How to find a cosplay photographer!
Whether you’re new to the cosplay community or you’re a veteran cosplayer looking for a new person take your photos, you might be wondering how the heck do you find a cosplay photographer? Does everyone have their own clique of photographers? Do you need to be qualified first? I’m here to answer those questions!
How do you find a cosplay photographer?
For most cosplayers, finding a cosplay photographer simply involves browsing through social media. Many cosplayers and photographers share the same social circle and attend the same Anime or comic conventions in the area, so it only makes sense to be able to find one another online. However, there are other and non-conventional ways to meet and arrange a cosplay photographer.
In this post, I’ll give you 9 best ways on how to find a cosplay photographer, starting with the easiest and most effective ways.
I am confident that one of these methods will work for you, whether you attend a convention or not.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
1. Facebook groups
I’ll be mentioning Facebook a couple of times on this list, because the platform truly is the BEST way to find a cosplay photographer. Not only is it easy to find cosplayers on Facebook, but it’s also easy to see cosplay photographers and the work they do; a lot of them post their cosplay photo on Facebook.
By far the best way for cosplayers to find photographers (or vice versa) are through cosplay-related Facebook groups. I’ll use the city of Boston for example. Let’s say you’re a cosplayer that lives in Boston and want to find a cosplay photographer. There are many related groups you can find them, including:
- Group for cosplayers in Boston area (e.g. “Boston Cosplayers”)
- Cosplay conventions in the Boston area (e.g. “Anime Boston Facebook group”)
- Groups to coordinate smaller meetups in the Boston area (e.g. “Boston Cosplayers Meetup”)
These are just a few examples of some groups you may find on Facebook with cosplay photographers that are looking to book clients and take photos with you!
2. On a convention event page
Many cosplay conventions will post an official page for their weekend event. Here you will mostly find people asking questions related to the convention. But often, you’ll see cosplay photographers posting on these pages offering their photography services. This is a great way to find cosplay photographers who are interested in shooting at the event. Not only are you able to find them, but you can also see their photography rates and the work they do.
So if you happen to be on Facebook and plan on attending a big cosplay event in your area, be sure to check out the event page on Facebook and see if any cosplay photographers are offering their services. Chances are, you’ll find many cosplay photographers to choose from!
3. Through other cosplayers and referrals
In my experience at least, having a good network of cosplayers and people associated with cosplay can definitely get you in touch with a lot of great cosplay photographers. So what I’m trying to say is, if you attend cosplay conventions often and start making cosplay friends (for more info on that, click here), eventually you’ll find it really easy to get in touch with many cosplay photographers.
It’s pretty much similar to how business and networking are. When cosplay photographers deliver great services (in this case, great cosplay photos), then word of mouth gets around and people mention them through the networks. So at some point, you’ll know a few cosplay friends who know of other photographers who you can get in touch with. And they can vouch for a great cosplay photographer for you!
4. Onsite
A big reason why we attend cosplay conventions in the first place is to meet new people. And meeting new cosplay photographers is no exception! Especially at a large Anime or comic convention, you’ll be able to find many awesome cosplay photographers there.
Here are a few places where you’ll be likely to meet cosplay photographers:
- Group photoshoots. Some cosplay photographers are huge fans of specific series like Fire Emblem and League of Legends, so it’s not too difficult to spot some photographers when they happen. Many conventions schedule a specific time for cosplayers of the same fandom to get together and take some photos. If you’re looking for great group cosplay ideas, click here!
- Convention photo booths. Some conventions have designated photographers setup with a photo booth to take photos of people. Often they are cosplay photographers. If you happen to see one, be sure to grab the card of the cosplay photographer!
- Hallway photographers. I often meet many new cosplay photographers when they stop and ask for a photo of my cosplay. They hand me their business card to learn more about them online, which is really cool! Another reason to dress up as a popular character so you get the attention of hallway photographers. (If you want to know which cosplays will be popular, click here).
5. Instagram
I personally don’t do this often, but Instagram is another great way to find cosplay photographers. Because at the end of the day, many cosplay photos will end up on Instagram! So what better way to find photographers than on the platform where cosplay photos are being shared? 🙂
You’ll want to find a cosplay photographer in your area by using the right hashtags. So for example, if you live in Boston, you’d search for hashtags such as: #bostoncosplay, #bostoncosplayer, #animeboston. Basically, just look for hashtags either related to the area you live in, or a convention that takes place in your area. Chances, you’ll see plenty of cosplay photos from your region and the photographer associated with that photo. If you see a few you like, go ahead and send that photographer a DM and ask if you can do a cosplay photoshoot with them!
6. Hiring a “normie” photographer
If you are truly unable to find a cosplay photographer near you (which is unlikely), then the next best thing you can do is just simply hire a regular photographer (i.e. normie). Like I mention in my step-by-step photographer guide (click here to read), cosplay photography in general is basically fashion portrait photography. Because most of the time, photographers are simply taking pictures of your exotic clothing (i.e. cosplay) in portrait.
Therefore, a lot of regular photographers are more than qualified to do the job. So you’ll definitely still get some great photos! With that said however, there may be a couple of downsides to hiring a non-cosplay photographer:
- It will likely cost you more. Honestly, cosplay photographers usually charge fairly low prices to do a photoshoot, especially compared to regular photographers. At most, you’ll be paying less than $100 for a cosplay photographer shoot (if you want to learn more about cosplay photography prices, click here). With a regular photographer however, you’ll likely be paying more than that.
- A regular photographer likely won’t know the nuances of cosplaying. When it comes to cosplay photography, there are a lot of subtle things that a cosplay photographer knows that a regular one may not. Stuff like Anime hair, the Waifu look, Anime eyes, cosplay makeup, cosplay etiquette (more on that here), knowing your character’s signature poses, etc. These differences can definitely have an effect on the way your photos will look, compared to a cosplay photographer.
7. Smaller cosplay events
You don’t always have to go to a big Anime or comic convention to meet cosplay photographers. In fact, you can head to your local cosplay events and still find cosplay photographers there! If anything, it’s a lot easier to socialize and network with cosplayers and photographers at smaller events. This is because the vibe and pace is much slower, making it more conductive for social interaction.
So don’t neglect the smaller events in your area! If you want more info on how to find cosplay events near you, click here.
Of course, how can I not mention hosting your own social cosplay events as an event organizer myself? 🙂
What’s interesting for me to see is that I meet cosplay photographers at my own events, who I normally wouldn’t meet at large conventions. Either they’re too busy doing their own things at a con. Or they simply don’t want to attend a convention and rather take photos at a smaller, local event.
Almost all the events I’ve hosted, I’ve ran into a cosplay photographer. They love it when there’s a local event happening in their area. So I can say from my own experience; it’s easy to make friends with cosplay photographers when you’re hosting your own social events!
9. On the website of a convention
Some conventions have a “Photographer Pass” program where photographers are vetted and need to purchase a badge in order to take photos at the convention. This is an easy way to find cosplay photographers, and you can rest assure that you and the photographer have permission to get photos taken at the convention!
Summary
To summarize, here are the 9 ways on how to find a cosplay photographer:
- Facebook groups
- On a convention event page
- Through other cosplayers and referrals
- Onsite
- Hiring a “normie” photographer
- Smaller cosplay events
- Hosting your own social events
- On the website of a convention
And there you have it; 9 ways to find a cosplay photographer! I hope you found this post useful!
Check out my other helpful cosplay photography articles:
- 25 Cosplay Photography Tips You NEED To Know
- How To Do A Cosplay Photoshoot: The Ultimate Guide
- 15 Cosplay Photoshoot Ideas You Should Try
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!
