Let's Cosplay!

In my last post I talked about the amazing cosplayers of Malaysia and now I'll talk about the amazing photographers of Malaysia~!!
I asked a couple of cosplay photographers some questions which they have amazingly answered~!
So, in no particular order, here are all the photographers~!!!

Hexlord

1) What is cosplay photography to you?
Cosplay photography is a style of photography where elements from different genres combine to tell the audience more about the characters and the series which they originate from. This style is more akin to story telling.

2) How would you define your style of photography?
My style is a mixture of emotions and story telling, playing around with colours and lighting.

3) What was your most memorable photoshoot ?
I have many memorable photoshoots, among them is the Anohana shoot which I did in Singapore with a young couple.

4) What's your view on western cosplays versus eastern cosplays?
Everyone have their preferences, depending on their cultural upbringing. So to me, both are good and have their own fans.

5) Have you gone to other conventions in the world? If you have name them~
I have been to conventions in Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and the Phillipines. I hope to pay a visit to the major Asian cosplay countries like China, Japan and Korea, as well as to Europe and the Americas.

6) Underwater? Abandoned buildings? Mountains? Deserts? Name your favourite background so far~
I have some liking for futuristic backdrops, but it depends on the series too.

7) Any favourite cosplayers or photographers(locally/international)?
For cosplayers, I have many faves but I like to look at the works of cosplayers like Cvy, Onnies, Omi Gibson, Kipi, Astrohime and others!

8)When you're not shooting you....?
I spend time reading my books, playing console and PC games, and catching up on anime and movies.

9)The good and bad side of cosplay photography?
Good side -> You make new friends, you can learn new skills, new ways of looking at the subject matter. Lots of leeway in experimentation.

Bad side -> It might get a bit tricky if you are not familiar with the series, location finding can be hard too.

10) Finally last question~!!!
How do you feel about Let's Cosplay blog?
It is good, keep up the good work and hopefully we can stand proudly among our peers in other countries. Cheers!

See more of Hexlord-san here --->

DA : http://hexlord.deviantart.com/

FB : https://www.facebook.com/BlackRabbitPhotography

Moon Art Studio

1) What is cosplay photography to you?
In my honest opinion, cosplay photography is a creative photography that is based upon anime. Although I do hear a lot of people saying that only cosplayers that look like the character should cosplay it, I believe that everyone have the right to cosplay. As a photographer, I am responsible to bring out the best out of it.

2) How would you define your style of photography?
I am still in the process of developing my stlye as I have just started recently but I would say, I am going towards Fantasy type of photography in the sense of recomposing what was seen in the anime or game.

3) What was your most memorable photoshoot ?
I would say my first photoshoot. I met Huei Chan who was cosplaying at an event and we decided to stroll outside to do some shooting. I was of course nervous at the time as I'm totally new to the whole thing. I took a picture of her with some trees as the background and once I edited it, I'm really happy that it turns out to look like she was in Macalania wood (a place in the game)

4) What's your view on western cosplays versus eastern cosplays?
Haha this is a tough one in terms of honesty! Hmm my view is both have great cosplayer and both have lousy cosplayer. One just need to find the good ones and shut their eyes from the bad one ^^ In terms of look, since cosplay characters are mostly asian base, so asian does have the upper hand in terms of getting the same look. But I do find it really interesting sometime to see a westernize version of a character. All I can say is it depends on individuals and how good is the photographer who captured it.

5) Have you gone to other conventions in the world? If you have name them~
All are local convention including CF, Animangaki, C2AGE. I do plan to visit bigger events this year to see more.

6) Underwater? Abandoned buildings? Mountains? Deserts? Name your favourite background so far~
I have not yet been to any of those but if I get a chance, I would say, school building like in Vampire Knight, Japanese settings for a samurai look, beach and waterfall. For now base upon experience, I would say the studio.

7) Any favourite cosplayers or photographers(locally/international)?
Local favourite I would say Venus and Ying Tze. They are always very inspiring to me.
International Cosplayer would be Kaname. He inspired me to become a better cosplayer myself ^^

Local Photographer I would say Blur!! I love his work so much!! I wish that I will get a chance to work with him one day. And of course Hexlord, I was very lucky to be learning some tricks from him at the beginning of my journey. His willingness to share knowledge is what makes me respect him even more.
International Photographer would be Shiro Ang!

Hibiki Tokai - His trademark is in the way he compose his art with beautiful colours that is just wonderful.

8)When you're not shooting you....?
Work, Hang out with friends, edit picture and find new ways to deliver better art work next time.

9)The good and bad side of cosplay photography?
Bad Side: I would say it is time consuming and not something that should be taken lightly. It does involve a lot of money as any hobbies does. Some cosplay and photography politics that is better to stay out from.

Good Side: It allows me to be creative! Meet up with more people and actually make real great friends. Learn new skills and technique. Being more discipline in my work.

10) Finally last question~!!!
How do you feel about Let's Cosplay blog?
It is a very good that someone actually have the initiative to create one to showcase Malaysian cosplay! Thumbs up for the work. Blogs like this can inspire new people trust me I'm one of them.

See more of Moon Art Studio here----->
DA : http://moonartstudio.deviantart.com/
FB : https://www.facebook.com/moon.art.studio

F2Fall

1) What is cosplay photography to you?

Cosplay photography, to me, is a hobby I have. I think it is an amazing thing to see animes come into reality by people. Cosplay photography lets me portray my characterisation of the character that I am not able to do, I find a lot of joy in doing it. This hobby has also allowed me to meet photographers and cosplayers, and has also allowed me to learn a lot. I love having photoshoots because they are always fun, with cosplay to top it all off, it's even more fun! When a cosplayer tells me that he/she really really likes photo that I have shot of him/her, the feeling of achievement is really amazing. Being behind the cameras and snapping photos of cosplayers is an amazing feeling.

2) How would you define your style of photography?

As of now, I do not have a style of photography as I have only started cosplay photographer in less than half a year ago. However, I think having a style in cosplay photography is not absolutely necessary. Because I think a style of photography is just a representation of how you characterise the character of the cosplayer and your creativity. That's why I think no one will ever have the same style, even if they have similar traits in some photos. The style of photography is who you are. Right now, I am still experimenting around so I think it is a slight bit too early to decide on a signature photography style that will make people go "Oh! This must be f2fall/Mi.N photography!"

3) What was your most memorable photoshoot ?

One is the Uta no Prince-sama: Summer Version and the Vocaloid: Chinese New Year shoot. This is because (even though I have never said this to anyone, except maybe my best friend) one of my favorite photographers, A.R.C., and also one of my favorite local cosplayer, Kappy. I was very excited when I woke up on that Saturday because I was going to be meeting my favorite coser and photographer! And through that photoshoot, we got to know each other (especially A.R.C, who is a really really kind photographer whom I can go to advice to). As for the Vocaloid: Chinese New Year shoot, it was a personal invite from A.R.C. I just HAD to go no matter what. I didn't know any cosplayers there (except for CK) but I still wanted to go. I got to learn a few things, got to know friends and it was the best Chinese New Year celebration I've ever had in my life.

4) What's your view on western cosplays versus eastern cosplays?

I don't have much to say on this. But I can say it's good to know that people from around the world appreciate cosplay!

5) Have you gone to other conventions in the world? If you have name them~

Sadly, I haven't. I would very much love to attend Singapore's AFA, Japan's anime conventions and of course, the Comic Cons over at the US! It would be so amazing to attend a convention in another country.

6) Underwater? Abandoned buildings? Mountains? Deserts? Name your favourite background so far~

As of now, I have been asked to shoot at places with green scenery so I haven't got to explore. But it would be SO SO SO amazing to shoot at an abandoned building because I have always liked photographs taken at an abandoned building as it always gives off a feeling that I cannot explain. I think a scenery with high rise buildings along with the blue sky would be beautiful as well. I have a lot of favourite backgrounds but as of now, I have a liking to abandoned buildings and water-related scenery.

7) Any favourite cosplayers or photographers(locally/international)?

Of course I do! Local-wise, my favorite photographer would be Blur, A.R.C and Hexlord. Their photos are completely amazing I am awed whenever they upload a picture. All three of them have different styles and even so, the pictures still come out amazing. As for cosplayers, I haven't got to know all the senior cosplayers yet, but I do like Kappy's cosplays (when she crossplays, her character selection is amazing. it just suits her, you cannot say no it doesn't suit her), Shine (she is a very dedicated cosplayer, her poses and characterisation come so naturally that I would really really like to shoot her once more), Xiao Lynn (you can say I feel in love with her Nezumi, the feeling of her Nezumi just stepped out of the anime) AND OF COURSE XSAYE (she is the first person I have ever sent a fan letter to. Her cosplays are all amazing, meeting her in person is even more amazing. I could go on and on about xsaye but i'll leave the fangirling aside).

As for international photographers, I have yet to look around but I think Shiro Ang is a very good photographer. He grasps the feeling of the anime character perfectly. Jack from Thailand is also an amazing photographer. As for international cosplayers, Reika Arikawa(Japan), Kaname(Japan) Touya Hibiki(Japan), Saya(Japan), Zimiel (on deviantart)(Australia), Jin (behindinfinity on deviantart)(Philippines), Naoya(Singapore), Kazue(Singapore) LALAax (China), YUEGENE(Thailand) are all amazing cosplayers. I probably missed a few/lot of cosplayers but these are amazing people I would like to meet one day.

8)When you're not shooting you....?

Do my own stuff? Usually I would have a workload from school, either that or I would watch my animes, look for some cosplay photos, chat with friends. Just the usual. Maybe testing some new camera skill.

9)The good and bad side of cosplay photography?

The good side of cosplay photography is that I enjoy it a lot. I really love taking cosplay photos and I get to meet new people as well. I also get to learn new things and improve my creativity. However, everything has its pros and cons. I do not like it when I am shooting, people stare. But I cannot have any say in this because humans have curiosity. But I really dislike it when people look down on cosplay because of photographers that request for indecent poses and dirty the whole cosplay community.

10) Finally last question~!!!

How do you feel about Let's Cosplay blog?

I will be very frank here, I think the Let's Cosplay blog can improve it's layout as when I look at a blog, I always look at it's layout first. If the layout is not attractive, I would close the tab. So I think you can make the Let's Cosplay blog more attractive. Not only that, I think when using pictures from other photographers, make sure you credit them at the end of the post because this could be plagiarism even though their watermark is in the photo. But I think the Let's Cosplay blog can be a very good option to promote cosplay. Just do not use the blog to let out your personal ramblings. (i do not mean any offense, hopefully I did not touch any sensitive topics!)

Continue to watch f2fall grow----->
FB : https://www.facebook.com/freefall.photography
DA : http://f2fall.deviantart.com/

Yukkuri Photgraphy

1) What is Cosplay Photography to you?
Rather than calling calling it cosplay photography, we would rather call it bringing our vision and ideas into reality. In Yukkuri Photography we try not to limit ourselves to traditional cosplay shoots only, but bring in aspects of concept photography, fine art and story-telling. Apart from cosplay, Yukkuri Photography often carries out pure art and conceptual projects that deal with various contemporary issues and abstractions

2) How would you define your style of Photography?
We do not have a fixed style. We constantly experiment and research on a variety of equipment and techniques that can be used individually or in combination as mentioned previously. We constantly strive for the perfect portrayal of our vision, dream, stand or opinion. We always believe that photographers should not have a comfort zone where they stay stagnant with one “ultimate style” that they have discovered. If we find something that works, that technique should always be improved or worked on. There is no such thing as a “Best Style” or “Ultimate style”. Styles should evolve with the photographer’s growth and experience as a human being.

3) What was your most memorable photoshoot?
We cannot say that any one photoshoot is better than another. Every photoshoot has their ups and downs. Almost everyone we have worked with so far are equally committed and down to earth. We consider it shallow to favour one shoot above the rest because all shoots allow us to grow, appreciate and cherish what we do. Everyone we have worked with has enriched our lives in one way or another.

4) What’s your view on western cosplayer versus eastern cosplayer?
There is no difference between western cosplayers and eastern cosplayer. They/we are cosplaying to show our like/love or admiration towards a certain character. Rather than discussing western vs eastern styles, we should be more concerned about how much dedication and commitment a cosplayer has towards their portrayal of the character.

5) Have you gone to other conventions in the world? If you have name them~
Yukkuri photography’s members have attended a variety of events overseas, including those in New Zealand, Singapore and more.

6) Name your favorite background so far
We don’t have a specific background as our top preferences. We constantly experiment with variety of setting and we constantly try to match our shooting theme with an appropriate setting.

7) Any favorite cosplayers or photographer?
While we have a great admiration for many cosplayers and photographers both locally and overseas, our opinion is that they are all struggling to depict their vision or interest, and to favour one over the other is not fair since everyone is trying very hard.

8) When you are not shooting you …?
Yukkuri photography fills up their available time by a variety of inspiring activities such as opening a booth in art bazaars, visiting exhibitions or improving our techniques by visiting libraries or bookshops that have art/photography books.

9) The good and bad of cosplay photography?
In every good there is bad and in every bad there is good. Thus it is more important to focus on how to improve than to dwell on the subject of bad and good. Cosplay photography has only recently branched out of the traditional cosplay portrait photography concept where the emphasis is on recreating the anime setting in real life using cosplayers.

Recently there has been a trend to overuse photoshop effects, coupled with a degradation of skill and creativity. This is further exaggerated by the many cosplayers that cosplay for fame and fortune. While yes we are exploring new creative techniques and new ways (bringing the non-real to real) but at the end of the day we have to ask ourselves … is this digital art or is this photography?

10) How do you feel about lets cosplay blog?
To be very honest, I find the website design both uninspiring and unattractive, whether it involves starting, developing or expanding our knowledge in cosplay photography or cosplaying. Perhaps it would be wise to consult someone with more experience in building a website or someone with some knowledge on graphic design or web layout. However, it is a good starting point for enhancing the cosplay scene in Malaysia.