If you haven’t attended a cosplay or comic convention you’ve heard of them, or you have driven past the convention center and seen people in unworldly costumes walking the streets in the middle of the day. In July. Or maybe you have ran across a few images on social media of people dressing up in costumes. Again, nowhere even close to the Halloween season.

Before my cosplay photography shoot with @pixeladel I had a very vague idea of what this culture was. Research before each photo shoot to learn a bit about the characters and what she should expect from me attempting to mimic a cinematic photographer was crucial. I took note of the mood and tones that the characters were presented in as well as their surroundings. I scoped locations to find good-fit settings and packed my bag with dynamic lighting to assure our representation would be true to her characters. New challenges like this gets my creative juices flowing!!!

When @Pixeladel arrived at the studio (both times) she had bags full of wigs, props and costumes. Many of her costumes and wigs she hand-made herself…talk about talent. I was blown away! Noticing the detail she put into her props and costumes was amazing. Some of the items she purchased from other seamstresses and companies which will be listed below.