Cosplay photography conventions!
Whether you’re a cosplayer or photographer, I’m sure you’ll want to attend a convention with a beautiful setting. It can be the convention building itself or the surrounding area. If that’s the case, then I got you covered!
In this post, I’ll give you 10 cosplay photography conventions, where you can find some of the best and scenic areas to take cosplay photos. I’ll try to keep this list as diverse as possible.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
1. Katsucon/MAGFest
Of course I have to put Katsucon/MAGFest as the first entry in this list. Where else do you see some of the best cosplay photos from? Katsucon! The resort itself is beautiful, being alongside the Potomac River in the Washington D.C. area. But by far the biggest attraction is the convention building; The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. You have the famous gazebo that many cosplayers dream of getting their photos taken in. Not only that, the exterior of the building is mostly glass, letting lots of sunlight in, making cosplay photography an amazing thing to do. The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center also features some walkways, artifical greenery and a big fountain!
I put Katsucon and MAGFest together because they share the same building. If you’re a cosplay photographer or a cosplayer that’s looking for the best photoshoots, then definitely consider Katsucon or MAGFest so you can take pics in this awesome building!
2. YetiCon
For a lot of us Canadians, YetiCon is like our little secret cosplay convention. 🙂 But if you don’t know, then this convention that takes place in Blue Mountain (a ski resort in Ontario, Canada). As you could imagine, YetiCon is an amazingly beautiful place, but especially for cosplay photos. Some of the features include: a big pool, a large grassy artificial pond, greenery everywhere, hilly slopes, beautiful cottage-like homes and much more.
If you decide to attend YetiCon, make absolute sure you take advantage of the beautiful scenery. Bring your best cosplays and a photographer with you! P.S. For a complete guide of YetiCon, click here!
3. Anime Revolution
Vancouver is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited. Anime Revolution is the premier Anime convention that takes places in the city of Vancouver. The building is in Canada Place, right beside the Pacific Ocean. So not only can you get great cosplay photos inside the convention center, but beside the ocean as well!
4. Holiday Matsuri
Holiday Matsuri is a popular convention that takes place at the Marriott World Center Orlando.
If you’re a cosplayer looking to get some photos, then you will LOVE Holiday Matsuri! There are many unique photoshoot opportunities you can get here that you normally cannot. Some of the highlights include: a big pool and hot tub, an artificial waterfall, Christmas trees and an indoor farm with vibrant colors at night.
Go to HolMat because it’s a super-fun convention. But be sure to take lots of cosplay photos there!
5. Colossalcon (any of them)
Colossalcon is a well-known annual convention that takes place at different Kalahari waterpark resorts all across the U.S. Everyone loves swimsuit cosplays, and Colossalcon is the perfect place to get those types of cosplay photos.
Do keep in mind that Colossalcon does enforce a photo pass, so be sure to follow the photography rules if you plan on attending the convention.
6. Otakuthon
Otakuthon is one of the biggest Anime conventions in Canada. It usually happens every August in Montreal. By far the biggest highlight in terms of cosplay photos is the building itself. The Palais des Congres has beautiful colored windows that are great for pics. The Palais des Congres has a very colourful interior: purple and yellow glass windows, navy coloured walls, dark flooring. Has a very sleek, futuristic modern look, which is great for series like K/DA and Persona.
7. Youmacon
Youmacon takes places in Detroit, Michigan. You might think that there may not be anything interesting or scenic here. But in fact, the convention has a lot of features that are great for cosplay photos. To start, the GM Renaissance Center has a large glass exterior like The Gaylord for Katsucon, making it wonderful for natural photography lighting. They have elevated walkways that look so cool as well! On top of that, the convention is right beside the Detroit River, and we all love our cosplay photos beside water.
8. Anime NYC/New York Comic Con
Both Anime NYC and New York Comic Con (or NYCC for short) take place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. It’s such a beautiful building and you can get a lot of nice photos inside. Plus NYC is a fun city to visit, so even more reason to attend either Anime NYC or New York Comic Con!
9. Fan Expo
It might get crowded at Fan Expo, but there are a lot of great spots to get cosplay photos at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. There is a bridge that connects the two buildings together. The bridge itself is beautiful, with colored glass and a nice carpet. I’ve seen many awesome cosplay photos on my feed with pics on this bridge. BUT…it is extremely hard to get a photo here, especially during Fan Expo.
If you’re looking for some place quieter, you can also grab some photos at Roundhouse Park, which is right next to the convention centre. This is an awesome park that features a train roundhouse, so you can get some cool pics with some vintage trains on display!
Summary
To summarize, here are the 9 cosplay conventions where you can get awesome cosplay photos:
- Katsucon/MAGFest
- YetiCon
- Anime Revolution
- Holiday Matsuri
- Colossalcon (any of them)
- Otakuthon
- Youmacon
- Anime NYC/New York Comic Con
- Fan Expo
I hope you found this post useful. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!
My name is Roger Senpai. I’m a cosplayer that’s been in the community for well over a decade now. I’ve traveled all over the world to Anime and Comic conventions and hosted my own cosplay events. Now I’m writing articles for new and experienced cosplayers like you to help inspire, save you money and improve your cosplays!
