/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

I'm thinking I'd really like to get into cosplay photography since I need a fancy camera for uni anyway. If anyone has any beginner tips or anything that would be super awesome! Also would love to do cosplay shoots in the future but I never know how about doing so. I don't really know any photographers in my area.

>>6740694
photoshoots are:

grab cosplayer
go somewhere
set up
take photos

that's it. don't expect money in most places if you're not the only game in town. most do it for free.

>>6740694
Best advice I can give you: Read the manual.

Everything else is just practice.

>>6740700
Oh yeah no I wasn't expecting any money at all just want to do it for fun plus every cosplayer loves having goof photos of them.

>>6740703
Will do thanks!

>>6740773
you should find it easy then. cosplayers have pretty low standards for photos. i see my friends put up a bunch of stuff which is pretty mediocre but the cosplayers love the shit out of it

How do you approach cosplayers for photoshoots at cons? I don't have a problem asking for one picture but that's a bit different. I always think "they're probably going somewhere/busy/don't have time for it." Do you just wear a sign saying "Free Photoshoots" ?

>>6741908
You could just ask them if they have time to come to the side and take a good amount of pics for them, and then give them some details on where they can find them or something (business cards help a LOT in this case).

Don't expect to be dragging them to places you want though. Just stand next to an open area and ask people that walk by. For places that are a little far out, you'd need to advertise on forums and websites and get people to come in advance to do stuff like that, which turns it from a casual photoshoot into a more serious one.

I've be meaning to get business cards but how many should i get and should i get more than one design?

>>6741943
It's up to you. Obviously single designs are much cheaper, you only really just need your name, logo (if you have one) and a website address. Cosplayers usually tend to do multiple design cards because they have different cosplays they can put on each one.

Also Vistaprint does very good deals on cards, I ordered about 500 from them and I've only used half of them since last year.

>>6741926
Thank you. I'll keep it in mind. I would like to do more serious photoshoots eventually, but that's once I get more cosplay-specific experience.

>>6740694
What anon said, and if the cosplay is of a character you are not familiar with, this could cause minor problems with poses. Ask the cosplayer about the character to get an idea of the personality. Big tip: COMMUNICATE.

>>6741908
>Look around
>"Woah, I love that cosplay!"
>Approach cosplayer(s)
>All you have to say: "Hi, I really like your cosplay(s). Do you have a few minutes for a free photo shoot over here?"

Some will be embarrassed or awkward and act shy, just keep talking and don't let the encounter get too stale. Most of the time, cosplayers get really happy that you even asked for a photo shoot. The worst that could happen is they say "I need to go somewhere" or "I already have a shoot set up". No biggie.

"Cosplay Photographers" I really don't get this clique. I would understand if they were trying to network but I feel like it's just circle-jerking.

>>6743306
Thanks. I just need to step my game up and not be nervous.

>>6743313
I took a look at the website, and at first glance it doesn't seem too bad. They seem update pretty regularly with interviews and tutorials. And I guess they just launched a network? idk.

I had a blast at Katsu doing my first few private shoots ever. I feel like the biggest part I fucked up was my appearance, from now on i'll be trying to look more professional at cons. If that means getting a battery extension for the sake of looking more reliable, I think i'll be doing that.

One question I had for cosplayers/photogs: How far is too far away? I know it's a pretty 'the worst thing they can say is no' situation, but I feel like dragging a girl away into the bushes could make her pretty uncomfortable. Any tips to approaching that kind of situation?

>>6743377
this is one of the biggest reasons why i love being a woman. people don't think i'm a creep when i photograph them.

anyway, don't just ask them to come over to the bushes to take pictures; think of the reasons why you want to take pictures over there and explain it to them. do you want to take photos over there because there's better lighting? is it too crowded and you just want to move somewhere else so people aren't in the background of every shot? does the scenery seem to fit nicely with the character or series the person is cosplaying from? you have to actually talk to them and give them some sort of sound reasoning.

and don't waste your money on a battery grip just to look more professional. most cosplayers aren't going to notice or care about that and are just going to see you as another dude with a camera. if you want to come across as more professional, then be more professional.

I'd probably never agree to a photoshoot just out of fear that my picture will end up on some shady website.

>>6743935
Like 4chan?

>>6743935
Do you agree to having your picture taken on the convention floor? That's just as likely to happen.

>>6743875
This anon has good advice. Also, battery grips are pretty useful beyond looking more professional. It's all subjective though; I have one on my t2i that makes it fit better in my gigantic hands, (when I take it off it feels like I'm holding a toy) but my 7D doesn't need one. I'll probably get one eventually for the other benefits though (battery life, portrait buttons, etc). The off-brand ones can be found on Amazon for much less than the brand ones.

>>6744731
>>6744069
>implying I go to conventions

lel

Favorite lenses for cons? I prefer something on the wider side given that sometimes you just can't back up. I generally keep my Tamron 17-50 2.8 on at all times during cons.

>>6745457
Freeeaaaaky. I use this exact same lens as my main.

Sage for no contribution.

>>6741908
I know of a photographer that advertises that he will be in x spot during y time and will take photosets for anyone who signs up. he had to deal with a lot of shitty cosplayers at first but can now be a bit choosier since he has a portfolio

>>6743377

there should still be congoers walking by within sight. doesn't have to be the con center but within sight of a major trafficway at least until you build up a reputation.

>>6746018
that's kind of like what me and my friends do except we stand somewhere in the convention center and someone gets designated as the "people grabber"

>>6745457
Glorious prime lenss master race. 85mm / 50mm / 30mm, maybe a 135mm sometime.

>>6746080
Do you have multiple bodies or just switch when you need to? My first con I tried using my 50mm but I found it too narrow on my crop body.

>>6746018
I should try this, maybe make a post on the con forums. Thanks.

>>6746283
just swap when you have to. I have a second body but it's more of a glorified lens holder now. The only times you really need 2 bodies is sports, concerts, and weddings. if you're doing portraits you control the flow and not the other way around.

>>6746018
>but can now be a bit choosier since he has a portfolio
Wait, how so?
I like scheduling shoots but really want to break beyond the usual lame cosplayers that come my way. A lot of the better ones (I know of at least) seem to have their own photographers.
What do you do, approach them specifically? Charge more for shoots? Deny when meh cosplayers try to book a shoot?

I do mean if you book before a con. I assume that if you're approaching them at con, having a portfolio wouldn't be a factor.

If you're going to go the card route, I have some OCD tips that will help out.

Use a card holder you can affix to your badge/camera strap/external bag/etc. instead of having to fidget around in your wallet/purse/backpack. This give you faster access, plus makes you look a little less awkward when fishing around for stuff.

The holder I'm using can hold 20, so it keeps track of how many cards I've given out/range of pictures taken, and if I resupply it at least once, I felt that I've done good work for the day. You can also store cards you've gotten from other people in there.

Replace your cards if they look frayed or haven't been circulated in a long time. It reflects poorly for some people if they think you aren't some hotshot who gives out cards frequently. This tip applies to regular networking as well.

About 10% of the cards given out reply back to me or follow our group on twitter. That sounds small, but if you hand out 100 cards at a con, that's still 10 people you didn't network to before.

Plus, it's not just for you. Giving out cards will let cosplayers know where they can find images of themselves after a con without doing the ego-boosting/demoralizing self search.

>>6746421

Where are you based, anon? I have the exact opposite problem - all my great cosplay friends fighting for the same two decent photographers.

If you're sick of meh cosplayers though don't do first come first serve, take names and sort through them before deciding your schedule

>>6746489
That used to be my problem too, but I recently moved to Norcal. I feel like everyone here already has their own connections and cliques, but it's probably just my being new here. I guess I just need to work my way into the community.

And that's a good idea, dunno why I couldn't think of that.

>>6746283
I just swap, note that I use a body with a 1.3x crop factor, so things aren't so narrow.

>>6746080
> primebro
This guy knows what up, I feel like 135mm is a bit extreme, but at the same time that would be right up my alley

does anyone else do that? take face focused pictures then realize that you're not really capturing any of the cosplay? I feel like I do it a lot, but I don't really regret it.

[EXIF data available. Click here to show/hide.]

>>6743313

>>6746421
Portfolio is key. Most high level cosplayers won't refuse you photos unless they're actively in the middle of something: start grabbing them long enough to take a couple really amazing shots, get their contact info, and get those photos back to them quickly. Do this a few times, and if your shots are good, the rest will come.

In the meantime, use the "meh" cosplayers as a learning experience. If you can learn to make them look better than they are, everyone is going to want to shoot with you.

>>6740700

This is pretty accurate. You can expect money if you become established enough and make it a priority to earn money doing so. But don't expect much, cosplayers spend all their money on cosplay. duh.

>>6743377
Appearance doesn't matter too much AT a convention. I mean, I cosplay while photographing and doing private shoots. But you should always try and act appropriately and be presentable when you approach strangers for photos though.

>>6746018
I did this before and I did not like it. The people who showed up were assholes and unappreciative. They acted like I was bothering them.. And their cosplay was nothing I would stop and photograph.

>>6746080
I use a 50mm 1.4 and 35mm 1.8 really often. Light weight, glorious depth of field, perfect for low light, etc.

I use a 70-200 f/2.8 IS II because I have to tote the damn thing around for press coverage anyway

>>6747689
I wouldn't even expect cash if you are established if you're in a populated area

Like in the San Francisco bay area, if you look at the Cosplay Photographers network map, there's people fucking everywhere. You're forced to work for free even if you did want to get paid because most of the people, good shooters included, are free.

>>6747450
You can do beautiful full body portraits at f/2.0 with the 135mm if you position yourself further away and manual focus it.

Can someone tell me what the thing is about LJinto? I just met him not that long ago but he already seems creepy and keeps telling me to cosplay Emma Frost and he keeps talking very poorly about other photographers behind there backs like Anna Fischer or LionelLum. Is this guy a jerk?

>>6747876

I don't know who that is, but obviously it's not cool to dis on other photographers, just like it's not cool to dis on cosplayers. Each have their own skills and talents, some better than others.
I know some photographers who seem to just really not like me for whatever reason, even though I don't start shit or care to. But whatever :)

>>6747876
not shocked by this he hates it when other photographers are more popular than he is

>>6743313
Hey. I'm one of the people on there.
The aim is to help both cosplayers and photographers.
Photographers can send in cosplay photos for critique.. Which is a webcam chat session which is later edited and uploaded to youtube.
Cosplayers can easily find which photographers are in their area and if they shoot for free.

On top of that there's exposure through features and tutorials/blog posts that are bound to be handy in some way or another.

It's not really a circle jerk. We also critique each other's work and.. don't really hold back.

>>6748515
>beethy
I'm out of here guys.

>No photog jerk stories.

At All-Con 2012, my group (3 ladies) were waiting in the line to go on stage for the cosplay contest. Wearing Draenei and two original design minions to go with the Draenei.

A little backstory first to completely understand the douchebaggery from the photo. Our Draenei was sick as fuck. She had vomited 5 times that morning (nothing contagious). We, the 2 minions, were also sick ourselves though not on that level. Our Draenei stayed up in the room, trying to sleep and get better until around 2:00pm Saturday. We toyed with the idea of dropping out of the cosplay contest, but she had worked really hard on her costume, and she did an awesome job. Plus, a videographer wanted to do a "getting ready" type cosplay video (MLZ Studios -- he's an awesome dude). So we decided not to skip the cosplay contest. Back to waiting in line.

Our Draenei had hooves, so she couldn't stand for long periods of time (plus... sick). There was a guy behind us who was super nice and kept moving a chair up the line for her. (If you're reading this, you were greatly appreciated.) Draenei was sitting in a daze, probably trying not to vomit, while we 2 minions were talking quietly about completely unrelated shit like grocery shopping or something.

This TX photographer comes up to us. Some of you may know him; he's the guy who asks you to look serious into his camera and then he takes a close-up of your face. When you ask him why you have to look serious, he tells you it's art or something. So he comes up to me and other minion and asks, "Are you guys talking about that group?" We turned at looked at him like what? What group? He points out the adorable Rainbow Brite group a few entries ahead of us... who we have absolutely NOT been talking about. We said, "Um, no. ...?" He says, "Oh, I was just trying to start drama."

TBC

>>6748565
(Continued)

This hits a sore spot for us because people talk shit about us fairly often, and a lot of it is unfounded. So we said, "No, we were not talking about them. Why would you even say something like that?"

He just laughs like it's funny to start shit with complete strangers, then asks to take our photo. We pose half-heartedly, then just turn away and try to ignore him. So then he moves onto our sick Draenei who is still sitting in a daze.

This is the 2nd version of a Draenei she has cosplayed, and she's recognizable because she's skinny, pretty, and nearly 6'0". He says, "Oh, I recognize you. I took a picture of you in your other costume with the purple skin." She just smiles and says, "Oh ok, hi there." He was like, "You don't remember?" All bitchy like. She said something like, "I'm sorry, it was the year before last when I wore that costume, so I don't remember too much that went on." Not to mention the fact that I was puking my brains out a few hours ago. Minion and I are watching him, about to intervene, when he says, "Yeah, well, it wasn't a good picture because that make-up is really unflattering on your face. Here, I'll find the photo of you and show you. I won't take a photo of you in this costume." She just kind of stared at him like are you fucking kidding me?

We help her stand up and move her up as close as we can to the entry in front of us. Nice Chair Guy sees what's going on, I think, because he helps too. The photographer STILL stood awkwardly around us for like 10 minutes before finally moving down the line. When we saw some friends later on and told them about it, they said he had been rude to them too. We try to avoid him at cons now, but it's like what the actual fuck. Who does that.

>>6748568
Don't be so beta and just tell people to fuck off when they're that retarded.

>>6748588
Yeah, kind of learned after that incident that idiots can't take a hint.

>>6741943
http://www.vistaprint.com/free-business-cards.aspx
you only have to pay shipping

>>6748565
>>6748568
You know I have encountered that guy a few times and he said something similar to what he said about your Draenei friend about me and a friend of mine who wasn't even around. He said our makeup was unflattering to our faces and that I should get my friend to decrease her shine. I asked him to take the poorer photo of me down if he didn't mind and he was like 'I wanna get your natural face and that's you not all posed up'. I thought it was weird but brushed it off, I spoke with my boyfriend about it sometime later and he said not to think about it but that encounter has always irked me and so I have been avoiding him as of late although I can't say I have seen him at any major events since last year thank god.

Sorry that happened to you man, your friend is gorgeous I remember seeing her photos online I don't think I saw ya'll irl since I was only there part of Friday and Sunday.

>>6748668
Yeah, he's really an odd guy. Maybe he doesn't realize he's a douche? idk. Well, maybe he's retired from cons since you haven't seen him lately.

>>6748515

Maybe they should stop acting like pompous dickheads on a regular basis and people will think better of them.

>>6748568

Do you know who the guy is? I want to see his photos. Better be some top top notch shit to talk so negatively to strangers like that.

>>6750211
I did a little searching, mainly because I was curious to see this unflattering photo he took of my friend, but couldn't come up with anything. He's Asian, but not Long Le, Lemon-ikon, or MLZ (if any TX cosplayers are reading this and maybe know). Ah well, maybe he doesn't publish his work online.

>>6750317
Is there another guy who does this too? Tall, white, not super great posture? I ran into him the first time about two years ago and while he wasn't a creeper, he wouldn't tell me what he was doing with the photos. Fast forward a year, I see him at A-kon and he is doing a book? I turned him down for another straight faced picture because he flipped through the book/binder thing he had like a flip book and still didn't really show what was in it.

>>6750358
I'm not sure, but I don't think that guy was this guy. This guy was probably only 5'7"-5'9". He was trying to show us the unflattering photo he took of my friend on a tablet, but of course we were annoyed, so we weren't actually paying attention to see what the site was. No book though. The only book guy I can think of is the Cosplay in America guy, but he's Asian too.

>>6746519
I also (kind of) recently moved to NorCal, and I can definitely feel you on that. The scene is really big here - which is awesome and inspirational - but also very well-connected and kind of clique-y. Everyone I've managed to have a longer conversation with has been really nice though - it's just the scheduling photoshoots part that's hard. I'm on the other side of the fence I guess, as a cosplayer, and my impression has been that photogs here just schedule with the cosplayers they already know - and since there are so many great ones, they usually don't have time to shoot with anyone else. But since everyone's so friendly, I'm thinking that getting to know one person will eventually introduce you to more of their circle?

>>6740666
>Images greater than 250x250 pixels will be thumbnailed.

>>6748515


Maybe it is unintentional, but it definitely feels like it is. Everybody featured is usually asian, most likely know each other and their photos consist of "journalism"-style or photoshop fests. They are usually people who only work with select models and post very few photos at a time. Where is the fun?

I find it extremely unlikely that if another A Fans View (someone who may not have the best technical, but most inspirational) came along, the site would probably ignore its existence. You probably don't even know who that is.

The cosplay network is a good idea though.

Maybe it is unintentional, but it definitely feels like it is. Everybody featured is usually asian, most likely know each other and their photos consist of "journalism"-style or photoshop fests. They are usually people who only work with select models and post very few photos at a time. Where is the fun?

I find it extremely likely that if another A Fans View (someone who may not have the best technical, but most inspirational) came along, the site would probably ignore its existence. You probably don't even know who that is.

The cosplay network is a good idea though.

>>6748515
Maybe it is unintentional, but it definitely feels like it is. Everybody featured is usually asian, most likely know each other and their photos consist of "journalism"-style or photoshop fests. They are usually people who only work with select models and post very few photos at a time. Where is the fun?

I find it extremely likely that if another A Fans View (someone who may not have the best technical, but most inspirational) came along, the site would probably ignore its existence. You probably don't even know who that is.

The cosplay network is a good idea though.

>tfw The only cosplay photographers in my area are a guy that doesn't understand lighting and angles and a guy that does good work but hates me for no reason.

Fucking Vegas

>>6746519
>>6750900
>but also very well-connected and kind of clique-y

While it is a problem for newer photographers I don't think that you can really fault cosplayers for this. I can't speak for the other regions but the cosplayer/photographer relationship here is very personal. Many of the higher profile cosplayers are legitimate friends with their photographers and there are many outings where they hang out outside of cons such as going to clubs, house parties, bar hopping etc. Scheduling is no longer an issue as they know each others timetables in and out so a simple text like "yo lets go and take photos" is all that's needed.

Really I suggest just hitting the scene from the ground up. Find cosplayers, take their photo and give you card out. If you see them again mention how you like their outfits and take another picture. It's gonna take at least 3 to 4 con meetings (maybe sooner or later) before you build up your rapport and you can start doing more elaborate shots.

>>6751642
>This

Fucking Hawaii

>>6750373
Damn this is making me want to take cosplay photos in TX cons
This photographer in question sounds like he doesn't know what he's doing. Especially because he's expecting 'studio quality' in inappropriate areas.

>>6745457
Tamron 17-50 2.8 is the best lens ever.
But for conventions with lots of lightsources (giant windows, mostly daytime, outdoors) I prefer to use a Canon 70-200

>>6751662
Well, he didn't seem to be studio quality seeking, but if he was.... lollllllll at his efforts. TX has some decent photogs, honestly. This guy was just off-putting.

>>6751670
>Tamron 17-50 2.8 is the best lens ever.
The voice of somebody who has never used a Leica. Or even the good Nikon and Canon glass.

50mm isn't enough for cosplay. You gotta be able to shoot those head-and-shoulder portraits and 50mm will distort. If you gotta have only one lens then the 24-70 2.8 is the way to go. Really what you should have is a 50 1.2 and 85 1.2, or you can use the 1.4 or 1.8 versions if your budget doesn't stretch. 50mm for walkaround and switch to the 85 for proper shooting. If you have a crop body swap the 50 for a 35 or 28.

>>6748565
>he's the guy who asks you to look serious into his camera and then he takes a close-up of your face

god that guy is terrible. The time he stopped me and I asked why he wanted me to pose deadpan he would not give me an answer. It made me pretty uncomfortable. I've avoided him since then, I think once I even managed to escape before he took his creepy ass photo.

Honestly, the next time I get stopped by him I'm probably reporting him to security, he's rude as fuck and he pretty much forces you into that weird ass pose.

id like to see some of you /p/hotogs works

Can some of you more experienced photographers recommend a DSLR for someone who wants to learn the craft but isn't very knowledgeable yet?
I really like taking pictures but I have a lot to learn. I'm saving up for a camera for later this year but I'm not sure which models to really be looking at.

>>6751791
Oh come on, you can correct distortion in PP.

>>6751859

there used to be a sticky on /p/ about that question. To put it simply every major entry level camera is about 95% the same. That 5% is where your differences come in. Go to you local camera shop (NOT BEST BUY) and test out some of new and used cameras.

>>6751876
I'll check /p/ and see if I can find it. Thanks! I've gone into electronics departments at several stores just to look around but sometimes I'll hear people "oh no, don't get that model/brand" but no one ever tells me which models they WOULD recommend or even WHY they don't recommend the one I was looking at. I've shot with Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm DSLRs owned by other people but never got the chance to learn them inside and out.

>>6751844

here's one from SakuraCon 2013

>>6751899
we don't have a sticky anymore
we have this though
http://pseudosticky.wikia.com/wiki/Pseudo_sticky

t2i/t3i are pretty good choices. i know a few days ago the t3i with kit lens was $400. can't argue with that.

>>6751844
Here's one from Dokomi 2012.

>>6751904
Dude, THAT distortion.

>>6751918
he's just getting his fisheye on

>>6751904

dat fisheye makes me jelly.

and here is something from me

>>6751920
I would use a fisheye for people photography. It shines on architecture and sports stuff.

Different tastes though, some prefer it - some don't :3

>>6751913
That's a really great price. I think the t3i is one I've used before and was interested in buying. I'll go through /p/ a little just in case I find anything relevant. Thank you!

>>6751921
I like it, but maybe crop it a bit? Too much dead space going on above her head.

>>6751930
yeah, it's just a lens you screw around with, not really for serious work

>>6751939

The rest of that shoot is tighter. That photo was showing that there used to be a multi million dollar stadium there

>>6751944

Depends how you use it :) I've used it on many situations that most wouldn't really consider.

Also, the glass is so sharp! It is a niche lens, but worth it if you learn to implement it often.

>>6751921
>>6751918
I like these shots. The cosplayers were probably happy with them, I'm sure :)

also, here's another photo I took that is not from my fisheye

>>6751791
>The voice of somebody who has never used a Leica
Are you seriously going there?
Get a Hasselblad H4D-60 then say that to my face in real life and not online you fucker.

>>6751859
Canon T3i
Pentax k-r
Nikon D3200

>>6751959
I don't want to be a jerk and start giving critiques and tips to people who don't want it, but do you do any post processing or do you just post straight out of camera?

>>6751791
17-50 = 24-70 on a crop sensor.
Also, most of what you said was silly.

>>6752067

>>6751649
>they hang out outside of cons such as going to clubs, house parties, bar hopping etc
I just noticed how my not being 21 actually has made it harder to connect with a lot of cool congoers...

>>6752295
Or maybe just your crap personality and social life to begin with.

>>6752295
don't worry, you'll be 21, and then suddenly 30, and then you'll wonder where the fuck all those years went.

>>6752067

Depends on the shot. I dont over process like most people do on the con circuit

>>6752509
the one he asked about looks like "no process at all"

SoCal here, any good cosplay photographers you can recommend. I want some nice, non-creeper photographer for Anime Conji and Anime Expo.

>>6752594
for AX at the very least you can expect a lot of the guys from NorCal to come down too.

>>6752594
Bigwhitebazooka. He's one of the best in the world. You're lucky you live near him.

When y'all are talking about portfolios - do photographers actually tend to take a printed, bound copy along with them? Because that is goddamn genius.

>>6753263
No that sounds ridiculous.

>>6753267
Sounds easier than handing someone a card and having them rely on your word and a bit of cardboard that you're any good - a 4x6" wad of prints would be small enough to carry, and you'd be able to show people on the spot.

>>6753263
>>6753270
>Nonono I swear I'm good! Just stay here for a moment and look through my 4x6s! They're great, I swear!
Those are salesman tactics and are honestly very annoying.

>>6752510

there was some color work done on that. Not a lot though

>>6752509
>>6753293
Different poster but here's some suggestions cause you posted the shot so...
>Shooping out all those fucking stray wig hairs
>Get rid of that lint near her armpit and the one in the middle of her waist in the black
>The dark spots on the gravel are distracting
>Fix the exposure/contrast on her hair a bit more.
>Smooth out the skin on the bit of thigh she's showing
>Eliminate that small dot on the bottom right white square of her badge unless it was intentional, I don't know enough of this series to know if it's intentional
>Alter the contrast on her arm and the top section of her skirt-armor thingy
>See if you can do anything about making the eyes pop out a bit more
>Do something about minimizing the circles under her eyes
>Smooth out the armor's paint job
>Double-check with cosplayer about those six visible moles


All of those are corrections that don't alter the photo into shoop da whoop status while fixing minute mistakes that make people wonder just what the fuck makes this any different from an iphone picture.

>>6753322
I'm not as anal as this guy but it is a little underexposed. I'd bring up the levels as well.
And... possibly think of a font change for your watermark. What is that, comic sans?

>>6751959
>3264x4912
>>6751921
>4592x3056
You're overly proud of your camera. There's a reason /p/haggots explode when someone posts images > 1500 pixels on the longest side.

The poster in >>6753322 may sound anal but of their criticisms are not unfounded. When you post your xbox hueg photos you're just begging for the pixelpeepers to come down on you.

>>6751959
Took 5 minutes. Would do some other stuff, but no time right now.

>>6753465
Aside from the atrocious font, the year should be be written '13, not 13'. You're omitting the 2 and 0 of 2013, which is what the apostrophe implies.

How should one go about finding cool locations to shoot? Especially indoor ones.

>>6754427
Are you talking about at a con or just in general?

>>6753477

not overly proud i just dont care to reduce photos

and yes you have a point.

>>6753322

some of this I'll agree with but one thing dont do is shop people. Deal with it.

>>6754124
temp watermark. my goof

>>6754427
you gotta scout bro

>>6753585

all you did was up the contrast. and it looks bad. there was a reason i dropped a lot of the bright yellows and green out of the background of this.


wasnt really expecting criticism but this is nice

>>6754512
>all you did was up the contrast. and it looks bad.
hahawhat.
It looks like he
-brought up the saturation of the blues
-upped the whites/highlights
-cleaned the face a little
-brought the crop in slightly closer
He did nothing to the background, which you seem so worried about. I agree that it looked underexposed, you should at least learn how to balance a histogram.

>one thing I dont do is shop people.
We're not asking you to liquify her skinnier or anything.
The cosplayer is wearing makeup already (or, should be). Using the heal tool on small marks or brightening parts of her face, which you usually would start doing with lighting or reflectors, shouldn't be anything ethically terrible.

>>6754512
>some of this I'll agree with but one thing dont do is shop people. Deal with it.

Then learn to light them.

>>6754512
if you don't want to do things to someone's shape or shop out every stray pore, great, more power to you. but there's nothing wrong with making someone look like you took a photo on one of their good days under great lighting.

>>6754625

>>6752594
There will be a bunch of good SoCal photogs at Conji this weekend you can probably start a rapport there and book for AX later

What are you looking fo have photographed? What series or character? Is it a group or just solo? i can recc one or two for what style you may want, aside from just BigWhiteBazooka who usually has his own sched to keep and doesnt just do on-the-fly photoshoots.

>>6754838
And there's always the cosplay.com Photoshoot Scheduling forum but I'm not actually sure how many people look at that to begin with, both photographers and cosplayers.

>>6754959
cosplayphotographers network will have a booking system in place soon

As a guy I always feel bad for you girls with this kinda thing. Having checked out various fetish related sites and so on (with intention to fap) it always pisses me off to see cosplay pics on there that have blatantly been taken with the intent of pandering to the fetish, like you can tell they've said "put your foot/leg/whatever here".

it might sound weird but what bothers me isn't the fact they're 'objectifying women' or something, it's that it's such a mess and poorly done. They don't get characters names right, they favour the cosplayers who pander to their fetish the most and they really do act like freaks about the whole thing (and I'm fine with neckbeards) I guess what you could say is that I hate the way photographers pretend to be better than your average drooling neckbeard but instead are just as creepy in a snake-like way.

If I was good at taking photos I'd just round all of you up and take good, solid pictures of your cosplays without any sexual input. I hate to see characters ruined by "raise your boobs a little" or "show more of your leg"

>>6755447
omgneat.

>>6755484
I'm glad there are photog guys willing to speak out against this kind of shit.

http://everage.deviantart.com/ He's local and that kind of photography is the only stuff you'll ever see from him. I feel sorry for girls who get roped into his shitty fetish shoots.

>>6755447
I wish I could register without facebook.

>>6755653
same. I registered WITH my facebook, but I would prefer not to, as my Facebook is really private/personal and I am severely paranoid about cosplay things creeping over and stalkers and so on. But I signed up as a photographer so I hope I won't get stalkers

>>6755484
thanks from here to for speaking out. It's sometimes really obvious by certain directions what kind of shot the photographer is going for, but others who snipe at particular angles are harder to catch

it's worse when there's the pretext of being a normal, decent, hobbyist photographer-- because there are plenty out there, male and female, who suffer from bad eggs like what you describe.

I'm sure photograpers hate their cosplay photos being stolen /cropped water mark out and reposted on "HOT COSPLAY GURLS!!11" sites that are laden with ad banners and shit. ugh.

>>6755511
>>6755653
make dedicated photo facebook
problem solved

>>6746455
...your card case looks a lot like my birth control holder

>goes to BC
>takes pills out
>stacks cards
>JFC ITS A MIRACLE

>>6755700
Can it hold some cards and the pills?
(neat find btw)

>>6755484

Preach it.

>>6751805
>>6748565
Is that the guy who published the book of depressingly deadpan looking cosplayers by any chance?

>>6755950
What? I hope not, but I've never heard of this book. Any link to more info about it? I'd recognize those deadpan photos in a heartbeat because they all looked the same when he showed us.

>>6757089
>>6755986

>>6757103
Believe it or not, those photos are better than the guy we're all talking about. Our guy only does face close-ups. Like, nothing below the neck. Also, there's no posing "allowed"--not even turning your head to the side. Just straight looking at the camera with no expression.

Would it be crazy to get/turn this into a photo critique thread? I don't recall seeing one here before. (and it's probably not really a genre the gearfags at /p/ would be constructive with)

>>6758126
assuming you can get our attention, we critique anything and with as much scathing assholery as possible. don't let it stop you from posting here though.

>>6758126
I don't intend to make anyone butthurt, although it's critique so it'll hurt when someone points out flaws anyway. I'll be here because I've been wanting to say stuff about everyone's pictures since late summer when these threads started popping up and most of the shots in these threads keep having the same issues with very little improvement. Out of the usual posters since then, fang is the one that has improved the most although you can tell by my previous post he's still lacking.

I really just want you all to improve.

>>6758189

dat backhanded complement.

but your'e right. true critique normally isn't nice and you can do one of two things with with. Take it with a grain of salt or think that nothing is wrong and your work is great.

>>6758268
for some reason all your shots just seem... unsharp to me. what camera/lens are you using? total gearfag question but goddamn, it's bugging the hell out of me

>>6758268
Mother of JPEG artifacts...

>>6758275

Had to run to work check the exif

>>6758295
all the stuff checks out and doesn't explain why it should look like that. it almost feels like it's a photo that was smaller and then blown up to a larger size.

>>6758309

Weird. Ill check how i exported it when i get home

>>6755511
The foot fetish is strong with this one. Blech.

>>6758275

ok i had a setting changed

>>6759471
Much better. You can actually see details now.

>>6759471
yeah, much much better. it was bugging the hell out of me.

I have a question for photogs in the thread. As a cosplayer or photog how do you deal with other photogs intruding on a private shoot and being nuisance? I don't mean people stopping and snapping a few photos, I mean someone coming in between the subject and the first photog and trying to direct the cosplayer and/or drag them away. Beyond saying "sorry this is a private shoot do you mind arranging your own shoot later" is there a particular way to handle this?

>>6759601

First tell them its a private shoot and they need to leave

If they are still there after that you need to tell them to fuck off ( B-E aggressive)

If that doesn't work I have used a tripod as a weapon before and since I dont carry a tripod at a con a light stand will do

>>6759601
that or the cosplayer ignores them or tells them they are busy. He'll get the picture after no one is paying attention to him. If he keeps shooting silently behind you nothing you can really do besides just stop the shoot completely and stare at him til he gets bored and leaves.

>>6759630
I would not advise physical violence as that can lead to legal problems and possibly even an asskicking if he's able to do more than you in that department.

this is why Canon/Nikon make telescopic lenses! CREEP ALL YOU WANT! from far away

>>6759471
A little light into the face to fill the cheek shadow and light up the eyes would be nice. Doesn't even need to be another flash, a white reflector would do.

It doesn't really relate to the photo itself, but I'd drop the opacity of the watermark to where it's just readable, and then scale it up a bit (only like 15% or so though). Right now it's both distracting and too small to be clear if the photo is reposted at coscom-sized 800x whatever, and it'd be pretty easily cropped out if some scheisty eBay/Taobao wig seller stole it.

C&C?

The fact that I don't want to pick any of my recent pics for review is pretty troubling, I don't have much that I feel I've put a lot of work into, so that's something to change.

I could use a good thrashing about my work in general, I feel like it's practically snapshots at this point, I need to get back to candid shots or spend more time setting up a photo in the first place. This inbetween is just casual garbage

goldphotog.tumblr.com/

>>6760382
Right off the bat, it desperately needs color balancing. Too blue and too green, but when you adjust them bring the greens in the foliage and costume back up in Lightroom or with adjustments>selective color in Photoshop.
Here's what just the color adjustments would look like.

Other than that, it's a decent shot... Not amazing but not horrible.
The composition's a bit centered, with her body exactly in the middle, but the pose starts to fix that. I'd move or have the cosplayer turn her arms just a little so there was more depth.

Do you guy shoot RAW?

>>6760392
This is how you know which to shoot in:

RAW: I might fuck with it later
JPG: I don't give a fuck

So if you're not going to touch it besides resizing, use jpg.

>>6759601
Are we talking like in a confloor setting?
I don't like shooting on the confloor to begin with due to the focal lengths that I use so I have to organize shoots away from people anyway. This minimizes anyone else coming along and intruding, I get the bonus of a decent backdrop, and even the ones that intrude are friends anyway and they have manners.

But if you can't help it, and the dude is already snapping away:
>As the photog
Take a picture of their face. Like, literally get between them and the cosplayer and start snapping away on burst mode. Keep smiling. The point is to calmly get their attention and informing them to please wait their turn.
Alternatively, advise the cosplayer beforehand on what to do such as having them inform the offender to consult with you about being posed and why their interruption is rude. The attention is on the cosplayer and it's much easier for them to break the offender's concentration/attention/focus.

>As the cosplayer
Go up to the offending photographer and ask them who they are and to please stop being rude. If they keep being stupid, ask them to delete the pictures or con-security is going to have to make a visit. On that note, learn how Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax's delete function work so you're not lied to. Your photog should be able to help in this regard.

Telling someone it's a private photo shoot sounds very pretentious. It's either a shoot or it's not. Even if one is humble and refers to the act as "let's take some pictures, yo", it's still by definition a shoot.
Same thing with mini-shoots. Proper terminology for that is 'short photo shoot' anyway so please guys, stop using that phrase.

The only thing that varies is the amount of photographers and the logistics behind everyone getting their shots.

>>6760392
Always
Got 32GB of space so I might as well use it, then I can edit any minor fuck ups I make in Lightroom.

>>6760392
I use RAW + S Jpeg. Reasonable image preview and I fit more RAWs on my card. Granted the difference is only like 30-50 photos but it works.

>>6758268
>>6759471
Don't go lower than 75% jpeg quality and 72 dpi.

In regards to technical aspects:
>Eyes need to pop more, use a reflector like >>6760352 suggested since you don't need that much more light.
>Try not to shoot at anything less than f/2.8, or f/2 if you really want to push it. Move the a bit further from the wall if you wish to keep the backdrop blurred. I'm well aware of how sharp Sony's f/1.7 is but you're doing so at the cost of DoF and the outfit has wonderful texture that is suffering due to that oversight.
>On that note, it's easier to fix noise produced by the ISO increase than attempting to sharpen the unfocused areas so don't be afraid of a little noise.
>According to exif you didn't use a flash so you had immediate feedback about lighting. That reflector would have also lit up the palm of the gloves and the collar making them visible and adding to the shot.

In regards to stuff you can fix now:
>Stray thread on the elbow is distracting.
>Spot adjust the more visible bumps on the face. The point it to have uniform skin, not plastic. It's morally okay to do so. (blah blah I don't do it cause deal with it fgt blahblah moot agrees don't bother him about it bahblah)
>Blacks are too black on the gloves and the collar (yo, there's a collar!). The lighted areas have texture, let the rest of the gloves compliment it without losing shape. And before the counter-argument of it being a stylistic choice appears, the eyelashes are also suffering due to this.
>Dodge her eyes. It's just the bottom half that's visible due to the eyelashes being blacked out but the red has a nice effect so bring them out a bit more so it draws attention to them since they're getting lost in all the darkness.
>Ask about getting rid of the goosebumps on her arm. It's not particularly flattering but some don't care or might be sensitive about it being shown.

Overall, it's a decent shot without any particularly disturbing issues.

>>6760382
>>6760389

This is… very weak composition.
I have no idea what you're trying to achieve with this shot. The full body shot in the set is much more flattering since it gives the impression of a private garden just for the gardevoir. Not saying it's great, just that it's the most presentable one out of those.

>I feel like it's practically snapshots at this point,
Because they are. I get the impression that you're fairly conscious of the rule of thirds but not much else so go back to the fundamentals of composition.

>I need to get back to candid shots
Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

>spend more time setting up a photo in the first place.
Yes. Please, do. It also helps to research the series you're shooting so you have some idea on what kind of impression you want to give with your shots.

>goldphotog.tumblr.com/
Stop sneaking shots. Photographs look much better when it's not glaringly obvious that the subject's attention is on another photographer.

>>6760389
Another way would be to warm up the snapshot and adjust the green/magenta. This is in LR4 though.
Honestly, I would pass on this shot. It's not strong enough to warrant editing.

>>6760392
I do.
The advantages in shooting raw outweigh how much space they take up.
A 16gb CF is under $40 and SD cards are generally cheaper than CF.

>>6761150
Your posts have been very informative so far. Do you have any books/links/tuts to share as reference? I want to get into photography more beyond using a fancy dslr as a point and shoot camera but I never know where to start. I like to think I've gotten the hang of shutter speed but everything else is a bit of a mystery to me.

Also if you have any photoshop/other photoediting software tutorials to share that would be nice too.

Thanks!

>>6761212

Learn how to use a DSLR on manual mode and read what everything does. Shutter speed, ISO, Aperture. Learn to balance those.

Work on composition and get constructive feedback on your work.

Once you do those things, then you can look into post production software. You should learn to get a properly exposed image that you MEANT to achieve.

Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot.

You can read all you want, but you need to get out and shoot. In manual mode.

my 2 cents

>>6755511
Everage fucking rules. So many high res foot shots. And he always gets them to take off their sweaty shoes/boots mid-shoot. So hot.

>>6755484
Don't be a white knight. The entire premise of girls tarting themselves out and dressing up is predicated on male attraction. There's a reason only a few effeminate faggot males do it, and a few comic nerds buff enough to have a little bit of fun with it - but rest assured, nowhere near the fun the catty cunts of /cgl/ have for being prettier than the next girl.

Directly sexualizing it is par for the course. I'm not looking at your stupid goddamn costume, for a game you never even played, or some casual EA title you don't even care about, because it's "good" on some objective level. I'm looking at it because women dress up to appeal to men. It's like saying "OMG YOU SEXUALIZE FASHION PHOTOSHOOTS BY HAVING THE GIRL STAND SO THAT HER BOSOM IS PROMINENT". Yeah, no shit, no one would care about anything she's doing if we weren't looking at said bosom.

Women are so deluded.

>>6761150
>Stop sneaking shots. Photographs look much better when it's not glaringly obvious that the subject's attention is on another photographer.

sign of a true beta photog

>>6761046

strange that sony doesnt pick up when i use triggers. Thank you for the in-dept C&C

>>6761613
I could tell you were using an off-camera flash (looks like a shoot-through brolly?) but it's pretty far off axis. I suggested a reflector earlier, but actually an on-camera flash or even the pop-up if you have one would be better, just so you'd have catch lights in her eyes. Since it's just for weak fill the quality of light doesn't matter that much.

>>6763197
That is no Handy Dandy Notebook. What a phony.

>>6763198
How can she hear if wears glasses?

>>6763265

Wut?

>>6763265
Why does she need glasses if she's deaf?

>>6760382
Woah, it's my face! I wish I had practiced posing more for this shoot. I feel like my weak posing definitely doesn't help this photo - or honestly any of the ones after we moved from the gazebo - at all. :/

I'm guilty of this myself when I shoot, but pose suggestions and corrections are incredibly helpful to models. We don't know how dumb we look until it's too late.

>>6763198
Anime Iowa?

>>6763802

Yup

Thanks so much for the advice guys, it's starting to feel pretty /p/ in here and I like it a lot (especially because /p/ thinks cosplay is a joke).

>>6760389
Thanks so much for putting time into an example, it really is a big change with a bit of exposure and balancing. I ussually see how it looks with natural white bal and like how it stands out from the set, but i'm seeing how that creates problems.

Do you guys feel there's ever a merit in having a less than perfect white balance?

>>6761150
Thanks for the details Senpai! it means a lot. I really do need to cut the sneaking, it's a bad habit and can't be what i'm presenting to people if I want to step it up.

>>6763372
You were really quite lovely~ promise! I was really happy with the quality of your outfit too, photographed really well.

>>6764070
Alright. I like that picture and thought the curtains looked familiar.

>>6761212
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson is decent (there's a PDF floating around) along with what >>6761442 said. And to clarify JailBreak's comment, shoot what you mean to shoot, not Infinite Burst Works.
Also, in regards to constructive feedback, find someone you trust and respect that can objectively tell you where you're screwing up. It's okay to get sad but learn from it and don't ever be angry at them. This may be one of the most difficult things to do.

If you have the time and are able to, take a basic film photography class and hide your powerlevel. During critiques don't say ANYTHING about your photograph until everyone has said their comments. This is to prevent your point of view from influencing an impression of your shot and provides a reality of how a photograph has to stand on its own merits since you will not always be there to defend it.

>>6763197
>>6763198
I'm not touching these.

>>6763372
The puckering of the fabric bothers me slightly but overall it suits you.
This is mainly a photog thread but makeup is also important since it can change a person. I'm aware that there are times when the skin decides on its own it wants to be in the picture anyway so make sure the photog is able to deal with it. Try to do something about the inner eye socket discoloration.
Surprisingly, your posing isn't too horrible. I would give pose recommendations but I'm not familiar enough with Gardevoir either in the game or in anything else but if the wiki and a quick google search are to be believed, a more intimidating look would work better.

>>6762525
Diffused popup if no other choice is available not even someone wearing shiny satin.