I’ve been thinking about this subject over the last few weeks and months. I am feeling that the cosplayers I used to work with, I don’t see anymore, or they’ve moved on to different photographers. But there are occasions when I hardly recognise anyone at an event anymore.
I don’t want to start the year with a thought like this, but I’m slowly noticing how the cosplay scene is changing for me. There are more Comic Cons than ever, where people can go, from the traditional comic con, anime themed, Japanese culture, film and TV and more, which brings in more people to these events, which exposes people to more events and opportunities for people to cosplay at more events.
With more and more people going, and the number of people who choose to cosplay increases. You may think this would excite me, as it gives me more opportunities to shoot with more people of various franchises, styles, and designs, but being of a…mature age (I am in my forties), I find it hard to feel connected as I once did a few years ago, especially in the days before COVID. I, at one point, felt I could walk around Comic Con and knew a lot of people, we would say hi, chat for a little bit, get some photos, but now I seem to not know so many people, and I observe other photographers being so busy with cosplayers and having a long line of people waiting to get their photos taken.
I know I am seeing only a small snippet of time, and I also have a different style of shooting by having a schedule when I shoot photos at Excel Centre for MCM London, but I don’t know if my photography style isn’t what people like anymore, if there are better photographers than me, I don’t publicise my services enough or something else which i haven’t realised. I don’t do many location shoots, but my only cosplay photoshoot came towards the end of the year and made me question my “place” in the cosplay community. I hope I can shake this feeling and re-evaluate where I belong in the community and have a different outlook on the cosplay community.
I am looking forward to the Comic Cons I have planned for this year.
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