Spotting fake photographers in cosplay

We all love a photoshoot. And if it is free, we love it even more! The cosplay and the photography communities have a very close bond. After all, how would you feature your amazing work if it wasn’t because of your photos! If you go to local conventions, very often someone with a camera will ask you to pose for him but that doesn’t mean the person who asked you is a photographer.

Furthermore, sometimes one of these persons will offer you to go to a photoshoot. That is great! But do you really know who you are shooting with? One thing is taking a picture with someone in a convention, but do you want to spend an hour with a stranger in a place you don’t know? Are you going to shoot with a real photographer? And most important of all, is it safe?

I have posed for many photographers. Most of my experiences have been great, but I have also felt uncomfortable in more than one occasion. From weird looks to weird proposals or requests that were out of order, photos that never appeared or low quality images. Not everyone who owns a camera is a photographer. But here you have some signs to spot fake photographers in cosplay.

Checking your photographer

Having a good camera doesn’t make you a photographer. It is unfortunate, but some so called “photographers” want to take pictures of you just to their own advantage. Maybe they want to see you wearing that miniskirt, or, given the chance, get some “special attention”. We have all heard the stories. It is not the norm, but I just want to save you from a bad experience. If you are not sure, these are some things you can be doing to make sure you are safe.

1. Work with experienced photographers

When you are asked to go to a photoshoot make sure you work with experienced photographers. Would you take seriously someone who just bought a camera and has never done a photoshoot before? Hell, no! There are many photographers who take photos as a hobby, and many others who take photos as a job. If you are working with a professional or an experienced hobbyist you are almost guaranteed you will be safe. Not to say that the quality of your photos will be much better. Be doubtful of those who claim to be photographers but have no photos to show. Good cameras don’t always mean good photographers.

2. Avoid dodgy profiles

As I said, it is easy to meet a photographer at a convention. After a talk you may more or less have an idea about this person. You can more or less decide to trust them and go ahead with the photoshoot. But what if they send you a request online? Let’s say you have never talked with the photographer before and they send you a message to your profile. Something like this

This is an example of what I sometimes get in my profiles. This person in particular sent me a message to Instagram. As you see, it looked fishy from the beginning. First of all, he didn’t give me any information about himself. He never introduced himself as a photographer and he wanted to “hire” me even if technically I am not a model. What’s more, when I opened his profile he didn’t have any pictures that could verify his identity. I proceeded to politely decline his invite. Nothing here made me think he was a real photographer.

3. Check their portfolio

A portfolio is a way to show your work to the world . If you check my portfolio you can see pictures of me wearing my cosplays. It is my way to say “Hey, this is me, and this is what I do”. In the same way, photographers which take it seriously will have a collection of photos to show. Not only you can verify that they are actually photographers but you will know what kind of photography they are aiming for. The person can be a photographer, but you may not be interested in his style.

Facebook or Instagram can make very good portfolios. You can see in the profile of my friend Miriam she puts a lot of effort into her photos. If you don’t see quality in the photos that you see in the portfolio of your “photographer”, or even worse, if there are no photos to be seen, just decline the photoshoot. After all, I rather take no photos at all than get a crappy photo I won’t be able to use. My phone takes better pictures thanks.

4. Ask for references

If you are a photographer you should be able to provide some references. Some can be seen in a Facebook page, but there are also photography pages were you can leave a reference if you are a model or a photographer. This is an example of my Purple Port profile . In this page photographers and models can leave references to help get you an idea of what to expect from your photographer. Also remember, your references don’t need to be written, maybe you know someone who had a shoot with your photographer and you can ask. A recommendation from a friend is always the best reference.

5. Sign a contract

Many photographers will ask you to sign a contract. This doesn’t need to be the rule, but if you are not sure, ask the photographer to sign an agreement before or after a shoot. Sometimes they will send it to you beforehand if you ask for it. This is for your safety and his. Steven, from Sheridan Photography, always asks me to sign one. Even if we have met several times now! If they don’t make you sign a contract it doesn’t mean they are not professional photographers, but they should be able to provide one if prompted. Don’t trust a “professional photographer” that doesn’t know what a release form is!

Don’t get me wrong, even if you have been taking photos for years you can still be a terrible photographer. That doesn’t make you dangerous or creepy. I will tell you how to choose your cosplay photographer another time. But at least, just with a few simple steps, you can verify if that person is really what he claims to be and not some stranger getting pictures of you with dubious intentions. Even a renown photographer can be potentially a shady person, but in general, if you check the person in advance, you should be safe.

Now that you have checked your photographer and you are going ahead, don’t forget to add it to your Cosplay Planner. There is a full page to plan your photoshoot as well as several calendars! Also, it is a good idea to check you have all the pieces of your cosplay in your Sketch Planner. Doing a photoshoot should be fun, but remember, if in doubt with your photographer, just say no.

Did you ever had a bad experience with a photographer? Did you go to a photoshoot which was specially creepy? Let me know in the comments and don’t forget to share!