We’ve all gone online to look at someone’s work or got a notification to say your favourite person has posted a new photo and it’s a fantastic piece of work. There has been a time when I’ve uploaded work on my own social media pages which haven’t been to the standard I wished it was.
This has nothing to do with the cosplayer in the photo but more how I’ve edited it, the photo is blurry, pose the cosplayer now looks odd, the colours or just doesn’t fit with other photos in the set.
In the past I have ignored my gut and posted photos I later think to myself I should have a better quality control on my feed, cause I have to remember that my social media feed and website posts I post represent not only my work but the best part of my work which I want to show off. If a potential client who’s undecided about working with me, sees work which are below my standards, that might turn away and look elsewhere. Or stops attracting more people to follow more of my social feed if I don’t keep a good or high standard of output work.
I do try and keep my main feed on Instagram photos of cosplays or food I’ve taken and have recently moved my “silly” selfies to either into my Instagram stories or Twitter.
I don’t expect everyone whom I have taken photos of will share my photos. Cause are going through the same quality control and looking for the best photo or pose to show off their work.
I think we’ve all been guilty of uploading photos to social media because it’s the only photo you got back of your cosplay and just wanted to show off your cosplay or you get back photos which aren’t too your liking. But I say, if you’re proud of your cosplay, don’t upload photos which are below your quality of standard.
For cosplayers, don’t be afraid of taking and uploading photos from your camera phone, the quality of modern camera phones are improving all the time and also you get to control what photo you want there and then, no waiting for the photographer to send you photos.
Also if you didn’t get photos back from a comic con event or don’t like the aesthetic of the comic con environment, why not set up a location shoot with your photographer or cosplayer. This may involve money but talk to your photographer or cosplayer to either discuss rates or agree if can be TFP. Just make sure before a single photo is taken, what goals both are looking to get from the photoshoot.
Make sure you check what you upload onto social media is what you want to represent yourself. It’s very hard to take something back if it can be misinterpreted or cause offence. Things can be screenshot and spread across the internet very quickly in a “cancel culture” we now live in.
Being picky about what goes into your social media feed isn’t a bad thing.
