Cosplay and Convention Photography

8. Camera Controls “A” or Green rectangle symbol “P”- Program Mode “A” or AV- Aperture Priority “S” or Tv- Shutter Priority “M”- Manual Mode Other Options

9. Lighting Natural Sunlight Artificial Light or Indoor Lighting.

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11. Composition Fill the frame! No Mergers Background Use Angles

12. Working With Your Model Always ask to take a photo. Private Shoot etiquette. Give your model some direction. Show your work off. Encourage your model. Ask the model what she/ he is looking for. Be friendly, but not creepy. Remember: Cosplayers are people too! Thank the model, exchange information.

13. Candids Not all photos need to be posed. Be creative. Capture the moment!

Hinweis der Redaktion

Compact Digital Cameras or Point and shoot- Nikon CoolpixAdvanced Digital Cameras- like SLRs but without having to change lenses, often with very powerful zoomsDSLR- Digital Single Lens Reflex. Basically you can change the lenses as well as controlling the aperture and shutter speedManual SLR- like the DSLR but with film camerasNovelty Cameras- fish eye lomograph, holga, ect…Disposible- good for people that lose or break stuff.
Aperture- amount of light the camera allows in. Shutter speed refers to the speed in which the image is recorded. That’s really the farthest I’m going into for this particular panel. My goal is to prepare you with the base knowledge, if you’re looking for more in depth information on these subjects I would recommend reading your camera’s manual and experiencing my trial or error or take a course at a community college.
Most Cameras have a dial on them with different modes. “A”- Automatic, camera will do everything for you, even initiate flash in low light. Best for starting out photographers. “P”- Program mode, Camera will set the aperture and shutter speed based on the light meter. Unlike auto you have control over ISO (like film speed on manual cameras), flash settings and other options based on your cameras capabilities. “A” or AV- Aperture priority mode, you set the Aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed for you. “S”- Shutter priority mode- you set the shutter speed and the camera adjusts the aperture accordingly.“M” – Manual mode- you control all the settings for the camera manually. Your camera may have other options or program modes. Generally a head represents portrait mode, mountains for landscape mode, flower for macro mode, and a running man for action shotsI recommend reading your cameras manual for specifics on how to use your camera, every camera is a little different.
The best rule of thumb regarding lighting is to have your subject facing the light, you do not want light behind the subject, the picture shown is the best example of what not to do. With the light behind your subject she or he will end up dark. You’ll lose all the detail. The best times of day to do outdoor photos is at sunrise or sunset. Afternoon is not an ideal time but sometimes it’s unavoidable, especially at conventions. This will make lighting more difficult. Try to find shadows made by trees or buildings to help you light your picture if you must shoot mid-day.
Indoor lighting can be tricky, but also unavoidable at conventions. Weather or time of day can keep you and your subject from venturing outside. This doesn’t mean you can’t still get quality photos. If you’re taking photos at a con I recommend experimenting. Take your camera around the convention and find some good lighting. The example on the left is an example of what can be done even in very low lighting. The subjects are standing directing under a light. This casts some shadows but can make for a great affect. The example on the right is a cosplayer standing in a very well lit room. It’s perfect for showing off all the details of a costume.
Composition to me is the most important aspect in taking a great photograph, but it’s also hard to define or set rules on. Here are my personal rules regarding composition. Really I recommend finding photos you personally love analyze them and find the elements of composition to build your own rules.