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I’ve always been interested in photography, but when I was younger, before digital photography was available, I just could not get to grips with the developing process. All that mechanical stuff, chemicals, labs, destroying your picture because you put it in the wrong tray, it felt more like working on a science project than creating art. So while I loved the taking pictures part, I abandoned photography until recently.

It was the Cosplay Fever project that led me to buy a cheap DSLR. Then I realised I needed a better DSLR with some nice lenses and soon I was addicted to exploring the possibilities of photography. I am still happily addicted.

Q: How long have you been a photographer?

Not long! Maybe 18 months.

Q: What would be your dream photoshoot?

Somewhere warm (because I’m bored of the cold British weather), with old buildings for nice texture. I really like run-down locations too. I’d like to shoot some really glamorous people with gorgeous clothes in dirty, unglamorous places. Putting beauty next to ugliness creates a nice dynamic.

Q: In your opinion, are there any big differences between British cosplayers and those of other countries?

Well, people from different cultures behave and dress differently, so it makes sense that cosplayers from other countries have their different looks / styles / etc too. But to be honest, I haven’t met enough non-British cosplayers to tell you how they are different. Although from what I’ve seen Californian cosplayers wear a lot less – no complaints from me! But in general, I don’t like to generalise

Q: Do you have any crazy things that have happened to you while shooting?

Yes, one time we were doing a cosplay shoot by London Zoo, and two gorilla’s bust out of their cages, then started running after us. We were like “OMG, we’re going to be eaten alive by those big apes” – but then we realised that gorillas don’t eat people, so we relaxed a bit, until we THEN realised that they can tear our arms and legs off just the same. So, anyways, they actually caught up with a couple of cosplayers and ripped their clothes off, then started cosplaying as well. It turns out they were just jealous of all the pretty costumes. One gorilla dressed up as Cloud Strife, and he looked kind of cool, but his mate was really lazy and wore the blue jeans and white top of L from Death Note. I guess the moral of the story is that cosplay is for everyone – animals too. Also, photographers lie a lot.

Q: Do you prefer on-location or in-studio shooting?

I’ve never done studio photography, and I’ve never really wanted to – apart from learning more about lighting. The right location is part of the magic of photography IMHO. What I do admire is studio techniques used on location – ie portable lighting done well.

Q: Do cosplayers make good models?

Yes, most cosplayers are awesome models! And they’re invariably polite and friendly and helpful – what more could one ask for They love posing, on the whole, as they want to show off their wonderful costumes. Many of them are extroverts, or at least have a hidden side that is just waiting to be revealed.

Non-cosplayers tend to be a lot more self-conscious. And plenty of cosplayers dabble in photography – some are amazing photographers – so the whole process is interesting to them and they want to help you make your job easier. If taking pictures of cosplayers wasn’t fun I wouldn’t do it, and it’s the people who make it fun. The costumes are pretty, but it’s the people in the costumes who provide the energy and life.

Q: Are there any cosplays you refuse to take picutes of?

Nope.

Q: Are you a fan of anime, video games, sci-fi, etc?

Sure, to an extent – time is always the problem, so I don’t explore those cultures as much as I’d like. I used to be massively into gaming (that’s pretty much all I did at uni, when I should have been studying illustration), but I haven’t touched my Xbox 360 for months. Still, I love it when I get the chance. I also love my DS and PSP, but they are neglected too I’m pretty big on Sci-fi, but fairly clueless when it comes to anime and manga.

Q: What has been your weirdest experience while photographing cosplayers?

Probably walking round London with a small army of cosplayers, including James’s Lord of Darkness. He has to be seen to be believed. Our photo shoots do draw attention from passers-by, who are invariably stunned by what they see.

Oh, and we once got chased by some cosplaying gorillas near London Zoo, but you already know that story.

Q: You’ve been to many countries. Which has been your favorite place to shoot?

We’ve been to America several times to sell our comic books, but we’ve only ever taken pictures of cosplayers in the UK. We hope to change that in the near future, funds permitting! I liked shooting in Camden in London (ie not at a con) because it’s fun to take pics of cosplayers in everyday environments, where you get reactions from the passers-by. Also, I prefer to take pictures outside – often the lighting at conventions is very hard to work with.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to say to the world?

Don’t be scared of expressing yourself, whether through painting, fashion, photography, cosplay, or any other medium. And check out cosplayfever.com for a look at some of the coolest cosplayers in the UK

Character: Lacus Clyne

From: Gundam

About the character:

Lacus Clyne is a fictional character from the Japanese science fiction anime television series Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. She is a popular female vocalist and becomes the co-leader of the Clyne Faction.

Her name, “Lacus” means “lake” in Latin. In Gundam SEED Destiny she’s the “White Queen” on Gilbert Durandal’s chess board. She is referred to in the title of episode eight of Gundam SEED as the “The Songstress of The Enemy Forces”.

Samurai Warriors stars the brave Sanada Yukimura, leader of an elite band of samurai and ninja. Sanada’s journey will take him to the hallowed battlefields of Okehazama and Kawanakajima, and inside the embattled walls of Osaka Castle, where he will come face-to-face with gun-toting troops, echelons of ninja, and deadly kunoichi (female ninja)

Series: Undead Knights

About the game:

The story follows a trio of knights: Romulus Blood, a human knight and former head of the House of Blood who made a pact with a demon known as The Beast, along with his younger brother Remus and Remus’ wife and princess of Cavalier Sylvia Gradis while they are at the end of their lives after the entire House of Blood is slaughtered under the orders of the king Kirk Gradis and his charismatic, tyrannical wife Fatima. Over the course of the game, The Beast grants each of the three characters a second chance at life as necromancers with the ability to turn their still living enemies into undead soldiers.

Tinker Bell, also known as “Tink”, is sassy and brave. Although she is initially resistant to becoming a “tinker” (the fairies who create and fix things, also in the books known as a “pots-and-pans” talent fairy), she embraces the identity when she comes to recognize the value of her talent. She is inexperienced, but a good problem solver. She can be easily impatient and annoyed, yet she is extremely loyal. According to her starring film, she has invented two things; the acorn crusher and the flower sprayer.

Character: Sakura

Series: Tsukasa Chronicles

About the Character:

Sakura is the princess of the Kingdom of Clow, who befriends and falls in love with Syaoran during her childhood. She is stripped of her memories and magical abilities by a powerful force, which take the form of feathers, and they are spread all throughout different dimensions. In order to save her life and retrieve the feathers, she and Syaoran are sent to Yūko, who gives them the use of Mokona in exchange for Sakura’s memory of Syaoran, which causes him to be absent from any memories restored to her. She is initially weak, confused, and constantly tired, but she grows stronger as she regains her feathers. She is very friendly with Fay and Mokona, she grows close to Syaoran again, and she notices that she is missing something from her memories. Sakura possesses unnaturally good luck; Yūko calls her “God’s favorite daughter.” Sakura also has the ability to “hear” the voices of those who cannot be heard, such as spirits of nature, and to see ghosts.

Series: Orochi Warriors

About the game:

In ancient times the Serpent King Orochi was imprisoned for the multitude of crimes he had committed against humanity, and the Havoc he had wrought, confined atthe mystic realm he was sentenced to suffer from eternal punishment and was detested by all those around him, Da Ji alone felt sympathy for Orochi and assisted him in escaping from his prison, free from his shackles. Orochi used his demonic powers to warp the boundaries from time and space and set about gathering some of the bravest warriors the world has ever known.

Orochi’s objective was simple, he wished to once again wreak havoc across the land. This time by testing his might against these heroes of history

Q: What attracts you to cosplay?

I have always loved sewing, making props, dressing up and costumes, so cosplay seemed the perfect combination. I enjoy the challenge of trying to recreate a 2D character into a 3D costume and getting photographs of my costumes and everyone else. Another thing that attracts me to cosplay is the wonderful community of fellow costume makers from all over the globe that I have been fortunate to meet through cosplaying. I have met so many amazingly talented cosplayers and befriended numerous fantastic people, not just other cosplayers but photographers and fans of the games I have created costumes from.

Q: How did you get into anime and what lead you into cosplay?

I have always been interested in Asian culture and history. I enjoyed watching The Water Margin, Monkey and Shogun on the TV when I was younger. I can remember watching the first anime shown on British TV in the early hours of the morning, it was Akira and I remember thinking (after recovering from read all the subtitles) this is totally amazing, I want to watch more things like this.
Years later thanks to the internet and Neo magazine I rediscovered my passion for games, anime and Asian movies. Actually I can remember what issue for Neo it was that kick started it all off for me again, the issue with a feature on the soon to be released Advent Children movie which inspired me to play Final Fantasy VII again and got me chatting with the guy who ultimately became my fiancé. Also while browsing the internet and read Neo (that magazine has a lot to answer for lol) I discover cosplaying, the more I found about the hobby the more I wanted to be a part of it. The first event I attended was the Japan Expo in London and as they say the rest is history.

Q: What has been your favourite cosplay?

I think my favourite cosplay to date has to be Dynasty Warriors 6 Lu Bu. That was my dream Dynasty Warriors 6 costume, my favourite character and although at times the creation of that costume reduced me to tears I was really proud of the end result. I also have a great fondness for my Rufus Shinra costume, it wasn’t the best costume but it was one of my first cosplays and meant a lot to me especially as my fiancé join me as Reno.

Q: What is your most memorable moment whilst cosplaying?

I think my most memorable moment whilst cosplaying has to be when I stepped out onto the huge stage at JapanExpo in Paris as Lu Bu. It was my first time in a masquerade at such a big event and on such a huge stage that had amazing sound systems, lighting and smoke effects. It was such a scary but exciting experience made even more amazing that I shared the stage with my occasional cosplay partner, Lisu-chan as my wife Diao Chan. I met some wonderfully talented and such friendly people backstage while waiting to go on which made the whole experience even more memorable and awesome fun.

Q: Have you had any cosplays go wrong/encountered problems whilst making cosplays?

To be honest I don’t think that I have ever made a costume without encountering some sort problem or making something wrong. Luckily the problems that have encountered have been easily overcome and my mistakes have been at such an early stage that I have been able to correct them or remake the piece. The trouble is that I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to trying to get the costume as accurate as possible and I am a sucker for highly detailed costumes. I wouldn’t claim to be a particularly talented seamstress but I always try to do my best to make things neatly and try different techniques when applying the details to the costume.

Q: Have you ever regretted cosplaying?

No, I have never really regretted cosplaying but there have been times that I do wonder why the hell I am doing this to myself. Times like when I have burnt myself with the hot glue gun or when I almost fainted in the July heat at Japan Expo, Paris as I was wearing a corset of duct tape and several layers of fake leather.

Q: Do your cosplays have a particular theme to them?

My cosplays don’t really have a particular theme although I do have a great fondest for crossplaying the male characters of the KOEI Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors games. I just love the detailed costumes and the amazing weapons. I have cosplayed from anime, game and TV although not from a movie yet. I find most female characters are very slim with skimpy outfits which isn’t the sort of thing I can pull off, although I did enjoy cosplaying as Lulu from Final Fantasy X. So I tend to go for crossplay, I like the more impressive (Lu Bu) or unusual (Pang Tong) male characters with interesting or huge weapons. The way I see it is in the wonderful group of people I know who cosplay there are quite a few gorgeous ladies who are perfect for the beautiful, sexy characters but they usually need a husband so that is where I can step in and besides a powerful, guy with a huge weapon can be far more fun to cosplay.

Q: Have you ever done group cosplay? If so how did you find that experience

My first KOEI costume was with a group. Although I didn’t know the members of the group that well it was a great experience being part of a group. It was nice to be part of something with other people that shared my passion for the game, everyone was there to support and encourage each other and it wasn’t so nerve racking waiting to go on stage for the masquerade.

Q: What cosplays are you planning?

I am currently working on Zhang Fei from Dynasty Warriors 6 and an original Steampunk creation for May MCM Expo in London. Then for the October MCM Expo I am hoping to cosplay as Nobunaga Oda from Samurai Warriors 3. Other costumes that I have on my list include the Monkey King from the Forbidden Kingdom movie, The Visionary from the Dr Who episode The End of Time, an original Steampunk character and Sun Shang Xiang from Dynasty Warriors 5.

Q: Do you have a dream cosplay?

As I have mentioned previously Lu Bu from Dynasty Warriors 6 was a dream costume of mine. Another dream costume I have from the Dynasty Warriors series is Sun Shang Xiang’s wedding dress as I adore the headdress and the flowing sleeves. I would also love to make a Kosh from Babylon 5 series as it will prove an interesting challenge just getting such a bulky costume to the event. I am not sure if many people would recognize Kosh as that series is so old but that character has a special place in my heart and would be so different from anything I have done before.

Q: How are the professional photo shoots usually managed?

I have only had one ‘professional’ photo shoot which was so much fun and I got some amazing photographs from the session. I would love to have a studio photo session with a professional photographer as it would wonderful to have some really nice photographs for my favourite costumes.

Q: Do you have one piece of advice that you would give to cosplay newbies?

The one piece of advice I would give to a newbie cosplayer is start simple, give yourself plenty of time to making the costume and above all have fun. Okay that was three pieces of advice but all worth considering when first starting out in cosplay.
I would advise against making a very complicated and detailed costume first time out unless the person is self-assured in sewing and prop making. As a person learns new skills and gain confidence with each new costume they make then tackling a more complicated costume will seem less daunting and stressful. And always remember cosplaying is meant to be fun so as long as you do your best with a costume and enjoy wearing it then that really is all that matters.

Q: Do you have an account with cosplay.com or other social networking sites?

I have an account on cosplay.com my username is hakuloveszabuza. I also have an account on cosplayisland.com and Deviantart again with the username hakuloveszabuza. I am also on Facebook and have just started a website for my costumes www.cosplaydream.co.uk

Ryu returns to his home and finds his father, Joe Hayabusa dueling with Genshin, leader of the Black Spider Ninja Clan. Unfortunately, the Demon Statue is taken away by Queen of the Greater Fiends and the Ruler of Blood, Elizébet, and Joe urges his son to retrieve the statue at all costs. Ryu travels around the world with Sonia, in pursuit of Elizébet and the Demon Statue, while encountering legions of Black Spider Ninjas, Fiends, and three other Greater Fiends: Alexei, the Graceful Ruler of Lightning; Volf, the Invincible Ruler of Storms; and Zedonius, the Malevolent Ruler of Flame.

Character: Motoko Kusanagi

Movie: Ghost in shell

About the movie:

Ghost in the Shell is a futuristic police thriller dealing with the exploits of the cyborg Motoko Kusanagi, a member of a covert operations division of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission known as Section 9. The unit specializes in fighting technology-related crimes. Although supposedly equal to all other members, Kusanagi fills the leadership role in the team, and is usually referred to as “the Major” due to her past rank in the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. She is capable of superhuman feats, and bionically specialized for her job — her body is almost completely mechanized; only her brain and a segment of her spinal cord remain organic.