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!

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Diré esto de nuevo, puedo dibujar mejor pero he dibujado esto como referencia.
Esta vez reuní poses de alguien triste y melancólico, probablemente alguien que ha perdido algo o a alguien. Las principales características de este tipo de personaje sería mantener los brazos cercano al cuerpo, los ojos medio cerrados o mirando al infinito. Además tumbarse en la cama o el suelo sería buena idea.
Algunos personajes que pueden ser así de melancólicos (pero raramente todo el tiempo serían Asuna (Sword Art Online – Alfheim version), Megurine Luka (Vocaloid – Just be friends version), Freya (Chobits), Emeraude (Magic Knight Rayearth), Sakura (Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles).

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Posing basics for cosplay

These are just suggestions for better posing. They are not set on fire but they are a good guide if you are just starting. A good photographer will try to get the best of you and some of them will even point you on the right direction. A basic tip is to look for reference pictures and try to imitate the poses of the characters.

Body

Don’t look like a robot. Instead, you can put one foot back and try to raise one of your hips if you are a girl.  You are looking for angles created by your body. Triangle shapes are interesting, blocks aren’t. Try to be relaxed and avoid getting your arms too close to your body, it will make you look chunkier and manly. However, if that is indeed your aim go for it. On my Megurine Luka Synchronicity and Raven casual I was not standing straight. Notice the position of the hips and one leg in front of the other.

Head

Don’t leave your head straight, try pointing your nose to a side, let’s say the shoulder of the photographer. However, you can still look at the camera. Remember you don’t need to move your head to move your eyes!. You can also tilt your head a bit to make your look more interesting. Also, remember that most people have a good side for photos, take some selfies and decide which side of your face looks prettier. See the angle of my head on my Luka Magnet cosplay.

Arms and hands

Your arms shouldn’t be dead, don’t let them hanging nor perpendicular to your body. Put your hands somewhere. Make it your hips, your head, casting a spell. You can even grab something if you run out of ideas. Avoid to put them hiding your face or hiding your cosplay details. Crossing your arms is fine with some characters but make sure you are not hiding that important piece you took so long to create. Raven below is a magician and uses her hands to cast spells.

Feet

It is more interesting if your feet point to different parts. Not like a duck but neither as a soldier. Maybe one in front of the other. Perhaps one looking forward and one sideways. Don’t hide one with the other as this can look weird. Check my Sailor V below with feet pointing different ways

Face and eyes

Don’t be expressionless , nor frown, nor tighten your lips. The duck face may work or selfies but it is extremely forced and unrealistic. You should smile if the character requires so, but be fierce if you need to. There are many expressions, don’t limit yourself to one. Also, did you know that your eyes don’t need to look at the camera? Try looking to a distant point instead. It will make the photo look different. Luka Magnet is ethereal and naive, Wonder Woman is a warrior with a piercing stare.

Props

Don’t hide your face with a prop nor point it totally towards the camera . If you do, you are hiding most of it that way. Also, don’t put them too far away from your body. If they are too big they won’t appear in the picture. Don’t hide your awesome cosplay behind big props either. Try other poses with the props that shows them and at cons rest big props on the floor, this way they will appear in the picture and you won’t hit anyone when you swing them. Weapons in diagonal are usually a good idea and much easier to get into frame. Ririchiyo has a very long weapon, I hold it at an angle to fit in the frame.

Surroundings

Always be aware of your surroundings. A picture in the middle of a crowd won’t look professional. Move yourself to a less transited area or near a wall. However, if you choose the wall it is best if you are a few steps a head of the wall. We all love selfies in the bathroom, but probably it isn’t a great shooting area either. Be aware of bins, mess or any ugly things surrounding you. Don’t let your handbag crossing your chest nor all the shopping bags next to your feet or in your hands. Give them to someone or leave them a bit further away. I shot Cinder Fall at a convention. We decided to go outside and take the pictures by a wall away from the crowd.

Final tips

Practice! Practice! Practice! Some poses, postures or looks will or won’t look good on you, make sure you practice in front of a mirror to see what flatters you more. Make sure to mix all the tecniques together and get an interesting pose. Also, I’m sure your character has a couple of characteristic poses or a specific attitude you can mimic. Learn them! They will look super cool on a photoshoot and we all love a cosplayer that can play its role. Sometimes you need time to remember all of this or to get it right, but you will get there. Overall keep practicing, keep trying and have fun!

I hope this posing basics for cosplay tutorial was useful. Remember, if you really want to, youcan support me on Ko-fi if you really like my work, there are no subscriptions and you will help me create more cosplays and more tutorials to share with you! Also, if you are looking for patterns and cosplay related downloadables make sure to check my collection.

And of course, a big thanks to all my amazing photographers Ian Moore, Paul Wills, Martin Jones, Chris Baugh, McCan PhotographyMark Lycett, CMAGS, Caitleen Messenger. You are the ones who make all this possible!

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