Holy fuck! We moved! AGAIN!!! Yes!!! Hopefully this is our final stop! As most of you know 5 years ago I moved to New Orleans with Mike because he got a promotion... Now we just moved 10 hours away!!! To Louisville Kentucky! Away from our families, everyone and everything we know. Moving to make his dreams to come true! <3 I'm a good waifu! I'm so excited! He moved out here December 1st last year. It was a long process finding a place to live. Finally though we have an apartment. After a month and a half of living with my brother (which was pretty awesome BTW). We packed up and drove my tiny VW rabbit with our cats! Ibanez and I had a time for sure! So happy new year to us! Finally after almost 2 months we are reunited with Mike! Most importantly Yuna is reunited with her Mike LOL, I swear that cat believes with every fiber of her being she is his wife. Anywho! 3 weeks ago I got the flu! Ibanez got it first then me!I fought symptoms for almost a week then it hit me! The flu is horribad right now! We were in and out of the doctors for 2 weeks! I did not eat anything for over a week. I dropped 22 pounds!!! Yay! But whoa shit! While I am happy, I'm also worried now because after a week and a half of only eating 1-2 crackers a day and puking it up, I now have somewhat of an appetite back but I can not eat more than a few bites then I am full to the point I am sick again. I tried soups and everything. Meanwhile Ibanez eats everything in sight while he was sick, pizza and all with no issues. So yeah I got sick at the most horrible time because we are set to move, this is literally the only time we can move because of the weather forecasts. No snow, rain or anything for the weekend we are set to go. I want to die. But we must go. Rikku, the only cat who enjoys riding in the car.... has issues... she stays in the crate the whole time while Yuna and Paine pretty much roam free around the car... annoying the crap out of me because Paine wants to lay down under my seat, Yuna wants to be on my lap... Give me a break please because I am sick and dying and I can not deal with you being clingy. We left later in the day than expected. So by 2am I am tired, we are still in Mississippi (not where I planned on being at this time but ya know I can not tell my dad anything at this point), I call it a night and get a room. We sleep for a few hours then go eat at Shoney's, well my dad and Ibanez go eat at Shoney's while I hang out int he car with the cats and take another nap while my meds kick in. We gas up next door then back on the road. Once in Alabama my dad starts driving fast, mind you he is pulling a Uhaul trailer and it states do not drive faster than 55mph... yeah he doesn't follow that. I'm sick, in a tiny VW Rabbit, I am probably driving about 60-65... We lose him because he was driving so fast... We lose him for almost 3 hours... finally we are right outside of Nashville and I have to stop for meds, drinks and food for the kid and he was 'close by' so we try to meet up but that doesn't work so we get back on the road because by this point it is around 7pm and we are so off schedule because of the hour in Alabama I will never get back because he said he was exiting and did not exit, then the hour in Nashville when he was 'close by'... It was a fucking nightmare. We finally get outside of Louisville and I am like dude ok we need to meet up so you can follow to the apartment, this shit has got to stop, you have our stuff and this is no longer funny. So we make it about 10pm. I want to die, seriously. I am so sick ad we have to move the stuff out the back of my dad's truck in case it rains... We move what we can then go to sleep. The next day I am sicker than before. I decide I am going to post an add on craigslist for someone to come help us move. I get replies and the guys I hire was the best. He is from Louisiana too! Small world. So now we have Benji, Mike, my dad and this dude I am paying moving our stuff. So we get that stuff and I am still trying to unpack... a week later. DJ just delivered the rest of our stuff yesterday. He's the real MVP and the best bro ever. So now everything we own is officially in Louisville!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He will be back for Lexington Comic Con in a little over a month. Really excited to jump in to the convention scene over here. We have a few small conventions lined up for this year for this area so we are excited! Also once everything is settled I can get back to editing podcast episodes we have backed up!!! We have probably 3 episodes in the bull pen and a few more in the works! So catch up on the recent podcasts at Mike Hates Everything!!! So with everything going on I had to take some time away from work, I was forced to which sucks because I work 24-7 pretty much running my business and when I am sick the business suffers. I am the only worker sadly so when I am sick no work gets done. I actually went as far as to hiring an editor but everything came back not how I edit so I had to redo everything. Now that I am starting to unpack things I can finally start to set up my office area. Life is chaotic right now and I look forward to updating this blog with our adventures of our first year here!
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So Wizard World New Orleans, my fav convention next to DragonCon. This year I went with the sole purpose to have a blast, it was send off. Our original move date was supposed to be in December soon after Mike left but plans changed... Then I decided to book some sessions at WW and go. I had a blast. I did not cosplay. I only went to hang out and work. I got hang out with one of the besties, Remy, Josh and DJ. I walked around alot and floated between friends just to make sure I gave everyone enough time. With special thanks to DJ I got to meet Christy Carlson Romano! The voice of Kim Possible! I met baby Bruce Wayne too! I'll have pics in a gallery at the end. WW is getting out of hand with the live shows though, I feel like they are not focused on the comics in comic con anymore. I get you have to have well rounded show but they keep moving major panels on the main floor and they have a band playing and you can not hear anything. With all the money issues they been having I think they are just trying to reach people they otherwise wouldn't get to go. I think they need to simplify again once more. I did not even stay for the cosplay contest for once. I was that annoyed with the overall show. I rather leave the con and drink with my friends. I had a great time when I wasn't focused on the convention. I bought a few things as always. This is was probably my last Louisiana convention for a while. Next convention is Louisville Arcade Expo then Lexington Comic Con. Follow on Twitter for updates to the convention schedule at @RoguePryncess and @Mike_Hates for all the cool stuff and new podcast episodes. Sorry this was short but I don't have much time to write, moving in a few days! With major convention season in full swing and seeing other post warnings and hacks I figured I would share some tips too! Being Con Fit! Yes Confit is a thing and should be a thing. Conventions are stressful. On the mind and the body. If you're going to a convention like AX, MechaCon, Matsuri or something that is in small convention center or 1 hotel it may not be that bad... but if you're going to something like SDCC, DragonCon, Star Wars Celebration or Celebration of Harry Potter or something of that caliber you need to prepare yourselves. It is a lot of walking. A lot of waiting in lines. A lot of stairs, because lets face it, the long lines at the elevators are not waiting for because even when you get in it, it will stop at almost every floor... and if you're in the Marriott good luck! LOL. Earlier this year I started DDP Yoga with Mike. It's great. A month ago I also added on walking a few blocks every night. I play Pokemon Go so I use that while walking LOL I walk up to the library by my house where they have a gym and 3 pokestops then I take the main street and go over 2 more blocks to a church that is a gym and hit up 2 more pokestops on the way, then turn and go home. I just make a big square. At first I would just walk to the library then back home then slowly worked myself up every few days walking further. I changed my diet a little in the last few months. I started portion control too. because that was my big thing, I would till I was full or super stuffed, I never used to do that. I would always eat appropriate portions. Now I am steady watching what I eat so I don't feel sluggish, lowered my sodium intake big time and upped my water intake. I'll be at DragonCon in a little over a month for the first time in like 10 years... feels like forever but I also remember the beast that is. Please pack lots of water and healthy snacks. I personally love Nature's Valley Oats n Honey bars. I know I will have a few boxes of them on hand at DragonCon as well as tons of water so if you are in need and can not get to the con suite come find me. Text me or facebook message me. I'll have all sorts of granola and trail mix too and homemade fruit chips! Follow the link to my guest post on Mike Hates Everything
http://www.mikehateseverything.net/marvel/spiderman-homecoming So ok it's been a little bit since the last article. Sorry! Life has been busy in all aspects. Convention season and wedding season is in full effect! When I am not out shooting something I am driving and doing a/v gigs all over the southern states. Yeah, that busy. In an effort to get healthy and adjusting to life on the road again I am learning easy meal prep and started making smoothies and other healthy crap lol. Also how to have a healthy mind. It's no secret that I have battled depression and social anxiety since high school, so geared with my sister's help who has a degree in psychology and me knowing a ton of crazy cosplayers we will put together a little something that will help you identify who is cosplaying and who is going overboard and maybe needs professional help. Now my accounts will be how to maintain a healthy life while not really giving up all the glorious food we eat because lets face it I live in Louisiana and they have so many things I am not willing to give up but with a few minor modifications you can still have! So I will post recipes and whatnot too! Also, we got a kitten. See pic in headline above. Her name is Paine... To keep with the Final Fantasy theme in the house. She joins her sister Yuna and Rikku! So back to the healthy stuff. I started this self made program roughly Over a month ago and in 2 and half weeks I've lost over 8lbs already and dropped a dress size. Since Mike started having bad back issues last year and lost out on almost 5 months of work his doctors tried everything short of surgery which was the last option but we did not want that. They told him try yoga and I've been asking him to do yoga for a while but he refused. So fast forward to 5 months later... I get him DDP Yoga. We start that and after a few days he can walk without the assistance of his cane and has more energy. I on the other hand start doing it twice a day 3-4 times a week. I also started counting my calories and I find this has helped so much. I have the Lose It app. I had it years ago but then never committed myself to doing it regularly or even daily. Now I actually use it a few times a day. I consult it before I eat something too and make my meal decisions based on how many calories I have to 'spend' for the day. When you open the app and create an account it lets you set a goal weight and a time frame of when you want to reach that goal then from their it will calculate how many calories you are allowed per day. Enter your food in, snacks, drinks and alcoholic drinks! Also enter your exercise because all the calories burned through exercise can mean you can afford a snack if you are way under budget! I've learned everyday can be a cheat day in moderation! I've changed my drinking habits too because after looking at the calories in beers and mixed drinks I was surprised. Here's a sample day for me.
Calorie Budget: 1130 2 fried eggs 180cals 2 biscuits (I make sandwiches with them) 340cals glass of water spaghetti 1 serving 270cals 20oz coke 240cals FYI I usually eat breakfast late so it is technically lunch too. So far that day my cals are at 1030. I have a hundred to spare and sometimes I will drink water or tea instead of a soda. But wait I exercised... 45 minutes of DDP yoga 612 cals burned Soooo my app tells me I am under and my daily calorie intake is now at 418 if I wanted to I can cheat and have a cookie or two but I decide to take this win and go to bed. Some nights I will have a drink. I like coconut rum. Sometimes I will fix a small glass and sip on it throughout the evening. It's only 156 calories. I also love Strongbow hard cider. They have 140 calories in just one... So sometimes I have to make the hard decisions of what I want to drink when I go to the bar with my brother lol. I noticed I am more aware of what I take in now. I don't drink a lot but I do like to social drink every now and then. Same with eating out... I live in new Orleans. We have tons of restaurants here that serve glorious food. I have to have willpower to achieve my goal/healthy weight. Any tips you have about weight loss? Any recipes you want to share? leave them in the comment section please! *** No MLM stuff, honestly I have tried a few and they really do not work for every as most of them state. So do not try to sell me Plexus, wraps or patches. Working out and healthy eating is working for me and medical conditions. Thanks! Yes I know soooo late, I am soooooo Sorry! One of my goals for 2017 is to make this seriously a weekly thing Cosplay Photographer Tip and I am over a month late already hahaha so I am truly sorry! This one was supposed to be a part 1 and 2 but I decided to put them both together since some photographers cosplay and some cosplayers are photographers.
Photo shoots! First part: Photographers: Ok this really should not have to be said but dammit sadly it needs to be said. If you are at convention, walking around and you see a session in progress DO NOT ENGAGE with the cosplayer and try to take photos no matter how bad ass their cosplay is. Chances are they paid for that photographer to do a job, not you. If you HAVE to get it, WAIT! Our time is valuable as fuck and we can not stop our shoot for you. Also, some photographers need to get out the competition mentality. Community over competition!!! One instance I did do this, only because I knew the person and they wanted tips so I posed their cosplayer a little and helped them. THAT is ok. But it’s never ok to crash someone’s photo shoot. Do not waltz in on a shoot in progress. Now let’s get back to the community over competition thing… Do not try to steal a cosplayer from someone. 8 times out of 10 the cosplayer will tell the other photographer. Do not crash shoots. It’s rude and super unprofessional. If it’s important, wait for them to finish. Also, if you are a photographer in the middle of a shoot and this bad ass cosplayer passes by, do not by any means stop your shoot to grab another cosplayer. That is just bad for your business. LET THEM GO! Someone paid and booked you, this is their time with you. Remember cosplayers talk! When a new cosplayer looks for photographers they ask other cosplayers about who they have worked with, who they like the best, and most importantly who to stay away from. The last 2 years I have met with so many amazing cosplayers and learned about their little blacklist of photographers and it gets around. You would actually be surprised to see who is on it and a lot of people fare from Louisiana! Want to not be blacklisted? Do your job, be professional, friendly and most importantly be on time. Photographers, this goes back to what I mention in my etiquette post. Do not over book yourself. ALWAYS make sure you have your cosplayer’s contact info and stay in touch. We know things happen at conventions, elevators take to long to get to you, or your cosplayer may have a hard time walking 2 feet without someone stopping them for a pic, it happens. Plan for the unexpected. Never blame the cosplayer in this situation. It is not their fault for looking fabulous and everyone loving it. Also, for big builds sometimes it may take longer than expected to get from point A to point B not to mention even putting on the thing takes time and finesse, some pieces can be damaged if put on wrong. If it wasn’t for cosplayers what would you be doing at the con with all your free time or in your off time when you do outside con shoots? We need cosplayers more than they need us. Remember that. They will go to another photographer till they find the one that is best for them. Yes the photographer to cosplayer ratio is more cosplayers but realize some don’t need or want photos. Do not over charge. Just because another photographer charges X amount doesn’t mean you need to charge the same. I recently had some copy my prices… they were new and still learning their craft and came under fire when the products they gave were not worth the price. Set your prices to your skill set. I am a professional photographer with 2 businesses, Wedding Photographer is my main source of income and number 1 priority to cosplay photography, but THIS IS MY JOB AND MY ONLY JOB. This is how I feed my family. My prices are what they are because I have built my branding and products over the years and have over 15 years of photography experience. Figure out what you have to offer. If you are new and portfolio building shoot for free, there is no shame in shooting for free, I did it for a good 2 years. Also if you are shooting for free because you’re portfolio building NEVER require tips, DO NOT ASK for tips, it’s tacky and unprofessional. Do not make tips required and certainly do not tell people they have to tip X amount $$$ or more, JUST STOP THAT SHIT. If you are posting that you are portfolio building, that means hey I need a model to take your photos of, in exchange I will give you copies of the edited photos for free. I get new stuff in my portfolio and you get free photos, win/win! So recap: Don’t be a douche photographer. Part 2: Cosplayers: New to the scene? New to the cosplay community? Been around a few years but new to photo shoots??? That’s ok. Here are some tips to help you pick the photographer that is right for you. First, ask around to friends in the cosplay community and other cosplayers you trust on who is good. Second, look at portfolios. If they are serious about what they do and professional they will have at the a Facebook Like page and maybe Flickr, Tumblr, 500px, or a website so you can view high resolution images. Third, find the style you like, not every photographer is the same. Some go for a more natural, very light editing approach, others do heavy editing and photo shopping while some go with a happy medium. This is for EVERYONE now: Find the photographer who want to collaborate with and make then go out and rock your session! Do not settle for just anyone who has a camera. Do your research. You spent all that time on a cosplay, let us work our magic and give you some kick ass photos. Always bring a friend with you to a photo shoot if you never met that photographer before. Try to book your photographer ahead of time so you have time to plan our your photo shoot. You can plan out everything together such as location and best time at that location. Also the sooner you can book the better choice of time slot you can get. Plus look I get it we all have money issues at times and you spent a lot on your cosplay but DO NOT give a photographer a sob story about how you wish you could afford them and that one day you will and yada yada… That will not pay our bills. But like seriously and honestly, when you break it down the shoots are not expensive. For example, to book with me I require a retainer. Usually it’s like $30 or something depending on your package… Now if you know you want to book, you message me we sign the contract, you pay $30 retainer that secures your date and time slot. Just to say you booked me 4 months before the convention… Your total package price was maybe $75, you have $45 left, you can surely pull that off in 4 months if you really wanted to… Like $5 every 2 weeks… Even my broke ass can do that. That is me holding off on a coffee, or not going to the bar one week after work. How would you feel if I wanted to commission a cosplay that took you $300 to make and was like aw man I really want it but I can not afford that right now, all I have is $50 to spend on this cosplay, can’t you help me out because I mean you do it so easy. You would laugh, make a post on Facebook about how ignorant I am and of course tell me hell no. Your time is valuable, but so is ours. We do not show up click a button and done. It’s way more than that. Do you put your fabric to the sewing machine and turn it one and it’s done? No, you have to make sure the seams are straight and lined up, your bobbin is threaded right, you cut your pattern correctly. A real professional will be worth the price for quality work. But also do not settle for a professional who is douche or creeper and they do have a lot of great photographers who do not charge so do not get discouraged. We all should be out there helping show off each others art. Cosplayers are important to photographers just like photographers are important to cosplayers. Trust me, we love you just as much as you love us. Some of us even fangirl over some of you. Treat your photographer right, credit them on all photos, link back their pages and all that good stuff! Do not forget, sharing directly from their page is like you spreading the word you like them. Plus is make us feel happy inside that you cared enough to share from our page and shows you liked it. If you want to use your photo on Instagram or as a Facebook cover or profile photo and it will crop the pic, shoot your photog a message, 9/10 will hook you up with a nice one that fits perfect and will not cut out all the good stuff. I always throw my cosplayers free profile pics when they ask. So this is your tips all rolled up in one! Convention season is upon us! Go forth with these tidbits and have some awesome photo shoots! For many people she was Princess Leia or General Organa, for some she was just Carrie Fisher. Regardless, she will be missed by so many. I for one was deeply saddened by the news and actually cried, gross sobbing of course. She was my hero. A bad ass princess on the screen. I mean you can be beautiful and shoot a gun with the guys. Lets not forget the iconic hair styles. I made my mom braid my hair all the time. I needed the buns. I’ve been wanting to post something but kept getting busy with work but here it is. So living in New Orleans has is perks! We celebrate EVERYTHING! We celebrate life. We celebrate life after death. We honor our icons. I have been apart of a Mardi Gras Krewe for about 4 years now, known as Krewe of Chewbaccus. Chewbaccus is not your regular Krewe. They celebrate all things geek. And as you can see from the name Chewbaccus you know they love Star Wars. So as soon as word spread of Fisher’s passing they started on a plan for a tribute parade. Through the tears some very amazing people painted this tribute mural. This photo I took does no justice to it’s full beauty. I’ll head back there and take more photos in the next few days since this was on my way to the parade. We went to lineup for the parade. So many people were there. It was so surreal. It was so emotional to see so many people there who loved her so much. Many news outlets from all over the states were there to cover it because this isn’t the first tribute parade New Orleans has done. We held one for Leonard Nimoy, David Bowie and Prince. So Chewbaccus’s main overlords Ryan Ballard and Brett Powers organized a plan, route and sent out the message. Here is some photos of the painting… Castillo Blanco Art Studios Mural Also I went Live on Facebook a few time and here are the videos I posted to Youtube. Video 1 Video 2 Video 3 Fisher was not only our beloved Princess Leia she was so much more. Accomplished author, mental health advocate, she was mother, she was someone’s daughter, she was someone’s sister and she was owner of Gary. Within 24 hours of her passing her mother also passed away. Some of her last words to her son was “I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie.” I cried reading that. I just started crying typing that. “I am Princess Leia, no matter what. If I were trying to get a good table, I wouldn’t say I wrote Postcards [From the Edge, her best-selling novel]. Or, if I’m trying to get someone to take my check and I don’t have ID, I wouldn’t say: “Have you seen [When] Harry Met Sally?” Princess Leia will be on my tombstone.” “Hi I’m Mrs. Han Solo, and I’m an alcoholic. I’m an alcoholic because George Lucas ruined my life.” “I don’t want life to imitate art. I want life to be art.”Rest in Peace Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. May you both be singing in the rain in a galaxy far far away Oh yay! Our favorite convention of the year!!! Wizard World makes its yearly stop in New Orleans! In less than a month we will be back roaming Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in downtown New Orleans! Some of the guests this time include Carrie Fisher (Do I even need to tell who she has played? if so leave now), David Duchovny (Mulder from the X-Files), Stephen Amell and David Ramsey(Oliver Queen and John Diggle from the CW’s Arrow), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter), Finn Baylor (WWE), Bautista (WWE and Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy), and so much more! They also have a wide array of artists!!! The awesome guys from Geekster Ink will be there, last year we got to interview a few of the guys for the podcast and we can not wait to see our favorite comic book artist Eroll See of CCP Comics! You can listen to that podcast episode here LegionCast and it also contains interview with Barry Bostwick! They have a huge variety of panels going on all day long and there is seriously something for everyone in the whole family! Here’s a few photos from past Wizard World shows to show you what I mean! Uber Geeks Cosplay _ Team UGC and Remy Domino Cosplays won Best in Show in 2015 at Wizard World New OrleansSo you should totally come out and check it out! Come say hi to me! We never miss one! January 6-8, 2017. Here’s a link to the website for more info Wizard World Comic Con. For our past coverage also check out Geaux Cosplay, Geaux Cosplay Facebook and LegionCast. If you have any questions let me know! We have been going since they started coming here and have not missed one yet! Disclaimer: I am not a master armor maker. I’ve made small props and had one minor armor builds so I am not a pro on the subject of armor making, this is just my encounters with it and what my friends who build it say.
Laura Ducros of Rebel Among the Stars Cosplayers have a tough time getting around conventions and sometimes things happen. Whether it’s foam, worbla, or any type of thermoplastics they can go through a lot within hours. Sometimes not using the proper adhesives can affect the durability of the cosplay. Sometimes bending in it can cause it to crack, or have bend marks. As a photographer, i smooth them out. I want the cosplay to look like it just got finished being painted. Also, paint! Touch up paint spots please. Your cosplayer will thank you. For me I treat every session the same. When I am editing a wedding I remove blemishes, no one will print out a photo with a big pimple on their face so why would you give a cosplayer that? It’s basic touch-up. I am not doing anything crazy or taking away from the actual cosplay. Sometimes I fix things that are broken or remove stray threads. I’ve seen amazing cosplayers do a shoot in the late afternoon after they have worn the cosplay all day and have pieces bent, broken/torn, or warped due to heat. If you have the editing skill, fix it for them, they will appreciate it. Do not be afraid to ask permission first. Respect them enough to ask before you do any changes. If you are a master photoshopper then they knew that when they hired you and probably expect it but if you are not then you should ask first. You always want to be on the same page as your cosplayer. Posing with armor can suck sometimes for really big builds, think about what the cosplayer goes through??? Think about how they walk in them. It’s not that easy in some builds. Have some respect for them. Don’t walk fast to a location if they are following. Hang back and keep up their pace, talk with them, ask questions about the build. ALWAYS ASK BEFOREHAND IF THEY ARE OK WALKING TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS!!! This is a must. In some builds they have a tough time walking around and only choose to wear them for the contest because getting from point A to point B is a bitch, not to mention some armors are like saunas, way to hot to be walking outside in. Do not make a cosplayer walk from location to location in a big build unless they are totally fine with it. Laura Ducros of Rebel Among the Stars as Marvin with Deadmaus Cosplayers DO NOT TOUCH THEM WHEN TRYING TO POSE THEM UNLESS YOU ASKED FIRST!!! OK guys let’s get real. Do not touch a cosplayer EVER unless you have asked first in any situation. Don’t be that guy. Also in situations with armor you do not touch unless you ask “Do you mind if I move you? Can I help pose you? Where is it safe to touch?” You can easily break armor pieces. Always ask first. You don’t want to be inappropriate. In closing, be courteous to these amazing cosplayers who make armor. It is a labor of love and sometimes the smallest touch or walking to far can fuck it up. Some of them build one cosplay a year, have some respect and don’t fuck that up. Thanks for reading this from shoot to shop free for all. If you find this helpful please share. If you have a topic you would like to see covered please feel free to drop me a message. -Janie Ok guys! Hi Janie is back from MechaCon! Woot! Thank you everyone who came out to our panel Sunday on Cosplay Photography. The awesome UberGeeks Cosplay were my amazing co hosts and also special guest was MechaCon 2016 Best in Show winner Karl Knotts! We wanted give information from both the cosplayer’s perspective and the photographer’s. There are some topics we did not have time to cover. I will be hosting the panel again at at Louisiana Comic Con in Lafayette, Louisiana. The panel is scheduled for Saturday October 8th at 3:30PM-4:15PM and also we will bring the panel goodness to Wizard World New Orleans! Right now I will take a moment to go over what we did talk about then I will touch on what we wanted to add.
How to find a photographer? How to be safe during a photoshoot? Multiple ways! Try respectable groups! Talk to local cosplayers. If you are going to a convention out of town, join their local cosplay group months ahead of time and get to know the community. Look them up! With the power of the internet at your fingertips it’s never been easier to look for a photographer! Some groups like Louisiana Cosplay Photographers will confirm they are in a fact a photographer for everyone’s safety. Look them up if they have a Facebook page. Look at their reviews!!! Do not feel shame in contacting other cosplayers that were previous clients! Nowadays anyone can run to Walmart or Best Buy, pick up a camera and call themselves a photographer. Be aware that they have creepers out there! Do not ever do anything during a photoshoot you do not want to. WHEN MEETING WITH A PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE FIRST TIME ALWAYS BRING A FRIEND!!! As a matter of fact never go to a photoshoot alone. I always have my cosplayers bring a friend. If they know me or we have been friends on Facebook they show up solo. But bringing friends to shoots are a must. You can never be to careful. They can hold your stuff for you during a shoot because if you go by yourself you may be forced to put your stuff down on the ground, this is not safe! With so many people at cons they still have bad seeds in this world that will not even think about others and will scoop up your stuff in a heartbeat. Always watch your belongings. Photo by Janie Davis of Geaux Cosplay and Rogue Pixels Photography at MechaCon 2015. Cosplayer: SICT Cosplays. Star Guardian Lux from League of Legends Ok so you booked a photoshoot! Now what?! Plan plan plan! Plan your poses. Plan your meeting spot. Plan your meeting time. Plan as much as you can with your photographer ahead of time and vice versa for photographers, plan with your cosplayer! Don’t be sloppy at a photoshoot. Cosplayers: Plan your facial expressions in the mirror and see what works best for you. Talk with your photographer about locations that will suit your character. Plan the time of day!!! If you’re at a convention best time to do a photoshoot is early in the morning or right when you changed cosplays (lets face it a few of us do 2 or more changes a day!). Your makeup is fresh, cosplay is freshly pressed, you’re not tired from walking around and dying of starvation lol yes that happens but chances are if you went to your room to change, you have had a snack too hopefully. If you’re at a convention, plan your locations with your photographer ahead of time. If you are going to a location off site BRING A FRIEND!!! Some meeting spots are hot commodities and other cosplayers will flock to it and wait for the perfect shot in that location for example: The gazebo at Katsucon. The Hilton fountain at MechaCon. The sky bridge at San Diego Convention Center. The Skywalk leading to Suntrust Gardens building, the Marquis tower 2 staircase, the Hilton back steps and more at DragonCon. Don’t be a dick and horde a spot. Let other use it too. Now this past weekend at MechaCon there is a fountain on the second floor of the Hilton that EVERYONE uses. I despise it but a few friends do use it a lot. I personally don’t like overused locations, I try to give all my clients something different so their photos don’t look like other’s. Now one instance from this weekend, I hate calling people out but I witnessed this level of douchebaggery that I can not keep quiet. There was a Sailor Moon group doing photos and someone wanted to use the fountain for a minute. They were still waiting on a cosplayer or 2 from their group but they told the other photographer to get away form the fountain. I was sitting eating and witnessed this. They shunned away 3 photographers within an hour. Why not let them pop in and get a few shots for 5 minutes if your group was not ready??? Why not be nice??? And if your group were to completely get there then simply wait since they made you wait. If you are not using a location let someone else use it until you are ready. That can make you as a photographer look bad to fellow photographers but also your clients as well. No one wants to work with a rude photographer. Let’s be courteous to each other, help each other. We are not competing against one another, and if you feel that way please let yourself out the door because this should be a peaceful community where we all help each other. I helped a few people before the convention location scout since I live a few minutes away from the convention and I shoot engagement session in that area all the time. I have no issue sharing, why should you? I love my city so much that I want to make sure everyone sees it’s hidden gems. Sharing is caring! lol. Photographers. Angles matter!!! Learn basic posing to flatter all body types! This falls back on planning. If your cosplayer has poses planned, get them to hit that pose, then adjust it to flatter them. Sometimes when researching character poses you see something that is bad ass but then when the cosplayer gets in that pose it’s icky, they looked slumped over or stomach out, hit the pose then adjust, make it your own to flatter them! They are trusting us to make them look good! Nothing kills me more than to see a bad ass cosplayer have a shitty photoshoot. WATCH YOUR ANGLES!!! If you are shooting from below or straight on with them while they are sitting, WATCH OUT FOR THE CROTCH! Position yourself higher than them no one wants their crotch front and center. Showcase the cosplay! Get the details! If they hand embroidered some amazing shit, get up close. Tell them you’re going to get some detail shots before you invade their personal bubble please!!! Don’t start taking photos of their butt to get this gorgeous stitching without telling them! Once you get a cosplayer set in a pose make sure their badge is off, hand it to their friend to hold. Adjust the cosplay if it needs adjusting. FIX THE WIG!!! I can not tell you how many times I have see photos that were great but the wig needed to be brushed down, adjusted because it was off center or something else. Yes at cons your wig will get messed up, we know this, we need to make sure you’re flawless for your photos. I carry a brush and detangler spray in my bag for this reason! Need to check your makeup but restroom is to far away or has a million people in line, no problem. I have a mirror too! I also pack double sided tape just incase, it’s also great for helping short skirts stay in place without revealing any lady parts! A well seasoned photographer will be prepared almost any situation. Photo by Janie Davis of Geaux Cosplay and Rogue Pixels Photography at Wizard World New Orleans 2014 Most important for Cosplayer and Photographers!!! BE ON TIME!!! If you are running late contact the other person ASAP. Some photographers like to overbook themselves. So if you are late, your shoot could be pushed back into someone else’s time slot, or worse, your shoot will be cut short. Photographers. STOP OVERBOOKING!!! You may think it looks cool to show off your jam packed schedule but it’s not. We see you’re overbooked and it makes us question if you will be on your A game by the time our shoot comes up late that afternoon. Please leave at least 45 minutes to an hour or so between shoots just incase. This will help if you are walking between locations. Please always remember at a convention elevators are not your friends. I know at DragonCon waiting for an elevator sometimes took me over 30 minutes but my room was on the 30th floor and there was no way I was walking up those stairs! Be courteous to each other. If running late just message or call. Photo by Janie Davis of Geaux Cosplay and Rogue Pixels Photography at MechaCon 2016. Cosplayer: Karl Knotts. Warhammer Space Marine Photo by Janie Davis of Geaux Cosplay and Rogue Pixels Photography at MechaCon 2016. Cosplayer: Karl Knotts. Warhammer Space Marine Photo by Janie Davis of Geaux Cosplay and Rogue Pixels Photography at MechaCon 2016. Cosplayer: Karl Knotts. Warhammer Space Marine ASK BEFORE YOU TOUCH!!! I can not stress this enough for photographers! ALWAYS ASK! “Hey your wig is a tad out of place, mind if I fix it?” Or “Hey I really like the train on your skirt, mind if I puff it out and adjust it to show the length and detail in the photo?” Never just start touching cosplayers. Also this is a big no no with cosplayers in armors! Always ask! Some armors are fragile. Some armors need to be moved a certain way, if not they can chip or crack. Don’t fuck up someone work for a photo. It’s not worth it. Be careful with armors! If your cosplay is in a full suit of armor, please for the love of god plan a head of time with locations. Make sure they are ok to move around to different locations or if they want to just stay in one spot. If done right, you can position someone in armor one way and get multiple shots just moving around to catch different angles. Make sure they are comfortable. Always get the detail, again, I can not stress this. With armor some people weather their armor for super bad ass paint jobs or have cool LEDs, show that, get creative. Photographers: Use common sense! Have manners! Don’t complain!!! Don’t ever complain during a photoshoot! If you are shooting someone with armor or a heavy dress, you complaining that your feet hurt or your sweating because it’s hot is pretty fucking stupid and down right insensitive like HELLO!!! Do you think they are comfortable with the weather? How do you think the cosplayer feels. To me if my photographer is going to complain the whole time kinda seems like they don’t want to be there nor do the shoot with me… plus I’m now super confident that my photos will be AH-Mazing since I now know how you are so miserable shooting me. *insert sarcasm* This falls under etiquette. Don’t ever complain in front of a client, that’s bad for business. Don’t be a douchebag who’s going to complain the whole shoot. That certainly doesn’t set the mood for a good shoot. If you come off complaining you will ruin your cosplayers mood, that will show in the photos if things are uneasy, they may not get comfortable now. Don’t complain in front of your cosplayers or in a public forum as well that your cosplayers don’t want to go to a certain location. Some just don’t, some are not comfortable in their cosplays to go, some are not comfortable with you! Multiple reasons! Watch what you post on Facebook and other social media especially when you want to complain about your clients or the situations. JUST STOP IT! Have some respect for cosplayers! Have some freakin decency! Photo by Janie Davis of Geaux Cosplay and Rogue Pixels Photography at MechaCon 2016 And I will leave with the final and most important topics. ALL COSPLAYERS MATTER! This goes back to a previous article I wrote a few weeks ago but it HAS to be said again. Don’t deny someone a shoot because of their lack of cosplay crafting skill, color or weight. That is just ignorant. Don’t be a douche. They will find out and they will black list you. We all come from different backgrounds, different skillets and we all have to start somewhere. Both Cosplayers and Photographers have BlackLists. I have blacklisted cosplayers before. Things that will get you Blacklisted by me: Don’t give proper credit. (If I see you post a photo and you have 40+ comments saying how amazing the photo is and not once to edit the description or comment Photo taken by (Insert name here) more than once no matter who the photographer is, then yeah you get listed), some of us, it’s all we have is word of mouth in this industry and by you not sharing our name you have killed it. Cropping out a watermark. Again this helps people know who took the photo. If you crop it out to use as a profile or cover photo then you are altering the image, some photographers are strict on this. It kills me to see a profile photo with a watermark half cut off. I am like oh wow nice photo, who took it? Well, there’s no caption stating who took it and the watermark is cropped… WTF. 100% of the time if you ask me, “Hey Janie, I love this photo you took of me, I would love it as a profile pic, do you want format it for me so nothing gets cropped?” “Hey awesome cosplayer, I am super happy you want to make my photo I took of you a profile pic! I’ll go ahead and fix it right up for you and you should get it tomorrow! Have a great day!” <— See how hard was that? If you ask, most of us are ALWAYS willing to hook you up! We want you happy so you keep coming back to us. We are in the business of building relationships. the more you shoot with a cosplayer the better the bond and over time the better the photos. As a cosplayer gets more comfortable they will go out their comfort zone for you. Then over time you can achieve bad ass photos at killer locations! Show up late multiple times with no warning. Call us please! Don’t pay multiple times. (it’s a convention, I get it you’re broke, just tell me, don’t waste my time, chances are I will work with you and still shoot you). But if you ghost me and I am texting you or calling you when I could have scheduled someone in that spot and actually got paid then you will be blacklisted. This is my job, I am a professional photographer. I know most convention photographers do it as a hobby but me, I own my own business. If I don’t get paid I can’t pay bills. This is why t’s important to be honest. If you can’t pay, just say so. I know it costs you a million dollars to make your cosplay and your broke now but it costs me a lot of money on upkeep on my equipment and editing software so when you pay me for a photoshoot, you are not just someone who does this for fun, you are getting someone who went to college for this, who has over 15 years experience, who uses professional level equipment that you can’t just run to Best Buy and get, and all of my editing software to help me edit out stray wig hairs, touch up your makeup or body paint. THAT is what you are paying for, not just someone pushing a button. So next time you book a shoot with a photographer, think about that please. If you think they are worth it then pay them! If you can’t pay us, buy us food! We love food! We work just as hard as you do at conventions and we starve ourselves. If you offer food as payment, I know I would accept! Photo by Janie Davis of Geaux Cosplay and Rogue Pixels Photographer at MechaCon 2014 Now I know cosplayers who have blacklisted photographers for pretty much all these reasons. As a cosplayer too, I have blacklisted photographers. If you are late because you went over your time with another cosplayer, you better believe I will be a bit upset. If I have paid you a deposit/retainer for our photoshoot then please be there on time if you want the final payment. If you complain to me how much your feet hurt because you just walked x amount of blocks with your last cosplayer to an amazing location then please just shut up now because I want to go to that place too but now I don’t want to ask because you are already complaining. If you are doing a photoshoot with ME do not stop what you’re doing to leave me to go snap a hallway shot of another cosplayer. That is taking away from my time I paid for. Ask first! Don’t sit me on a table and pose me then tell me to hold it while you run off to yell at a cosplayer you want a hallway shot of. I paid for your time and when our shoot starts the clock is ticking, if you leave me for another cosplayer you better add on that extra time to my shoot while you spent 5 minutes taking a few shots of her. In closing respect is a 2 way street and goes along way. Lets respect each other for each our art forms and make me epic masterpieces together! Thanks for reading. I hope this shed a little light and helps out others. As always feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. I do offer mentoring sessions as well if you would like to accompany me to a photoshoot and learn hands on. Don’t forget to mark your calendars October 8th at Louisiana Comic Con 3:30PM-4:15PM is our next panel. And I will have 3 mentor spots available that weekend at Louisiana Comic Con. You guys rock! |
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February 2017
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