in some areas you have guys that are really good that are doing it for pennies or even FOR FREE if you wear cosplays they like. I hate that people degrade my profession by giving it away, but I ultimately can't control what they do with their time and money. But you bitches find ways to complain about that too.
Fuck you entitled pieces of shit.
>>8941112
10/10 i like you, anon
>>8954487
>guys that are really good that are doing it for pennies or even FOR FREE if you wear cosplays they like
this is me
you can't charge in west coast if you want to shoot no matter your level
you can be 10/10 skill (example)and there will be guys who are 7-8/10 shooting for free and even more 6 and below shooting. and let's be honest. th general public doesn't know a 4 from a 6 from a 8.
as far as not charging normal rate for cosplay? segregate it from the rest of your work. your clients won't have a clue that able photo is the same as bravo photo, just bravo does cosplay and able does normal stuff if you don't label or link them together
>>8943051
This so many times. Without the cosplayer the photographer wouldn't have a subject to shoot and the cosplayer put hours and hours of work and tons of money to make their costume, they took the time to pose in uncomfortable clothing for hours for the shoot. It's usually the douchebag photographers who think too much of their skill and overshoop photos while plastering a hugue ass ugly watermark over them who want money and believe they're doing God's work. They usually take forever to deliver the finished photos too and don't let you take your pick either.
Cosplay photogs and cosplayers should live in a symbiotic relationship. Unless you have professional equipment complete with licensed editing software, years of experience and photographing is your primary source of income, I'm not paying you. I can buy you a beer or compensate for your effort with a favor of some kind but I'm not fucking paying you money for something you're doing as a hobby and spend maybe 5 hours editing the photos whereas I spent 4 months making my costume.
>>8954566
I've found that unless I'm paying for a photoshoot or unless the photogs are super close friends, that free shoots are unreliable.
I've had photogs cancel on me last minute, be super late, overedit photos, do shit photos, not edit at all, etc.
>>8954487
If a photog is professional, working with professional equipment and has a solid portfolio, I would rather pay for that and know they will show up, do their job and I'll get quality photos in a timely manner.
>>8954538
This is true, and I already do segregate it (because let's be honest, fashion people don't understand cosplay unless it's some extremely mainstream shit like Disney, Sailor Moon, or DC / Marvel).
And you're also right that people don't know the difference between a 4 and a 6 and an 8. It really annoys me when people go for a cheaper option, and then get boring or even downright bad photos. It makes me go maximum overrage when they start hyping up these bad photos like they're the best thing in the world when they're not.
>>8954487
wah wah wah. stop going to cons and start spending your weekends doing weddings instead. cosplay photogs bitch and moan and cry that their omg professional skills aren't compensated to their liking, but you're clearly going to cons because you like it and you enjoy the subject matter and LIKE taking cos pictures because it's more interesting than more fucking portraits of normalfags and their shitty dogs and babies.
cosplayers spend just as much time and money and practice and effort into making the outfits, and pose, and stand out in the cold, and climb up on rocks in high heels, all so a great photograph and piece of art can get made. it's a 50-50 effort, but photographers are the only ones whining they're not getting paid enough for their 50%.
I wish cosplayers would start charging the way models in the real world do.
>>8954994
>cosplay photogs bitch and moan and cry that their omg professional skills aren't compensated to their liking, but you're clearly going to cons because you like it and you enjoy the subject matter and LIKE taking cos pictures because it's more interesting than more fucking portraits of normalfags and their shitty dogs and babies.
This sentence is all kinds of awesome and hits the nail on the head. Thank you anon.
Additionally they want to leech on the cosplayer's work (i.e. the costume) to become ~famous~ for being a sugoi cosplay photographer, even better if the cosplayer is famous already. Bitch you need that practice to become a talented photographer and the model is also giving you their time to let you work on your skills, you're not the fucking only one who should be compensated.
As an east coaster I definitely agree with paid shoots sucking. It's like, I dont get paid to cosplay but I still do it!
>But muh photos are a skill
Sewing and crafting are skills too! But when Im walking through a con in a great costume people dont start handing me money. Maybe cosplayers themselves should just start charging for photos.
>>8954994
Most cosplayers can't model for shit, otherwise they could be charging too
>>8955235
Nothing is stopping you as long as you're giving the photographer a dedicated block of time. There's already been some that charge for shoots with mixed results
>>8955244
As shown in this thread, a ton of east coast photogs can't take pictures for shit. The only reason they get away with charging for garbage is there's a supply-demand issue where there's way more cosplayers than photographers.
>>8955235
Photogs are giving you a product, you aren't giving anything to random bystanders.
>>8940924
This whole thread is bullshit. We all know people from California think they're better than everyone else at everything they do just because they're from Cali.
>>8954994
The only thing I agree with in that whole jumbled mess is that cosplayers should charge.
Absolutely talented cosplayers should charge the same way a photographer should charge. But there's no way I'm going to come out my pocket when I can get a REAL model to pose for me.
>cosplay photogs bitch and moan and cry that their omg professional skills aren't compensated to their liking, but you're clearly going to cons because you like it and you enjoy the subject matter and LIKE taking cos pictures because it's more interesting than more fucking portraits of normalfags and their shitty dogs and babies.
I do like cosplay photography. But if photography is what I do for a living, the fuc is a 20 dollar half hour shoot going to do for me? Your cheap ass spends more than that on weed.
cosplayers spend just as much time and money and practice and effort into making the outfits, and pose, and stand out in the cold, and climb up on rocks in high heels, all so a great photograph and piece of art can get made.
Irrelevant. Again, it's like saying, "I worked hard and I spent all of my money on rent, so my food should be free." If you want a great product, pay for it. If you want to roll the dice with these shitty 10 dollar "photographers" go for it. But if you pay 10 dollars, don't complain about your fucking 10 dollar photographs.
As an east coaster I definitely agree with paid shoots sucking. It's like, I dont get paid to cosplay but I still do it!
Fuck your costuming. Fuck your so-called skill. What you're paying for is OUR skill, to create art, and a memory that you can have forever. It's not the same thing. We're not getting costumes from you. You spent your money and created an asset, your costume. If you can't make money off it, that's your problem.
>>8955253
If they can't shoot for shit, and you see they can't shoot for shit, then don't book them. Simple.
>>8954574
Free photographers don't have to edit your photos, return them in a timely manner, or send out full resolution. When you pay someone, you're ensuring that you do get photos back, and that the photographer won't cancel on you. Of course there are paid photographers that don't do this anyway, but you just gotta avoid those.
The "cosplayers should charge" argument only works if you're assuming photographers will pay. Being that most of the photographers are not pros that's very unlikely. The free photographers would just find tfp and the ones that charge would have their cost evened out so it's essentially tfp, or pay for an actual model for an actual shoot (cosplay isn't exactly what people put in their portfolios unless it's specifically a cosplay port)
>>8955484
Jesus. Why the fuck do you even do cosplay photography? To make an easy buck and get ~fame~ by shooting something not as mundane as normies' babies and weddings? I just don't get these cosplay photographers who are ridiculously bitter about the whole photographing thing and demand money despite not being professionals.
>>8943051
>Photographer choose to go into that hobby and buy their expensive equipment, they shouldnt pass the cost onto the cosplayer.
Fucking finally. The voice of reason. Photographers don't supplement my multiple hundred dollar costumes, I'm not helping them pay off their fucking fish eye lens. Or their hotel room. FUCK THAT.
>>8944354
If I even payed $5 for a photo like this and it was posted on the internet with my dark circles and cellulite unedited, I would flip my shit.
>>8954487
I agree with you.... but do you meet your "normal" customers in a shitty crowded hotel as a professional backdrop? No? Well, that's where the price difference is justified.
I have no problem paying a real professional for a studio shoot or a location shoot. But paying top dollar for an ugly hotel carpet or the same old tired used up backdrops? Fuck off with charging for that shit.
>>8956508
The cost would be for services, not for paying for the photographer's gear. Equipment, raw materials, contracted labor, etc are all costs of doing business for whatever industry you're looking at. Services, finished goods, or whatever is what you charge to make your profits
>>8955484
>Absolutely talented cosplayers should charge the same way a photographer should charge.
okay, so if both cosplayer AND photographer should be charging. Who the fuck is paying for them?
>But if photography is what I do for a living, the fuc is a 20 dollar half hour shoot going to do for me? Your cheap ass spends more than that on weed.
It's not going to do anything for you, that's the simple ass point. You like cosplay photography, and most cosplayers like doing a shoot. It's a very simple mutual agreement as you both share a hobby. Why do you feel entitled to charge cosplayers? The time and money put in by cosplayers will usually outweigh that of the photographer. And don't try and argue about your camera being so expensive when cosplayers can have 3+ sewing machines and an arsenal of machines and 3d printing and whatever the fuck people do to make costumes now.
>Irrelevant. Again, it's like saying, "I worked hard and I spent all of my money on rent, so my food should be free." If you want a great product, pay for it. If you want to roll the dice with these shitty 10 dollar "photographers" go for it. But if you pay 10 dollars, don't complain about your fucking 10 dollar photographs.
Not . . . really ? the point was that cosplay photography is a JOINT effort, without a cosplayer there is no subject. It's not 'I've wasted all my money on cosplay now give me free pics,' they have to go where you go in uncomfortable shoes and have to spend months in advance making their costumes so that the end result of the photo is good.
(1/2)
>>8955484
>>8956809
2/2
>Fuck your costuming. Fuck your so-called skill. What you're paying for is OUR skill, to create art, and a memory that you can have forever. It's not the same thing. We're not getting costumes from you. You spent your money and created an asset, your costume. If you can't make money off it, that's your problem.
Fuck your photography. Fuck your so-called-skill. I can get much better memories with a selfie than with your pretentious ass. Like I said before, without cosplayers you have no subject to make art of. And normal photography is no where near as virally popular as normalfag shit. If you liked cosplaying and cosplay photographer, you would know that this shit is a two way street, it's a trading of services so why should one side pay if it's a 50/50 split of labour? Also, lbr, cosplayers can exist w/o photographers. I can take decent enough photos and so can a few of my other friends. However, a cosplay photographer without a cosplayer willing to throw dollars at his feet for a photo? Well, have fun with your normalfag photography.
I'd love for you to come to the UK for the shit we give togs like you.
In conclusion; you like shooting cosplayers, cosplayers like attention whoring, you take photos and can edit at your leisure with no pressure to give anything back, everyone's happy.
I can understand if it's a location shoot covering the travel expenses, but sadly from experience I know that money doesn't necessarily guarantee a return in photos. Especially from assholes like you who are 3good5me.
>start cosplaying in 2003
>only pics are disposable camera hall shots
i got used to that. i still don't go out of my way to get "professional" pics. i'd rather someone snap a pic because they are excited about my cosplay, not because they want to make money off a hobby that is not profitable for me.
t. disgruntled East Coast cosplayer
>>8956856
I feel for you. all I shoot are characters I like.
>>8940924
West Coast has pretty samey weather year round.
East Coast has all 4 seasons in the extreme, sometimes in the same weekend.
Plan costumes accordingly.
>>8956524
If I saw this photo, I wouldn't hir ethe photographer to shoot my cosplayers. You bitches are just too happy to settle for cheap prices and then turn around to bitch about this underexposed shit but your the ones who support these guys.
>>8956809
>>8956827
Cosplayers with awesome photos can post saying they are looking for photographers to shoot them for a half hour or an hour at a set price. Same shit as the photographers.
If a cosplayer is "famous" enough, I'm sure photographers are willing to pay if they can get a shoot with a "brand name" cosplayer. Seriously, look around and see some of the name dropping in cosplay photographer groups. I don't mean shit where it's simple crediting, but like the continual spamming of a cosplayer every few weeks or some shit, all so they can keep their hits going or idiots who constantly name drop and inform people that they're a guest at so and so con and working with so and so cosplayer Shits patheticly attention whoring!
Also bitching about collaborations? How many photographers have you contact to collab with? I know tons of photogs in the East Coast who charge, but have waived their fees if a collaboration sound really good and thought out. Not some weabo shit like Hey I bought a Link costume off Ebay, let's shoot in the park! but shit like Yo I have a contact a a garden who can hook us up with some time to shoot after the garden's closed to the public and we can shoot my costume, I'll send you pics now so you can an idea what it looks like.
>>8956856
I feel you. I also started in 2003. Remember when someone took a picture of you with a cell phone and you just laughed. It was 400x600 "large high quality" 100kb photos. DSLR cameras weren't even affordable for the next 5 years at least. My youth was wasted on shitty disposeable film and even shittier 1st gen cellular phones that could also take photos
>>8956744
As a model, you are paying for my time modeling as well. So that cancels out the shooting time. Are you also paying for the 2 hours I spend getting ready before the shoot? What do you do, roll out of bed 15 minutes beforehand? Did you pay for the cost of my raw costume materials, as well as my hourly rate for 10-200 hours (depending on project) for the costume?
>>8955272
Isn't that NY?
>>8943251
Hi Travis!
>>8957098
Cali thinks it's better.
New York IS better.
>>8957077
Photographers spend hours after the shoot doing post-processing and darkroom/photoshop work.
>>8953639
Recommended Florida Photographers:
imPhotography (Pricey but you get what you pay for)
Kaze Photography (Such beautiful colors, about same price as IM)
Francisco Nazario Photography (Cool lighting)
Gapple Photos
Other great photographers:
Chasis Photos
Papanotzzi
BriLan Imagery
Japan Minute
Avoid these ones:
Travis Photography
Greg Rice
Michael Iacca
>>8956407
Oh Florida...
>>8957077
Here's the thing: you aren't the one charging money. If you can get people to pay, good for you. As is all the East coasters seem content to pay and the photographers are leaving money on the table if they don't charge a willing customerbase
The last time a cosplayer made a joke Facebook post about charging photographers it did not go over well with anyone. Photographers in the east have a lot of people who will shoot with them for free and not so much the other way around so it looks like the photographers are getting the best out of the relationship. If you want any different you're going to have to make a cosplayer coalition where everyone agrees to not do free shoots and pray that no one breaks ranks but good luck with that. No point to making overly complex costumes if no one is going to see them except for self satisfaction, right?
>>8956508
>>8956809
ITT: Photographers who no longer shoot the people or costumes they want, because they've gotten greedy and the sweet stream of money from mediocre cosplays of popular crap has gotten addictive. Instead of backing away and staying true to their vision, creating art with costumes and cosplayers they appreciate, they continue to take money to make uninspired products and then act like it's the cosplayer's fault they're charging for this "service".
It's no different from jnig and the rest of the patreon bunch accepting thirsty neckbeard money to cosplay a specific boobarmor slut. Embrace it, boys.
Based West Coast
>>8957143
yes. So the time is roughly equal pre-cosplay work and post-photo work. That is my point. You are only tit-for-tat after that judging on how many photoshoots a model books vs how many photos are edited in the end.
>>8957209
It is indeed fun to be West coast and not give a shit. Although I did see a girl in the fanime group charging $20/hr and she's roughly the skill level of a lot of East coast photographers who charge for shitty hallway shots. There are a bunch bunch of uggos clamoring to shoot with her so maybe it is possible to charge in California if you cater to those types
>>8957199
>ITT: Photographers who no longer shoot the people or costumes they want
Popular photogs don't charge popular models. They exchange services. They both want mutual exposure or enjoy the other person's work. They shoot exactly what they want, who they want, and for free. They just charge mediocre people for fun/profit.
>because they've gotten greedy and the sweet stream of money from mediocre cosplays of popular crap has gotten addictive.
It does get addictive for upper/higher level photogs to charge for their time, but they aren't charging their star social media friends. They use that popularity as leverage to get the lesser cosplayers to pay.
I am from the Midwest, and the popular photographers that I know are all from the West Coast. I couldn't name a single East Coast 'top tier' photographer except for Anna Fischer, and that isn't for her talent, it's because she overshoops and has had a dubious past.
Take it from a neutral party as a cosplayer, the East Coast seems like crazy town.
Man this is one big depressing fuck fest. As an east coaster, I get the deal with the crazy prices people charge for photos. When I started with photography, I did it for fun like most and did it for free. And for the most part I keep it that way if I do it for my friends. I only started charging when I planned photoshoots with other people and they wouldn't show up. Putting a cost on your photos made a lot more people respect you and take a photoshoot time seriously, at least on the east coast. Nowadays, there are a few people who shoot on a higher level who I honestly think deserve to charge but now a lot of people who know nothing have seen that and figure they can charge the same price without seeing the quality in the photos.
>>8941234
I resent that. Especially since Katsucon was saturated in Sakizo cosplayers.
>>8957098
There's a few shit photographers in NY with crap photos who like to brag about their hits and exposure on sites like Kotaku and Aggressive Comix
>>8957245
Fischer is so top tier she can't even get press passes anymore for cons
>>8957406
Then who is top-tier out East?
>>8957469
Joseph Chi Lin?
>>8957548
literally who?
>>8956537
Well, because I'm a professional, My photos don't have things like cars and people in the background. I retouch skin. I know how to pose my subjects, and I take pictures that can be light-hearted, or dramatic, or full of action.
I can shoot anywhere; I have the gear, the knowledge, and the experience. I showed people my Katsucon photos, and some people didn't even know I took them at Katsucon. That's why I charge. I wouldn't take money if I couldn't deliver a product worth money. And I've offered reshoots when I just couldn't deliver because of circumstances. To be honest, if you're paying a photographer, getting hotel carpet and other people in your shot shouldn't even be a concern. You should be completely confident in what they do.
I realize that cosplayers aren't made of money, that's why I don't charge so much. But I have to charge something, otherwise I couldn't go at all.
>>8957595
I guess that's why I don't charge. Photography is no longer my job, which makes it once again my hobby, and now I don't have to hustle at cons any more.
So I can pick my models, or even just wander and offer to shoot whoever catches my eye.
>>8956436
>The "cosplayers should charge" argument only works if you're assuming photographers will pay.
Cosplay photographers WILL pay. They won't pay to shoot people with Party City costumes, or people that weigh 300 lbs, but if you're beautiful / handsome, with a body and a well-crafted costume, they will.
Another thing that charging will do is force shitty photographers to git gud or git out.
>>8956492
>>8956508
> Photographers don't supplement my multiple hundred dollar costumes, I'm not helping them pay off their fucking fish eye lens. Or their hotel room. FUCK THAT.
Simply put, cosplayers pay because they want pictures. Better pictures mean better opportunities (modeling, guesting / bringing in more likes / followers, etc). Cosplayers that don't care about that won't go out of their way to get pics. The ones that do, will. And as a side note, if you blow multiple hundreds of dollars and hours on a costume, and don't have a plan to recoup those expenses, you don't have the right to bitch about those that do.
>>8956809
>okay, so if both cosplayer AND photographer should be charging. Who the fuck is paying for them?
In commercial photography, the client is the one who pays for the whole thing, photographer, model, etc. We should all be charging the comic / anime / game companies, and getting them to pay for our art, not going at each others' throats.
>>8956809
>Not . . . really ? the point was that cosplay photography is a JOINT effort, without a cosplayer there is no subject. It's not 'I've wasted all my money on cosplay now give me free pics,' they have to go where you go in uncomfortable shoes and have to spend months in advance making their costumes so that the end result of the photo is good.
That actually is the point you're making. Regardless the reason, no photographer has to give away their services. Period. If you find one that's willing to, cool. But none of us owe you shit.
>>8956827
>Fuck your photography. Fuck your so-called-skill. I can get much better memories with a selfie than with your pretentious ass.
Ayyyy if you can shoot better photos than me with a cameraphone selfie, then do it! There's no need to even argue. You should be the one out there overcharging people. lol
>And normal photography is no where near as virally popular as normalfag shit.
I think you meant to say that "normal photography" isn't as popular as cosplay... and that's a pretty dumb assertion. There's a lot more to be gained from a good fashion photo than from the best cosplay photo. lol
>I'd love for you to come to the UK for the shit we give togs like you.
I'm on my way. I know for a fact I'll be in Paris this year, but once I'm in Paris, it's just a stone's throw from the UK. If you want, you can book me right now. 100 pounds for a half hour. :)
>>8957640
They'll find someone who will do it free instead. Only a select few photographers are thirsty enough to need to shoot specific people. As is on the east coast especially there's way more cosplayers willing to pay photographers than photographers will to pay cosplayers. I'm sure cosplayers would go with free photographers if they could find them but when even the shitty photographers know that everyone else is charging and getting booked for paid shoots they don't see a need to be free. Again, the only way cosplayers could start charging is if a huge swath of them started charging and refused to shoot for free with everyone and that's just not going to happen. It's not like there's a cosplayer union and agreements setup that only union cosplayers can shoot or something.
>>8957661
This. There's too many cosplayers wanting pictures and not enough photographers on the east coast, so anyone who owns a camera can charge for any garbage and get booked. If nothing else, they'll get booked by obese broadcloth Steven universe fujoshi who will pay because they know they're hideous shit.
The only answer is to fix the supply demand problem but nobody is going to quit cosplaying to become a photographer, and the East coast is short on Asian dudes compared to Cali.
>>8957833
>The only answer is to fix the supply demand problem but nobody is going to quit cosplaying to become a photographer
There's a shit load of fauxtographers on the East Coast. You can't stick your arm out at a con without hitting one.
>The East coast is short on Asian dudes compared to Cali.
What the fuck does ethnicity have to do with ability to take a picture? I've been seeing this alot; people really think that the Asians take the best pictures, and I wonder what this is based on. Because I don't see anything mindblowing coming out of any of them.
>>8957837
A huge number of west coast photogs are Asian guys?
>>8957837
>I've been seeing this alot; people really think that the Asians take the best pictures, and I wonder what this is based on.
weeabooism
>>8957614
Conversely i dont mind paying photogs because once money is exchanged and there is an agreement i'm 1000x more likely to get my photos back. Maybe even with some post processing work. I can't count the times i simply didnt get photos back from a free shoot. Or if i did get photos back, it was 6 months later, and it was clear they were never touched.
>>8957833
East Coast is mainly more Latino and Filipino photogs anyway
>>8956827
Maybe people are charging you because yur attitude is shit or your cosplay skill is shit, or even nth combined.
You sound like those land cows that sell prints and then wonder why people won't buy their shitty prints. I like prints of whales, but they are reserved for my calendars, and they're usually jumping out of the ocean
>>8957888
A huge number of people on West coast going to conventions (and in general) happen to be Asian for that matter. Proportionally the Asian photographer demographic goes up
>>8957595
https://youtu.be/DYa6FNKSgbk
Florida will forever be the black sheep.
The largest demographic of the attendees are pretty much middle/high school kids.
Add that on top of the vast number of events Florida hosts and the con owners who are all competing against each other to see who is best.
I feel like the number of events + low quality also contributes to cosplay being taken less seriously around here.
I just wish there wasn't so many cons in the East Coast. Too much pressure to figure which one to attend. We're only mid April and there's already been like 12 cons this year.
Stay away from UV Photography too he's a pedo
>>8964795
Hello vendetta person. I find this hard to believe. Probably someone butt hurt that he can actually make great photos and gets more attention than you.
>>8964795
Vendetta much?
>>8964795
The kid's barely legal himself to be a pedo, get out of here with that shit!
