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| Rob Summers and Liz Castleman |
The feeling of excitement and anticipation you get as a Cosplayer when you receive a message from a photographer you met at your last comic con is unreal. Having people want to photograph all the hard work, creativity, time and effort you’ve put into your cosplays is a wonderful feeling. A true compliment.
For me personally, I find a lot of
joy in creating my cosplays. The planning of what I am going to do, the making
process and seeing my ideas come to life. It’s not always plain sailing and it
really is a case of trusting the process more often than not. I obviously enjoy
wearing my creations at conventions, but that is only a small factor of the
experience in the cosplay world.
What we cosplayers don’t often
think about is the point of view from a photographer attending the same
conventions. What their preparation is, their thought process and the creation
of their art work. As a cosplayer it is easy to forget how much work goes into
photography. It isn’t just rocking up with your camera, taking a few photos and
sending them out into the world. There is so much that goes into being a
photographer. The equipment, the physical endurance of attending a convention
and shooting with many cosplayers, the hours upon hours of reviewing and
editing photos.
I wanted to find out more about
cosplay photographers and their experience with the cosplay community, so I
arranged a meeting with Rob Summers Photography during MCM October in 2022 to
ask him some questions about his experience with photography.
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| Cosplayer: Katiedoescosplay |
How long have you been doing photography?
I first bought my digital camera at Uni about 24 years ago, one of the original 1megapixel digital cameras but I just liked taking pictures - essentially snapshots of nights out and goofing around with mates. Basically, before people had mobile phones inbuilt camera. I loved the technology of cameras; fast forward a decade I kept buying cameras but rarely used them. I’d buy a camera and a lens but not use it, then a year later I’d buy another one because of new technology. Since I’ve got into cosplay photography, that i focus on the ergonomics of the camera to enable me to shoot comfortable with my disability. By doing this it allows me to unleash my creativity.
That’s awesome. That kind of leads
me into my next question actually - what drew you to photography and Cosplay
photography?
Initially the
technology. I like the idea of being able to capture that moment in time. Then
I got more involved in model photography and starting learning about light, and
the effect it had on the atmosphere of the image. So this started my collection
of soft boxes as they allow you to really control the light.
Soft boxes really do make the difference between a simple snapshot and a really
dramatic pose, or using a slither of light you can completely change the story
and the vibe. I really like that. But I never had anyone to shoot with, so I
had all these ideas and if I wanted to shoot with a model, you’d have to pay
money and it was an expense I couldn’t afford. I went to MCM a year ago, my
first convention taking photos and everyone was just so nice. You could tell
everyone put so much work into their cosplay, they wanted to be photographed
and they were happy to have an input into the picture. It wasn’t just like me
taking a picture worrying about technology, it was more about the creativity
and the collaborative process.
Yeah, I get that. The cosplay
scene is a community isn’t it. You get that sense?
That is a big part of it,
we’ve made friends in the cosplay community. It’s nice to have a chat. You bump
into so many people. Not even just working with them as a photographer, you say
hello and having fun.
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| Cosplayer: Ley Ley Cosplay |
Whose work has influenced you the most?
Hmm. I might have to come back to that one.
No that’s fine. I always used to
love Rankins photos. I did photography at college, and I heavily relied on his
work for my inspiration for mine.
Oh, I suppose.
It’s not so much who has influenced me. My inspiration is being able to see my
skills improving, experimenting, and seeing inspiration on Instagram. Though
there is one photographer called Monaris, she is a street photographer, it’s
her use of colour that I love - her colour grading on street photography makes
it look so cinematic. I would love to do that for cosplay . She’s only been
shooting for a couple of years I think, and she is already phenomenal. She has
her own style, and it is amazing. I would love to shoot like that.
It sounds like you influence
yourself as well. The more you grow the more you learn, you gain more
confidence in yourself.
I must admit,
my brain is wired in a way that I’m not really able to visualise stuff that
well, so I take the pictures and then when I am editing it that is when I get
my inspiration and I start playing around with colours, light and applying
different effects, but I don’t have the idea at the start of the shoot. As my confidence
has grown , I’ve started talking to the cosplayer to try and get an idea of the
character and take it from there. But really It’s when I look at the photos and
I’ll see one and just think that’s the one I want to edit.
What is your favourite thing about
going to conventions?
I’d say that
has changed. It used to be photography, now it is seeing friends I’ve made at
various cons. From the money side of things - with the cost of hotels, travel
etc, unfortunately there maybe some conventions I don’t attend and opt to do
location shoots instead. But it is so nice seeing so many people and such a
good vibe.
If you weren’t a photographer,
what would you cosplay?
I would cosplay pinhead from hellraiser.
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| Cosplayer and Writer for this article! Letsgetreadytorinba |
Good choice!
But again, I’ve yet to do that yet. I would do it but…
You should, at least one time!
I’d
have no idea where to start.
You’ve got lots of friends, we’ll
help you! Having worked with you both at Secret Con, I can tell there is a lot
of trust and mutual respect with each other. What are the advantages to working
together? What are the cons?
I shoot with my fiancé Liz Castleman Photography as a duo. When we first
started cons Liz was my assistant holding the light stand or whatever. But as
her confidence has grown she’s leading on more and more shoots. The pro for me
is I am really bad with anxiety and speaking to people, whereas she will go up
to someone and say ‘do you want to work with us’ and greet people. That was
really important in our first year. Now I have more confidence and I know
people, we don’t have that issue as much.
Yeah, I get that. The anxiety can
be hard. What tips do you have for models wanting to shoot with you?
Just
say hello I suppose.
What are some of the most
important skills a photographer should have?
To be a really
good portrait photographer i think you have to really understand lighting,
composition but most importantly be able engage with the subject. Ensure that
they remain focused and don’t drift into their own world which can affect the
spark in their eyes.
When you go out to do a shoot, do
you take any other essential items other than a camera and a lens?
Depends on the
shoot. If it is an interior shoot then lights, your flash. If it is a location
shoot, we’ve learned that gear isn’t that important. If you are a good
photographer, you can visualise it and you can use a cheap camera. I mean I’ve
seen some people take amazing photos with their phones, its about a good eye
for detail - as long as the pose / expression is decent the chances are the
photo will be amazing.
We have started to bring our pug to shoots which always brightens everyone day.
It is amazing what some people can
do with their phones. Among the photography gear you’ve purchased, what is your
favourite thing and why?
Ah, it is
actually a new edition. Just started using it since yesterday, I now bring
along an iPad. I tether it to my camera so the cosplayer can see the photos as
they’re being taken so they can make adjustments, go through the photos on a
large screen and see if there is something they don’t like, they can change it.
Or if they like it, they can decide to do more of that. Whereas on the small
camera screen it can be really difficult to see - especially in direct
sunlight. That has been great.
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| Cosplayer: Pastelscout.cos |
And that is a wrap! Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. We can’t wait to see more of your work in the future! Head over to Rob Summers Photography and his partner Liz Castleman Photography Instagram pages to check out more of their work!
Erin
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