Tutorial: How to be a better model.
This will end up on cosplay.com and the Enthusiasts website eventually, but you guys get first look.
(I may make it a youtube video too. What do you think?)
I’ve been asked this a few times by different people, so I’ve finally gotten around to typing this up.
This list is entirely based on the assumption that you want better photos and you’re willing to work for them. It doesn’t mean that a store-bought costume or something you thriftshopped together is less valid than something you spent hours and hours on, but you do need to have spent effort on your appearance. If you don’t do this first step, nothing else will really matter.
Please note that this is different from my ‘how to pose better’ tutorial/panel (which I also need to write up). There will be some overlap, but this is specifically about how to work with a photographer to get more photos you’re happy with and be sought out by photographers later. You do not need to be the most amazing cosplayer in skill or looks to be someone a photographer wants to work with. It certainly helps, of course, but some of my favourite models are just normal, average people who are aware of their bodies and know how to move in them, who make sure their costume(s) works before they come to a shoot, who are confident (or feign confidence) and who are focused.
This is also a personal list - for different photographers the mileage may vary - but these are the things that will make me want to work with you again. It’s also more focused on the idea of working with a photographer for several shots or a private shoot, instead of just hallway snaps (though many of these apply to both).
Put your damn costume on before the con.
Before the con, hopefully with time to fix things that go wrong, put on your costume. All of it. Wig, shoes, tights, armor, three pounds of jewellery, detachable tail, all of it. And then? Jump around. With a friend you trust or with a bunch of mirrors. Bend down to pick up your badge. Sit. Stretch. Take a deeeep breath. Dance. Do all of these things and see how your costume holds up: If you can figure out before the con where there are going to be problems, you’ll both be more comfortable moving in it and you’ll know where your problem areas are. I often ask ‘can you kneel in that?’ or have a model lean against a wall or swing their arm over someone’s shoulder. The best ones can tell me if they can or can’t right away - without breaking their costume at con to find out - and they often have already figured out alternate poses they can do for me.
Practice movement in and out of costume. Become comfortable in your body.
I cannot stress this more. Some of the best models I work with are the people who just know what their body is doing. For some, it comes from years of theatre or dance or martial arts practice - for others it’s natural. For the rest, it usually comes from making a fool of yourself in front of a mirror. You do not get good at posing by magic. You don’t get good at it by looking at photos, or hoping, or by doing it 3-5 times a year.
If you wanted to be a dancer, no one would expect you to be any good on stage if you've only watched other people dance.
Posing and modeling work the same way. You get better by practicing. So practice already! Get friends to take photos of you, look at what you like and what you don’t like in them. Move to music in front of a mirror. No one is watching you. And isn’t it better to practice looking silly for days in front of a mirror than get home from a con and hate all the photos you’re in?
Be Confident! (Or fake it. Faking it works too.)
Some of the worst models I work with are the people who are convinced they’re ugly, awkward, or look bad. They spend the whole shoot telling me how uncomfortable they are, how uncertain, and it shows in the photos. Now, a little bit of honesty is great! After all, communication is key. Telling a photog you’re not sure about a pose, or prompting them with ‘if this looks stupid tell me’ is a great habit to be in. Warning me your costume’s a bit short so you have to be careful about angles is cool. The problem comes if you let that uncertainty take over the shoot. Your uncertainty shows in your body language and in your facial expressions, and it can wear a photographer down. Photography is about catching a single frame in still motion - unlike video, it won’t catch every before and after. One of the best things you can learn is how to sell it - how to fake confidence and attitude and the emotion your character is trying to convey for that one split second as the shutter goes. Then you can relax again, and giggle it off before the next shot.
Again, practicing in front of a mirror helps immensely. For years I have kept a mirror on my computer desk. Every time my eyes caught my reflection, I made a face at myself. I learned how to create the expressions I wanted for a camera that way, so no matter how I was feeling I could hide for a moment behind ‘sexy’ or ‘dangerous and pissed off’ or ‘coy and shy’. (I also learned my face is not one for silly, funny expressions. I hate how I look that way and I figured this out before I started a Harley Quinn costume, not after I got my photos back and hated all of them.)
Communicate and be specific.
If you know you hate photos where you’re shot straight on to the camera, let the photog know at the beginning. And give them a reason - whether it’s because of scarring, or because it hides your cheekbones, or because your nose is crooked or your have a constant double-chin, say so. Your photog might know ways to minimise it through lighting or an offer for photoshop. If one part of your costume is broken, let them know so they can adjust shooting for it (and if you’re lucky they might carry crazy glue, double-sided tape and safety pins in their kit as a matter of course like I usually do). If there is something about your costume that likes to malfunction - your wig likes to slip, your obi likes to untie - let them know. Don’t expect the photographer to notice always (sometimes we think that’s how it’s supposed to look). Giving us a heads up means we can add ‘check obi’ to our mental checklist as we look through the viewfinder.
Be Focused. Want to be here.
My worst photoshoot experience ever was for a pair of girls who, despite booking and paying for a shoot with me at a con, didn’t actually seem to want to have their photo taken. I managed to get some solid shots by the end of it, but nothing near what we might have managed had they been present and interested in what we were doing.
I’ve also had some frustrating shoots with models who have shown up more than a little tipsy, groups who are more interested in joking around with their friends than taking photos, groups I had to corral and almost babysit more than direct - that sort of thing. I’m not saying you can’t have fun - the best photoshoots are always a ton of laughs for everyone involved - but remember you’re here, at this moment, for photos. Chasing your friend around with a spraybottle could probably wait a little bit.
Give the photographer your attention. Want to get these photos and be patient when other members of your group are getting their shots. If I have to chase you down or give you a responsible behaviour speech.... not cool. For paid shoots it means you get less photos overall and I’m less willing to take risks for your group that might not pay off. For free shoots, it means it getting cut short. And I probably won’t ever seek you out to shoot with again.
Be willing to experiment and give and take suggestions.
My favourite models are the people who, when I say ‘Let’s get you jumping off that ledge’ go ‘SURE!’. They’re the people who, when I say, ‘Ok, that jump is good but your face looks pansy, I want you to YELL while you’re jumping’ go ‘Ok. I FEEL SILLY but sure! YARRRRGHHH!!!’
They’re the people who will follow me into a bathroom and sit or lay down on the floor. They’re the people who say “Watch what I can do with my legs” or “We totally want a shot where Aeris is kicking Sephiroth’s ass” or who walk barefoot into a dogpark. They’re the people who will jump twenty times to get the one or two shots that work. Who will say “I FEEL SILLY but I trust you” and then commit to whatever I’ve asked them to do. They’re the people who make sound effects when they point their guns and arrows or laugh manically on cue when they’re dressed as the Joker. They’re the people who are willing to take risks. This isn’t to say you should listen to what I or any other photog says blindly - if you’re not comfortable say so! You know yourself best. Cosplay photography really is a two way street. I can light and position a group of people, but the thing that makes a photo epic is often the cosplayers themselves - the mood, tone and attitude they set, as well as the commitment they put forward.
So! These are the main attributes I find in my favourite models - the people I’m excited to work with time and again. It’s by no means definitive, but consider these points a good start for building both better habits when in front of the camera and for building relationships with the photogs you work with.
A few other not as important but still really worthwhile points to consider:
Makeup: Please please please please wear some. Even if it’s just foundation and eyeliner. (Yes, guys too.) The difference it makes in regards to your skintone, cutting down shine, and making your expressions clearer and sharper is really noticeable. It also helps with those pesky under-eye circles.
Sleep and Eat and Stay Hydrated: Look after yourself at a con and your body and skin will thank you.
Nude underwear. Girls especially should invest in skin-toned undergarments when you’re wearing white, or finely-woven fabrics. No one wants to see your pink bra through your Garnet top, or your polkadotted thong through your plugsuit.
Dancebelts: Guys, Google it. If you are wearing anything tight around your crotch, be it PVC or Spandex, wear a dance belt. It saves you years of embarrassment of being known as ‘boner _____’ and saves me hours of ‘shopping your junk out of photos. (Trust me. There is nothing odder than having someone looking over my shoulder while there’s a 100% crop of someone’s crotch on my monitor as I clonetool like mad. Just sayin.) And no, two pairs of briefs or layering briefs and boxers will not have the same effect.
Questions? Comments other photogs want to toss in the mix? (If other photogs want to add their own points, I can link them in this post to make it easier to find later.)
(I may make it a youtube video too. What do you think?)
I’ve been asked this a few times by different people, so I’ve finally gotten around to typing this up.
This list is entirely based on the assumption that you want better photos and you’re willing to work for them. It doesn’t mean that a store-bought costume or something you thriftshopped together is less valid than something you spent hours and hours on, but you do need to have spent effort on your appearance. If you don’t do this first step, nothing else will really matter.
Please note that this is different from my ‘how to pose better’ tutorial/panel (which I also need to write up). There will be some overlap, but this is specifically about how to work with a photographer to get more photos you’re happy with and be sought out by photographers later. You do not need to be the most amazing cosplayer in skill or looks to be someone a photographer wants to work with. It certainly helps, of course, but some of my favourite models are just normal, average people who are aware of their bodies and know how to move in them, who make sure their costume(s) works before they come to a shoot, who are confident (or feign confidence) and who are focused.
This is also a personal list - for different photographers the mileage may vary - but these are the things that will make me want to work with you again. It’s also more focused on the idea of working with a photographer for several shots or a private shoot, instead of just hallway snaps (though many of these apply to both).
Put your damn costume on before the con.
Before the con, hopefully with time to fix things that go wrong, put on your costume. All of it. Wig, shoes, tights, armor, three pounds of jewellery, detachable tail, all of it. And then? Jump around. With a friend you trust or with a bunch of mirrors. Bend down to pick up your badge. Sit. Stretch. Take a deeeep breath. Dance. Do all of these things and see how your costume holds up: If you can figure out before the con where there are going to be problems, you’ll both be more comfortable moving in it and you’ll know where your problem areas are. I often ask ‘can you kneel in that?’ or have a model lean against a wall or swing their arm over someone’s shoulder. The best ones can tell me if they can or can’t right away - without breaking their costume at con to find out - and they often have already figured out alternate poses they can do for me.
Practice movement in and out of costume. Become comfortable in your body.
I cannot stress this more. Some of the best models I work with are the people who just know what their body is doing. For some, it comes from years of theatre or dance or martial arts practice - for others it’s natural. For the rest, it usually comes from making a fool of yourself in front of a mirror. You do not get good at posing by magic. You don’t get good at it by looking at photos, or hoping, or by doing it 3-5 times a year.
If you wanted to be a dancer, no one would expect you to be any good on stage if you've only watched other people dance.
Posing and modeling work the same way. You get better by practicing. So practice already! Get friends to take photos of you, look at what you like and what you don’t like in them. Move to music in front of a mirror. No one is watching you. And isn’t it better to practice looking silly for days in front of a mirror than get home from a con and hate all the photos you’re in?
Be Confident! (Or fake it. Faking it works too.)
Some of the worst models I work with are the people who are convinced they’re ugly, awkward, or look bad. They spend the whole shoot telling me how uncomfortable they are, how uncertain, and it shows in the photos. Now, a little bit of honesty is great! After all, communication is key. Telling a photog you’re not sure about a pose, or prompting them with ‘if this looks stupid tell me’ is a great habit to be in. Warning me your costume’s a bit short so you have to be careful about angles is cool. The problem comes if you let that uncertainty take over the shoot. Your uncertainty shows in your body language and in your facial expressions, and it can wear a photographer down. Photography is about catching a single frame in still motion - unlike video, it won’t catch every before and after. One of the best things you can learn is how to sell it - how to fake confidence and attitude and the emotion your character is trying to convey for that one split second as the shutter goes. Then you can relax again, and giggle it off before the next shot.
Again, practicing in front of a mirror helps immensely. For years I have kept a mirror on my computer desk. Every time my eyes caught my reflection, I made a face at myself. I learned how to create the expressions I wanted for a camera that way, so no matter how I was feeling I could hide for a moment behind ‘sexy’ or ‘dangerous and pissed off’ or ‘coy and shy’. (I also learned my face is not one for silly, funny expressions. I hate how I look that way and I figured this out before I started a Harley Quinn costume, not after I got my photos back and hated all of them.)
Communicate and be specific.
If you know you hate photos where you’re shot straight on to the camera, let the photog know at the beginning. And give them a reason - whether it’s because of scarring, or because it hides your cheekbones, or because your nose is crooked or your have a constant double-chin, say so. Your photog might know ways to minimise it through lighting or an offer for photoshop. If one part of your costume is broken, let them know so they can adjust shooting for it (and if you’re lucky they might carry crazy glue, double-sided tape and safety pins in their kit as a matter of course like I usually do). If there is something about your costume that likes to malfunction - your wig likes to slip, your obi likes to untie - let them know. Don’t expect the photographer to notice always (sometimes we think that’s how it’s supposed to look). Giving us a heads up means we can add ‘check obi’ to our mental checklist as we look through the viewfinder.
Be Focused. Want to be here.
My worst photoshoot experience ever was for a pair of girls who, despite booking and paying for a shoot with me at a con, didn’t actually seem to want to have their photo taken. I managed to get some solid shots by the end of it, but nothing near what we might have managed had they been present and interested in what we were doing.
I’ve also had some frustrating shoots with models who have shown up more than a little tipsy, groups who are more interested in joking around with their friends than taking photos, groups I had to corral and almost babysit more than direct - that sort of thing. I’m not saying you can’t have fun - the best photoshoots are always a ton of laughs for everyone involved - but remember you’re here, at this moment, for photos. Chasing your friend around with a spraybottle could probably wait a little bit.
Give the photographer your attention. Want to get these photos and be patient when other members of your group are getting their shots. If I have to chase you down or give you a responsible behaviour speech.... not cool. For paid shoots it means you get less photos overall and I’m less willing to take risks for your group that might not pay off. For free shoots, it means it getting cut short. And I probably won’t ever seek you out to shoot with again.
Be willing to experiment and give and take suggestions.
My favourite models are the people who, when I say ‘Let’s get you jumping off that ledge’ go ‘SURE!’. They’re the people who, when I say, ‘Ok, that jump is good but your face looks pansy, I want you to YELL while you’re jumping’ go ‘Ok. I FEEL SILLY but sure! YARRRRGHHH!!!’
They’re the people who will follow me into a bathroom and sit or lay down on the floor. They’re the people who say “Watch what I can do with my legs” or “We totally want a shot where Aeris is kicking Sephiroth’s ass” or who walk barefoot into a dogpark. They’re the people who will jump twenty times to get the one or two shots that work. Who will say “I FEEL SILLY but I trust you” and then commit to whatever I’ve asked them to do. They’re the people who make sound effects when they point their guns and arrows or laugh manically on cue when they’re dressed as the Joker. They’re the people who are willing to take risks. This isn’t to say you should listen to what I or any other photog says blindly - if you’re not comfortable say so! You know yourself best. Cosplay photography really is a two way street. I can light and position a group of people, but the thing that makes a photo epic is often the cosplayers themselves - the mood, tone and attitude they set, as well as the commitment they put forward.
So! These are the main attributes I find in my favourite models - the people I’m excited to work with time and again. It’s by no means definitive, but consider these points a good start for building both better habits when in front of the camera and for building relationships with the photogs you work with.
A few other not as important but still really worthwhile points to consider:
Makeup: Please please please please wear some. Even if it’s just foundation and eyeliner. (Yes, guys too.) The difference it makes in regards to your skintone, cutting down shine, and making your expressions clearer and sharper is really noticeable. It also helps with those pesky under-eye circles.
Sleep and Eat and Stay Hydrated: Look after yourself at a con and your body and skin will thank you.
Nude underwear. Girls especially should invest in skin-toned undergarments when you’re wearing white, or finely-woven fabrics. No one wants to see your pink bra through your Garnet top, or your polkadotted thong through your plugsuit.
Dancebelts: Guys, Google it. If you are wearing anything tight around your crotch, be it PVC or Spandex, wear a dance belt. It saves you years of embarrassment of being known as ‘boner _____’ and saves me hours of ‘shopping your junk out of photos. (Trust me. There is nothing odder than having someone looking over my shoulder while there’s a 100% crop of someone’s crotch on my monitor as I clonetool like mad. Just sayin.) And no, two pairs of briefs or layering briefs and boxers will not have the same effect.
Questions? Comments other photogs want to toss in the mix? (If other photogs want to add their own points, I can link them in this post to make it easier to find later.)