One of the best things about building your own cosplay is that it's like putting together a puzzle. You need to make the pieces and figure out how they are all going to fit together, which at times can be difficult. You can be moving along at a great clip and then just hit a dead end...so how do you work around it?
I don't think there is a single costume that ever comes together perfect on the first try. There is always problem solving and troubleshooting that you'll have to go through. Whenever I get really stuck on something, I walk away from it for a while. Sometimes I will spend a few nights brainstorming to see if there is a better way to do things. I also talk to my friends and family and fellow cosplayers to see if anyone else has some ideas I didn't think of. It's super important to try different methods until you find the one that works. Research, research, research! Find as much reference as you can before you start making something. I'll save pictures, videos, concept art and tutorials all in a folder pertaining to the character I'm trying to make. This makes it easy for me to go to one location to refer back to what I'm trying to make. It's a good idea to make draft versions and tests before cutting out your good fabric or foam. Once you make a cut, you can't go back! Try making templates out of paper and adjust them as needed before you cut out your final pieces. Or if you are modifying an existing sewing pattern, make the original out of scrap fabric and then draw out your changes on top, then make a new paper pattern for yourself. It's also good practice to keep any new patterns you might make yourself, you never know if you'll need it again! Look up tutorials and videos on what you are trying to make or techniques you want to use. Videos, blogs and tutorials make great reference that you can lean back on when you are struggling with something. Find cosplayers who have made the same costume as you, or a similar one. Look at their photos as reference or what you can do. If they have social media, also reach out and ask, it doesn't hurt :) Try a few of these out when you work on your next costume! Good luck and have fun!
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This is definitely a topic I am new to, and I've been trying to get out and take as many photos as possible, as well as learn as much about photography as possible!
So this post won't tell you how to be the world's best Cosplay photographer or start your own killer business, but I will definitely share some tips and tricks I have learned through experience, and some great resources you should check out to up your photography game! First off, get yourself a decent camera. Your phone is a great tool for taking quick pics when you are out at a convention, but you probably won't get that star quality photo you've been looking for from your phone camera. This doesn't mean you need to rush out and buy a DSLR, but find your self a decent quality camera that you are comfortable with and work up to the big cameras and multiple lenses. You can get a great point and shoot camera for a decent price and this will get you into the photography game. Next, make yourself familiar with good composition. Whether you decide to take a photography course, watch a tutorial online or read books on the topic, composition is definitely super important to taking great pictures! A few of the simple techniques I would suggest trying and starting off with are rule of thirds and bordering. Examples below of both techniques. - Rule of thirds: Imagine your view finder is split into 3 equal parts. Try making your subject stand in one of those three sections. This will make for super easy and interesting composition! -Bordering: This one is probably one of my favourites, because you can find great borders everywhere! Try looking down a side walk with trees on each side. If you centre your aim and put the trees on either side of your frame, you have a border! Now that you have your composition planned out, it's time to think about lighting your subject. I'm not talking about getting a whole bunch of lights and setting up your home studio, but I guess you could do that too. But first get used to how to use the natural light around you. What's the best time of day to take photos? Where is the sun positioned currently? When shooting outside it's really important to know where the sun is in relation to your subject. You don't want your subject backlit because you won't be able to see their face or those awesome front details. You also won't want your model completely front lit with bright light because you don't want them squinting, and you don't want to wipe out all those details with light that's blow things out. Location, Location, Location! When you're looking for a location to shoot think about the character's background or where the comic/game/anime/tv show takes place. Keep a journal of cool places that you visit that you would want to go back to for a photo shoot. Having this handy will make it a lot easier for future photo shoots. When you do go out shooting, take different landscape photos and architectures photos that you can add to your own personal stock library. This will be super helpful later on when you want to edit your cosplay pictures. There are so many great resources out there on photography and taking photos for cosplay, so do lots of research, get out there and have fun! This is definitely a tough topic, and one I struggle with just as many of you do.
Body image and liking yourself can be hard enough as it is, but now that you need to fit into a costume? Well that can be even harder. Characters are drawn skinny, and beautiful and have perfect little figures, or rippling muscles, a voluptuous rump and chest, that perfect 6-pack. Video games and anime and comics are fitting stereotypes, and making the characters the ideal image of what a human body COULD potentially look like or even breaking the rules of anatomy, which makes it hard for the normal average person to live up to. You're thinking I don't look like that...so I can't be that character. WRONG! Just because a character is designed a certain way, doesn't mean that you can't portray your own version of that. I have seen some of the most incredible costumes on all sorts of figures, and just because a person doesn't have the same physique as the character they are portraying doesn't make them less recognizable, or make me less excited to see them. In fact, I get more excited seeing that someone put in the effort to put themselves out there, making this incredible tribute to their favourite characters. I won't deny that when I know I need to prep for a con, I change up my food and start adding more exercise into my daily routine. I'm not saying I go to the gym, because I definitely don't do that...I like being a little lazy, but I will add minimum 10 minutes of vigorous exercise into my day. Something to get my heart rate up and get my metabolism boosted. But this is my routine and what makes me feel good. Just because it’s right for me, doesn’t mean that it will be right for anyone else. I'm doing what makes me feel good about myself and my costumes and it’s important that you do what makes you feel good too! All cosplayers want to show their love to their favourite series and characters, and all of us, I mean ALL, want to see our hard work and craftsmanship shown off and appreciated. There will always be haters and people who want to make rude comments, but it’s important to not let them get to you, don’t show them that they can get a reaction out of you. Words may hurt, but is a stranger’s comment really worth you feeling down about yourself or all that hard work and effort you have put into your outfit? No. A lot of the time you will find these people making comments are just jealous that they aren’t as awesome as you, or that they are completely ignorant of what cosplay is and just don’t understand. Bullies feel the need to bully to make themselves feel stronger, but that doesn’t mean you need to let them. It doesn't matter if you are tall, short, large, small, different ethnicities, it matters that YOU are comfortable in your costume, as your character and that you are proud of yourself!! Go forth and conquer! Our overall plan was to go to Drumheller for the day and get some amazing shots of Journey in our Canadian Badlands, but alas, when we drove to Drumheller we experienced both chilling high speed winds, and snow. So photoshoot moved to plan B.
We went into downtown Calgary to the Rundle Ruins. We had lots of fun taking pictures, and they turned out great! This has to be my favourite Expo hands down for Western Canada. It's so big it can be a little overwhelming, but it is well organized and laid out so things are easy to find which is fabulous!
For anyone who hasn't been to Calgary Expo, it's 4 days of nerdy awesomeness! It's located in the heart of Calgary at the Stampede grounds. This year it took over both the BMO Centre and The Big Four building. Thursday is their half day of opening, Friday is the Parade of Wonders or POW! which kicks off the whole event, then Saturday is their famous cosplay contest and Sunday wraps it all up! So we started off our adventures with a completely full schedule filled with panels and autograph sessions and SO much shopping, which of course the schedule changed a bit as the days went on. Thursday: We got to Expo about an hour after they first opened. They had a new ticketing system this year where you got a badge with a microchip inside rather than a wrist band. They would scan the badge every time you entered or exited a building. This helped them keep track of how many people were visiting the expo. We started off our adventures by going through the artist alley to meet Bailey Jae who is a very talented artist and youtuber. After successfully acquiring merch from her for a friend, we ventured over to the BMO Centre and wandered around the retail hall. With close to 400 retailers we had a LOT to cover, and definitely needed to practice restraint. Friday: We got to the Parade of Wonders half an hour early, and it started half an hour late :p It was so cool though! 4000 cosplayers walking down Steven Avenue accompanying cars with celebrities, marching bands and city authorities. Got lots of photos and video from here. We later headed back to the con for more shopping and panels. In the afternoon we went and saw a panel on Cosplay Photography featuring a Calgary company called Hazzardous Material. Very cool insight into making a company for cosplay photo shoots. Saturday: The weather wasn't the best Saturday morning as the forecast was calling for snow. So the morning was cold and windy. I wore my Journey cosplay to the expo, which surprisingly was warmer than I thought it would be, but definitely not enough to merit being outside for long. We checked out some retail vendors and artists, met up with friends and then left in the early afternoon. After a quick nap we headed back to the expo to watch the Master's of Cosplay Western Qualifier. I tell you, these cosplayer's brought their A-Game. These costumes were a cut above the rest, with so much attention to detail and care put into their craftsmanship. Sunday: We got there right as the doors opened expecting to meet Peter Cullen and Frank Welker from Transformers, only to be disappointed that they were not signing autographs at all on Sunday, only photo ops and a panel. We moved on and went to meet Tom Welling (Smallville), Mark Sheppard (Supernatural) and Tyler Hoechlin (Supergirl). My highlight for this week was meeting Rose McIvor from iZombie. She was so incredibly nice! I had brought a cross stitch pattern from my friend that she wanted signed, and it completely blew Rose's mind (mine too). She was also super stoked that both my friend and I had worked on iZombie. It made for a great start to both of our days! Afterwards we wandered around the artist's alley checking out the different wares, and finished our day back at the retail hall leaving with an awesome leather jacket by Luca Designs. All in all, Expo was a ton of fun! We spent way too much money, saw lots of great things, talented cosplayers and can't wait to go to another Calgary Expo! 2020 anyone?? :D |
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