Cosplay Photography

There are a lot of things I like and want to do with my Pokémon cosplay. One of them is to participate in cosplay photography. Cosplay photography can be considered to be an important adjunct to cosplay: it's where many character moments are realized and preserved. Cosplayers can act out poses of their character as well as preserve their cosplay state in front of the camera. This is an area where there can be had a little creativity in cosplay while considering my character, which for the most part are Pokémon characters.

Casual cosplay photography is the kind that occurs most often when mingling with visitors or with other cosplayers. In these situations, I don't have a lot of time to think about my poses, so I usually act the first pose that comes to mind. Further, the pose is often dictated by the situation and the space, as in whether the picture is being taken of me alone or with others, whether the picture is a selfie or being taken with the help of others, and/or whether there is a lot or not a lot of space to take the picture. In the case of my Pokémon cosplay, it means relying on a Poké Ball or my feature Pokémon, which in the case of Ash or Red is Pikachu, to help me with the pose.

Special cosplay photography is the kind that occurs when I'm dictated by a cosplay photographer to help with replicating a certain pose or to follow their direction in posing for a picture. This is the kind that I've mentioned in regard to the pose of the Ash and Pikachu keychain. In either case, I relinquish some creative control with the pose involved or because of their direction. This kind doesn't necessarily happen at cosplay events, as sometimes a group of cosplayers or even the cosplay photographers themselves can request an ad hoc photo shoot outside events. I've long since participated in one of these, though I hope it will happen in the near future; if it ever does happen, then I would certainly go for replicating the aforementioned pose.

Cosplay photography is what makes a cosplay worth its while, as the cosplay experience is preserved in a photograph and it draws out the acting or roleplaying skills of cosplayers. This is certainly true even for my Pokémon cosplay, where as I am dressed as Ash or Red, I try to act out moves and poses for the enjoyment of others as well as to display my passion, and this is all encapsulated in pictures. In doing so, I realize my character's moments and preserve them, fulfilling the "play" aspect of cosplay. It's something I'm only happy to do with my Pokémon cosplay.