Socksy Cosplay

Budgeting Conventions

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I last posted! My laptop broke and I was only recently able to get it fixed.

In lieu of a progress post (the final Elsa post is coming, I swear) and since a large convention I love is coming up, I thought I’d put down some tips on how I budget going to cons!

This is something I’m considering running a panel on along with budgeting cosplay, so consider this post a convenient reference.

Travel

Let’s look at how you’re getting there.

If it’s a local con, I’ll usually try to commute or carpool from home. If you live in a city where parking is minimal and usually requires payment (*cough*Atlanta*cough*) see if you can get dropped off or use a service like Uber or Lyft.

Cons that are further away are where you start having to drop some serious money, but there are still cheaper options for transportation if you do your research.

See if there are thriftier options than flying. A Greyhound or a Megabus is significantly cheaper, and not terribly uncomfortable if you’re willing to sit for longer than an airplane would take. (Although in my experience, if it’s a viable option, taking a flight is usually worth it and I’ve almost always been glad I opted for it. This is all down to the individual, though.)

If it’s still too much distance and you have to fly, book your flight as early as possible, since ticket prices go up the closer it gets to the departure date. I usually start looking 2-3 weeks in advance, if I can.

Always use a travel site like Kayak to find the best deals! It’s a very convenient website that will list by airline, price, and departure/arrival times.

Just be aware that certain airlines will charge for baggage or any extra carry-on items. Look on the airline website for prices regarding that, since most booking sites won’t tell you until it’s time to check in, sticking you with an unexpected charge.

Accommodations

Now that we’ve covered travel, let’s talk about where you’re staying.

First, see if staying in the host hotel is entire necessary – sometimes surrounding hotels or Air BnB’s will be much cheaper and have less of a Hunger Games-esque race to book a room. Staying closeby won’t cause you to miss out on the experience, and sometimes it can be nice to have a retreat rather than the con constantly being right outside your door.

Share a room with others to split the cost! This is another thing that’s down to the individual, but if you can stand sharing a room (or bed, or floor…) with some others, the price will be drastically reduced. Hotels will usually have pictures of their rooms on their website that you can view and see how many people it can reasonably fit.

Just make sure everyone is a considerate roommate: keep your belongings confined to your designated area, no leaving food or trash strewn around, make sure to clear any drinking, guests, or other boundaries with roommates beforehand.

Bring food and drinks from home! Hotel food is notoriously expensive, and many rooms have a mini fridge and microwave you can use to prepare your own meals in.

I know instant ramen and vodka make up the majority of the con food pyramid, but I’m saying this as someone who’s been attending conventions for almost 10 years now – bring. Actual. Food. Food that’s going to nourish you and get you through a long day. Cons are hot, loud, and keep you pretty active. Pack like you’re going camping: protein and/or granola bars, trail mix, water, Gatorade. Make sure you get plenty of protein and stay hydrated.

Con Badges

We’ve made it to the convention! Let’s talk about what you’re spending there.

First, you need your badge! These follow the same rules as plane tickets: get those early for the lowest price, it’ll only go up as the date draws closer. Some conventions offer group discounts too – see if you can get a group of friends together, or check if the con has a Facebook group you can join and ask in.

Another top-secret trick I try to utilize is running panels! Cons will give discount or sometimes even free badges for panelists, which I think is a fair trade for an hour or so of “work.” Running a panel can sound intimidating if you have no experience, but they can be about anything you want. If you feel like you have something to share, be it crafting, discussion about a certain series, or working in an audience-interactive game, go ahead and submit it and see what happens!

This is something I haven’t tried personally, but volunteer badges are often free if that’s something you think you’d be interested in doing. Sometimes vendors in the dealer’s room will offer free badges to booth assistants in exchange for a set number of hours of work.

Speaking of the dealer’s room…

Buying Weeb Gear

THIS is where the charges really start piling on, because in all the excitement and chaos of the con it can be hard to keep track of how much you’re spending and acquiring.

Give yourself a budget and carry it in cash. This is a psychological trick, it keeps your money visible to you and you can watch it leave, and see at a glance how much you have left. (If you’re not comfortable carrying a large amount of cash in a crowded area, leave a portion in a safe spot in your hotel room for the next day.)

Most merchandise in dealer’s rooms can be found for cheaper online, they purposely hike the prices up at cons because they know people will see the items and want them instantly. If you’re really stuck on something, take a picture of it for later and see if you can find it on Amazon or Ebay instead.

Shop on Sunday for extra deals! Most vendors are anxious to get rid of their stock instead of packing it all back up, and will sell it at a discounted rate.

~~~

That’s all I got for this portion, next post I’ll talk about budgeting cosplay!

Thanks for reading ❤

That’s the Spot! Finding Locations for Cosplay Photoshoots

I’m sorry it’s been so long since last posting! My laptop broke, finally obtained a spare to use till I can get it fixed but I don’t have access to a lot of my files.

Today I’m taking a break from crafting my cosplays to write a bit more about photography!

I’ve outlined location vs convention shoots on this blog before and how I ultimately prefer location shoots since you have more time and variety, but it begs the question of how to find locations in the first place.

Having done location shoots for several years, I’ve put together some tips on how I find mine!

Find Your Location

I find this comes easier with experience, but the truth is you can have a successful shoot just about anywhere! I find myself scouting for possible locations when I’m out and about, and while I’m lucky to live in a very scenic city where photography and film shoots are a pretty common sight, there are plenty of “sets” you can find if you know what you’re looking for.

When brainstorming, I try to think about what locations my character would realistically be in, or what would at least work well thematically. My usual goal is somewhere versatile but not immediately recognizable unless the viewer has been there before.

Photo // AngelicDaze Cosplay, edit by me

Always make sure that you have permission to shoot at your desired location! I’ve also written a piece on public photoshoot etiquette if you’re interested.

Public parks, gardens, or trails are usually a pretty safe bet, and you can get some lovely nature shots. For urban or indoor locations you may have to be more careful about obtaining permission and finding a space where you won’t be in the way of anyone going about their business.

Photo // Alexis Cameron
Fran: blue.kitty.cosplay
Jekyll: AngelicDaze Cosplay

I’ve found it useful to either call or email ahead, or even go to scout the place myself beforehand to make sure it’s a viable option.

Brick walls, staircases, and parking decks are also great shoot locations that you can find in just about any inhabited area!

Find Your Frame

The number one most important piece of any photo is of course the subject, but following closely behind is what’s going on around you!

I try to steer clear of anywhere with other people in the background (or if this is unavoidable, ask the photographer to keep them out of focus, since random passersby may not want to be in your shot.) Always be aware of what’s going on behind you.

I look for naturally-occurring frames – be it plants, buildings, or objects; anywhere I can place myself in, on, or around that will draw the viewer’s eye toward the desired subject.

For lack of a better explanation, I try to “crop” the image in my mind and place myself in the focal point.

If you’re in an area with less features or want a simpler shot than the examples above, look for the cleanest background you can – I usually seek out corners, walls, or even a bush or tree with a uniform background I can stand in front of without anything or anyone behind me to distract the viewer.

Photo by AngelicDaze Cosplay, edit by me

Find Your Lighting

The key element to any photo is the lighting! While photographers’ preferences may differ according to the individual, I try to stay out of direct sunlight, keeping to shadows where the lighting is more even and diffused.

Make sure to turn your face towards your light source to remain visible!

Hope this helped a bit, I’ll be back next post with more cosplay progress.

Thanks for reading!

The Making of: Elsa (Frozen) Part 3 – A Very Sparkly Corset

Welp, we’re back to this.

Elsa’s corset/bodice is the piece I’ve probably seen the most variation in across the board. The design isn’t based on any existing fabric, so there’s no “proper” way to bring it into the real world, but after looking through how other people did this it seems like rectangular sequins are the preferred method and look the closest to what the movie shows. It’s also the most similar to what they use in Parks and stage reproductions, if that’s something that matters to you.

So after some searching around the internet, I was able to find what I needed on AliExpress.

From left to right: iridescent faceted 3×14 mm sequins for the top and bottom edges, light blue 40x6mm sequins to make up the majority of the corset, then turquoise 20×6 mm sequins to fill in details.

But first, the base!

I made a mockup out of some broadcloth so I could fit the pattern.

For the record, this is one of maybe 3 times total in my life that I’ve made a mockup pattern, I usually prefer to wing it. But as long as I’m willingly putting myself through sequin hell, might as well do everything else the hard way too.

Once I had the pattern, I cut the pieces out of blue taffeta to make the outside of the corset, then inner pieces out of a thin white satin to make the lining.

I kept the two pieces separate for now, since I wanted the stitching to be on the inside.

And thus, my entering into sequin hell began.

I sewed down each of these sequins one by one, using a hand needle and some light blue thread. The top row alone took 2 evenings, but I got faster as time went on.

Once the top and bottom edges were complete, I added a row to the top and bottom edges using the longer sequins.

The light blue sequins ended up presenting a problem – they only had holes on one end!

To get around this, I used my needle to stab a new hole in the center bottom of each one as I sewed them down – if you’re doing this, remember to use a thimble.

I’m alternating between the light blue and turquoise in no particular pattern, since I want it to look very random and organic.

Once those were complete, I started filling in the middle area. Again, no particular pattern, aside from not having any of the darker sequins touch each other.

I found it helpful to break it into smaller sections and fill those in, particularly around the curves.

After about 1 1/2 weeks of near-daily work, the corset had been entirely covered with sequins. (Phew!)

I also made sure to snap a picture of what the inside looks like before closing it up.

There were still a few gaps between the sequins, so I cut up some more sequins and used E6000 glue to adhere them in the spaces where the fabric showed.

This went by a LOT faster than sewing them down.

I also added a teardrop-shaped gem to the gap in the top.

I attached the outside to the lining, then sewed down loops out of trim for the ribbon to go through to tie it closed.

It was finally complete!

…Or so I thought.

Flash forward to 2 months later where in a fit of discontentment with how my Elsa was looking, I decided to add about 3 1/2 inches to the bottom hem, so the bodice went past my waist and ended just above my hips. That may not sound like a lot of length, but when you think about having to cover all of that with sequins when you thought you and your fingers were finally free.

But, I had leftover sequins and figured it was worth it to go through the drudgery now for an end result I was much happier with.

I didn’t have any of my taffeta or satin left, so I made the addition using some crepe-back satin that was a mint colour. It doesn’t match the original at all, but since it’s covered in sequins that ended up not mattering too much. I started this corset with spare fabric, and it just felt RIGHT to use that the whole way through. (Also by this point I’ve gone over my planned budget for this cosplay and am ready to Just Have It Done.)

I didn’t document this part too much since it’s basically the same thing – after ripping out the bottom row of sequins and adding on the hips, I reattached the faceted sequins to the new bottom edge then filled in the rest with my light blue and turquoise ones.

I ended up having to use more of the turquoise ones toward the bottom since I ran out of light blue, but hopefully it’s not too noticeable and the effect is still there.

Now, NOW my sequin adventure was complete (I hope.)

This corset was incredibly tedious but I think it was worth it for the end result! I ended up using 400 light blue sequins, 496 iridescent, and 328 turquoise for a total of 1,224 sequins.

I’ll be back soon with more progress, I have 2 more posts on this cosplay to finish before I can…let it go.

(I’m sorry.)

Lemons Into Lemonade: Fixing a Questionable Ebay Cosplay

I’ve been wanting to cosplay Arturia Pendragon’s blue dress for a few years now, and after achieving a personal life goal I decided to treat myself! I wanted the cosplay, and while making it would have been a fun project, I have several other time-consuming projects this year and it was more cost-effective to purchase a premade one than to go out to get all the fabric, trim, and god knows what else.

I went in with medium-low expectations, given Ebay’s track record. And, well, I got what I paid for.

This isn’t exactly a horror story – there are parts of this I really do like, and overall this cosplay is more than salvageable.

First, I took stock of the things I do like!

The skirt came as a separate piece, and after giving it a nice steam I found I like it a lot! At first I wasn’t sure about the elastic waistband rather than a fitted one, but it adds some nice volume and a lot of swing.

I also appreciate how it came with a hoopskirt already. I hadn’t expected that and literally had Ebay open to order a separate one when the package arrived, so a decent one that was already sized correctly was very much appreciated.

The top was the main problem.

First was, obviously, the fit. Despite me ordering the size that was supposed to fit my measurements, when this arrived it was very roomy, and also apparently made for someone with a much longer torso than I have.

I tried the top on and added darts in the armpit/shoulder area to raise it to fit me.

The seam is visible, but I don’t think it’s a huge deal.

Then, I took in the waist to fit me properly. After trying on again I pinned the top in to fit me snugly around the waist, then sewed along the lines I’d made.

The original top had a zipper down the right side that ran from the armpit to the hip. I removed it while taking in the waist, and inserted a long zipper that ran from the collar down the back. This way is easier for me to close the dress, and I don’t have to worry about the potential bulk of a zipper along the curve of my waist.

This part wasn’t entirely necessary but I have rather sensitive skin and don’t like scratchy costume fabrics sitting that close to it, so I used some satin leftover from another project to add lining to the inside of the torso and sleeves. This formed a protective layer and also added some weight to the piece to help keep its shape.

The white bust piece laid very flat, and Arturia’s has some gathering to it. There wasn’t quite enough fabric to gather as much as I wanted, so I ended up replacing it with some white satin, with a length of elastic running through the top hem.

For the final touch on the bodice, I replaced the white original white buttons with some fancier gold ones. Arturia’s design switches between using white and gold, but I found I much prefer the gold ones to add a more “regal” touch. After re-looping the ribbon, I added a few stitches right against the buttons to keep it secured down.

Now on to the sleeves!

First, I removed that godawful lace. It’s another design element Arturia is seen both with and without, and while it might have worked had it been nicer quality, this stuff had stray threads when it came out of the package and ripped the moment I touched it, so off it went.

These sleeves were very large and didn’t have the proper shape, so I pretty much just took them apart and completely redid them – I took in the arms to be more snug, then re-did the gathering on both ends of the shoulder pieces. Now that the sleeves and armpits had been taken in, I had enough material in the shoulders to make the fabric “poof” the way I wanted.

Here’s the finished top! It isn’t perfect, but it’s a lot better than what it was. I still don’t like that the sleeves came as a completely different colour fabric than the rest, but I didn’t have anything I could replace it with, so they’ll stay for now.

The skirt, as mentioned before, was honestly really nice – the only changes I want to make in the future is maybe replacing the gems along the bottom of the skirt with either embroidery or gold vinyl, but I’m leaving it for now due to time constraints.

I’d say this cosplay and the changes were pretty successful, it took me a while to finally cosplay Arturia but I’m so glad I finally did!

When I write it out it seems like I did a lot but I did all this in maybe 2 1/2 full days? The short time period was mostly due to how excited I was about wearing this.

I’m currently in the midst of working on her armour and cloak for AWA in October/November, this is my first independent armour build so it’s intimidating, but I’m giving myself all summer/early fall to work on her until I’m satisfied.

That’s all for now, see you guys in 2 weeks for my next post!

The Making of: Elsa (Frozen) Part 2 – Shoes

I’m back with more Elsa progress!

Despite these being the most experimental and straying the furthest from her design, all in all these went pretty smoothly and out of all the individual parts I’m probably the most satisfied with how these turned out.

And yes, this is definitely foreshadowing for how the rest of the cosplay went.

But that’s for later.

Elsa has some pretty unique shoes – and while I usually think footwear is one of the least important parts as far as accuracy in cosplay goes, these seemed like a fun project and I had some ideas, so I went ahead with it.

To start off, I got a pair of basic white heels from a thrift store to use as a base.

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Elsa’s shoes only have a toe and heel without much of a middle, so I used a pen to draw out a new shape, then cut it out with an x-acto knife.

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To finish off the base before starting on the additions, I applied a couple layers of paint. I mixed a silver metallic paint with a pearlescent white to get a light silver.

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Time to make ice!

This was my first time using clear Worbla, and I won’t lie and say I wasn’t intimidated – thermoplastics are not my strong suit and the mention of them usually activates my fight or flight instinct. I’m working on it.

But, I bit the bullet and purchased some from a friend who had leftovers.

I used a piece of paper to lay over the shoe and make a mockup of what I wanted the pieces to look like.

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Then I taped the paper down to the Worbla and cut out the pattern using some hefty scissors. It’s ok if the edges aren’t exact, since a more random, natural look was what I was going for anyway. Since the Worbla was already curved from being in a roll, I made the pieces follow the curve in the way I wanted them to sit. This made them much easier to heat form later, since they were already halfway to where I wanted them.

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Before attaching them to the shoe, I sanded all the edges and pressed them against an iron to blunt the corners a bit, since those would be the parts closest to my skin and I didn’t want any accidents involving sharp pointy bits occurring.

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To attach them to the shoe, I laid down a thin layer of E6000 using a paint brush.

Then I held the top corner and slowly laid the rest of the piece against an iron heated to its highest setting, starting from the bottom and working my way up until it was softened to just below where my fingertips were.

While the Worbla was still hot, I laid it against the shoe where I’d put down the glue. I was careful to make it reach the edges, but if it needed adjusting I used the back end of my paint brush to poke at it, since clear Worbla tends to get hotter than other types and I’ve already served my time getting burns for cosplay.

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I also made sure to curve the tops to point outwards away from my ankle.

The murkiness cleared up once the glue dried down.

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And so, the back was finished! Or so I thought. We’ll get to that later.

For the toe piece, I used the same method. One detail I added was that before attaching it to the shoe, I heated the top corners and pressed them against a snowflake-shaped bead to create an imprint.

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This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 20190503_210711_mh1556936555948.jpg — Sorry for gross mid-crafting nails.

This took a couple of tries before I learned how to get as clear an impression as I wanted, but after trimming off the excess I was pretty happy with them!

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I glued the first layer down in 3 pieces.

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After those had dried I added 2 more pieces over top, then a final piece on the toe tip to create layers.

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Again, I’m still being careful to point the edges away from my foot, so there’s no risk of them sticking into my skin. I tried these on a few times between putting down each piece, and reheated to set it differently if I felt it was necessary.

After the main pieces were done it still looked kind of rough on the bottom, so I added some small strips of imprinted Worbla around the toe and outer edge to cover where the first layer hadn’t quite reached the edge of the shoe.

I’m stopping here because I still want these shoes to be very delicate-looking and the Worbla was starting to add a lot of bulk. The bottom pieces added a lot though, and covered a lot of the problem areas.

I used watered-down acrylic paint using a very tiny brush along the edges of the pieces to add dimension. First I did a layer of the pearlescent white I’d used for the base of the shoe, then added in some regular white to help it show up more.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is uri_mh1557002188125.jpg — Frosted tips, anyone?

I’m very happy with the front, but after trying them on with the dress I realized the back would cause problems – no matter how blunt I tried to make them, the dress sits close enough that the fabric kept catching on the heels when I tried walking around. As much as I wanted them to match the front, in the end safety and mobility won out.

I clipped the edges off and covered them with a braided silver trim that wraps around the sides and back. This also nicely finished the sawn-off edges of the shoe, which I could foresee coming apart after multiple wears.

To finish everything off, I used a fine detail brush to paint on a thin coat of epoxy resin to seal the paint and make the shoes more sturdy.

I was ishy about them, but one I tried them on I loved how they looked!

Ice shoes: bringing new meaning to the term “cold feet.”

I managed to knock these out over the course of 3 evenings, which I think is a pretty good turnaround time.

I’m going to try to make my next post about photography rather than crafting, since I’m feeling pretty burnt out from this project as well as others I’m currently working on. See you next time!

The Making of: Elsa (Frozen) PART 1 – Wig

Elsa is definitely one of my highest-effort projects of 2019! This cosplay is very involved, and will be separated into at least 4 different posts to cover individual parts.

The wig featured here is actually my second run, I got a new one after deciding I wasn’t happy with my first. That was a lot of time spent on my prototype that ended up being wasted, but it was a good learning experience and I learned a lot about what not to do. While I’m trying to keep my materials within a relatively low budget, this is something I’m allowing myself to be picky about.

To start off, I got a 24″ lace front wig from Amazon. It’s very thick and soft, I almost didn’t want to cut it since it’s so gorgeous!

However, the one thing I wanted to change was the rounded hairline.

Elsa requires a widow’s peak, so I’ll be adding that myself!

To do this, I harvested some hair from the center back of the wig where the missing patch would be covered. I don’t need much, I took maybe 2 inches of hair total, clipped as close to the root as possible.

To make a guideline for the new hair I very lightly marked out a triangle with a line down the center onto the mesh.

To tie the hair on, I threaded 2-3 strands at a time through a regular sewing needle. I used the needle to pull one side of the hair through one hole of the mesh, then tied the hair in a knot to hold it.

I’ve found it’s easiest to tie the center line first, then work in rows from the start of the hairline forward.

Here’s one half finished! I’m only tying hair onto every other hole, otherwise it’ll look too full and unrealistic. You should still be able to see a little bit of the mesh through the fibers of your wig.

Hairline complete! If you’re doing this yourself you could do a deeper peak for a more dramatic look, but I prefer one that’s a bit more subtle (also, this takes a long time and is very tedious so I kept it pretty small.)

Now, onto the styling!

I separated a section from the front about 1-2 inches wide for her front pieces and put the rest of the hair in a french braid.

I put the wig on my head to style the front. I took small sections maybe 1 inch across and started moving them around until I liked how they sat. I found it easiest when I worked on one side of my head at a time, starting from the top and working my way down each side.

Once I had a section where I wanted, I used hairpins to keep it in place, particularly at the places I wanted them to bend.

They’re a little long, but I find I prefer a more lifelike, windswept look for Elsa.

I placed the wig back on my head so I could work on the back. I sprayed each section with a strong hairspray, smoothed the tips of each piece with my fingers, then went over them with a blow dryer while they were still wet to give extra hold.

I did the same spray and blow dry method on the sideburns and falling bang. I used sewing pins instead of bobby pins to hold them in place on the head while I sprayed, since sometimes bobby pins can create a dent in the hair.

Aaand, finished!

Brb, wearing this everywhere (pictured here with the swimsuit I threw together out of scrap fabric to wear at Colossalcon!)

I’ll be back soon with more progress!

Public Photoshoot Etiquette

Hello again! My post about convention vs location photoshoots got a pretty positive response, so this week we’ll go more in-depth about shooting in public, and how to do so.

As I stated in my last post, I currently do most of my photoshoots outside of conventions. It allows for more time, more variety, and more experimental angles and lighting than most conventions allow. Location shoots are a great alternative if you have a specific idea in mind.

Since I’ve been doing location shoots for a few years now, I thought I’d share some tips!

Make sure photography is allowed.

If I have a place in mind, I’ll call or email ahead to confirm that we’re allowed to shoot there.

Google will usually provide an email or phone number, when contacting them I’ll say something along the lines of “Hi, my photographer and I were hoping to do a photoshoot at your location on x date at x time. Are there any limitations or requirements for us to do so?”

If it’s a public building like a coffee shop or arcade, an employee may be able to offer tips on when their slowest hours are. This will mean less people getting in the way of your shot, and also less bother to the public.

Outdoor locations are usually pretty free-for-all, but indoor spaces may have more rules about what you can and can’t do. A lot of businesses won’t allow any extra equipment such as lights or reflectors, since they’re bulky and could get in the way, as well as cause disturbances to the other people there.

Sometimes certain outdoor spaces have limitations as well. Make sure to specifically ask if you can use certain props or effects (strobe lights, smoke bombs, realistic-looking props.)

Photo // ak4realphotography on Instagram

If you’re positive that you’re allowed to shoot there and know when, it’s still courteous to call ahead to let any staff know that you’ll be there.

Keep to your own space.

During your photoshoot, keep out of heavy-traffic areas and make sure your bags and any equipment are placed together and out of the way. If someone comes along and wants to use the space as intended (i.e. driving in a parking lot, walking down the street,) it is on you to move out of the way, not them.

Photo // angelicdazecosplay on Instagram

Keep your noise to a minimum as well, especially if you’re in an indoor space. Use your inside voice!

If you’re unsure whether you’re allowed to interact with something – touch it, climb on it, sit on it – play it safe and assume you are not.

Be polite but short to bystanders.

If you’re in public and wearing something unusual, it’s not a stretch to assume you’ll be approached with questions.

While I’ve found that the more camera equipment you visibly have with you, the less people will question it, sometimes there will be bystanders who come up to you.

The important thing here is not to assume negativity. If you’re already feeling on edge due to what you’re doing, it’s easy to read aggression into people who approach and ask what you’re doing, but the truth is they’re usually just curious.

You don’t have to launch into a full explanation of what cosplay is or justify yourself – sometimes, the more you explain, the more questions people have. That’s not a bad thing, but if your photographer is waiting on you, it may not be the best time.

I normally just say I’m a costume maker and am doing a photoshoot to build a portfolio of my work. If they’re interested, I’ll give them my professional (heavy quotations around “professional”) Instagram – if you’re a cosplayer who carries business cards, now’s a great time to put them to use!

If we’ve passed the point of curiosity and the person is being legitimately rude or invasive, I’ll tell them I’m on a schedule with my photographer and need to get back to my shoot. If the person still doesn’t get the hint, either I or the photographer will ask them to take a few steps away so they don’t get in the way of any shots.

Convention vs. Location Photoshoots: Pros & “Cons”

Hello all! I’m home from a lovely weekend at Colossalcon in Ohio, I treated it as more of a vacation than a convention so now I’m all rested up and ready to start writing again.

If they want to do a photoshoot, cosplayers find themselves with two options – either book a photographer at a convention, or do a photoshoot at a specified location off of con grounds.

Each of these have their own perks and drawbacks!

Conventions

Usually a photographer will put out an advertisement on social media that they will be at a certain convention and are offering photoshoots. These are scheduled for a predetermined price and are separated into time blocks.

PROS:

Arguably more convenient. You’re already in your cosplay, in a space where that’s expected and you’re unlikely to be bothered about it.

Clarity. If a photographer puts out an advertisement and no special conditions are set up, it’s all written out exactly how much you’re expected to pay, how long you’ll have in front of the camera, and how many photos to expect back.

Photographer variety! Many photographers travel from all around to larger conventions, so it’s a great opportunity to work with people who aren’t local.

CONS:

Very limited location. While this can be worked around with clever angles and framing, the fact remains that you only have one or two “sets” to use. (Plus, let’s face it, hotel carpeting clashes with just about anything.)

Your space is also very limited. Conventions are crowded, you’ll likely only have a few feet in any direction for extending limbs or flipping capes.

Another limit (notice a pattern here?) is time. Con sessions are typically booked in slots ranging from 15 minutes to an hour. While this is usually enough time to get all the pictures you paid for, there’s a chance you and/or the photographer could feel pressured and rushed, even operating under the assumption that everyone involved is the punctual type.

???:

Pricing is a bit of a mixed bag here. While most con shoots are priced significantly cheaper than private ones, this could be countered with the fact that you’re spending a decent chunk out of pocket to be at the convention already, so I’ll leave this in the neutral category.

On-Location

I fully admit to being biased towards this option, so much so that the only time I schedule shoots at cons anymore are if I’m working with groups and/or other cosplayers I wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

Personal preference notwithstanding, I’ve found there are many more pros than cons for this option.

Photo // momstressfull on ig
Lottie: sailortaylorrr on ig

PROS:

Much more time. Private shoots aren’t usually timed very carefully, so you’ll likely have a couple hours to get all the shots you want.

Much more space to move around. It’s unlikely that any other cosplayers will be doing a photoshoot exactly where you are, so you have all the space that location allows for wide shots and dramatic movements.

Better pictures in general. You have more opportunities to change around lighting, more space to angle the camera, not to mention a selection of location that fits your character.

CONS:

Potential anxiety. Going outdoors in a costume anytime aside from Halloween can be scary! While there’s not a lot of getting around it at the start, I’ve found that once the cameras get rolling the anxiety goes away, since I’m focused on doing my photoshoot.

If you’re clearly in front of a camera, it’ll be pretty obvious what you’re doing. I have a running theory that the amount of camera equipment you have with you is directly proportional to the amount of shenanigans you can get away with in public.

Which brings me to…

The public. While I’m lucky enough to live in one of the top filming locations in the world and seeing people doing photoshoots isn’t at all strange, I’m still dressed in a very unusual outfit, so I have been approached with questions.

I try to keep my responses polite but short. If I get any curious onlookers, I’ll tell them that we’re doing a photoshoot. If they ask what I’m dressed as, I’ll tell them I’m from an anime or video game, and I’m having photos taken to have a portfolio of my sewing.

Try not to assume hostility when approached. The person is likely just curious, and the anxiety of doing something objectively abnormal in public can make you read a negative tone into what are likely innocent questions.

Do you prefer location or convention shoots? Which have you done more of?

Thanks for reading!

Wig Tutorial: Beatrice (Umineko)

Beatrice has been one of my favourite characters for years now, and was one of my first “big” cosplays back in…2014, I believe?

I’ve styled her wig at least 3 times before, but with my revamp of her gown I thought I’d do a walkthrough of how I make her wig!

This style looks fancy but is deceptively simple, it probably took me around an hour or maybe even less from start to finish.

First, I start with a long orange wig that measures about 100cm from root to tip. This wig is from Ebay, so it’s not quite as thick as one would be from Arda or EpicCosplay, but through all my redos I’ve found the length matters more than the thickness. I also liked that this came with the side pieces already cut in, since I’ll be using those later for her curls.

Pin the wig to a wig head, making sure it’s stretched as far as it can go. Use multiple pins around the edges of the wig to make sure it’s secured to the head and nothing slips.

Now to begin styling!

First, I’m going to be putting this into a ponytail. The way I do this with a regular wig is to divide it into 4 sections, brushing each back and tying it off before moving on to the next one.

I usually start with the top, using my hands and a wig brush to make sure the hair is smooth.

Once I’m happy with the top, I move on to the bottom middle section, making sure to leave a chunk on each side for later.

While I am trying to keep it as smooth as possible, I’m not worrying too much about that small bump close to the base since it’ll be covered later.

If your wig is prone to tangling, once each section has been secured into a ponytail you can brush out the ends.

Do the sides last! Make extra sure these are as smooth as you can get them, since they’ll be the most visible.

Once your ponytail is complete, divide it into 3 braids of relatively equal size and tie off the end of each with a clear elastic.

Now to turn it into a bun! Taking one section at a time, wrap each around the base for a few inches, making sure they sit flat. I’m working counterclockwise, but doing this clockwise would achieve the same effect.

I want this style to be permanent, so I’m securing these sections down with hot glue as I go, by squeezing a line of it onto the braid then wrapping it around. If you want to be able to take this out, you can use bobby pins to do this instead.

Once you get to the ends of the hair, tuck them underneath the bun so they’ll be hidden.

Here’s a view of the completed bun!

Trim the bangs and curl the sides to your liking, and you’re finished!

Thanks for tuning in!

While my goal for this blog was to update every second Friday, I’ll be out of town for ColossalCon at my next projected post time, so the next time I update will be in 3 weeks, on the 7th of June. See you then!

The Making Of: Rin Tohsaka’s Archer Costume (Fate) – PART 1

Before we begin, I’d like to offer my sincere apologies for how grainy these pictures are. I mostly worked on this during nights, and my camera’s phone quality is terrible when faced with dim lighting.

This project was an exercise in how fast I could slap something together for a shoot.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you may remember that I’ve made this before! I did my first version in 2016, then sold it off because I didn’t see myself wearing it again.

However, recently I was looking through my overflowing 62-qt tub of scrap fabric (not that I have a fabric-hoarding problem or anything) and realized I had all the material to remake this!

I started with her…skirt…cape…thing.

I’ll be using a length of 1/8 thick neoprene scuba fabric I had left over from another project.

The hanging part of her cape is just a rectangle that measures about 27.5 inches by 34.5 inches.

The waistband is roughly 9.5 inches by 60 inches. I had to cut this in parts and sew them back together since I was working with limited leftover fabric.

To finish off the waistband I sewed it into a loop!

Then I sewed a seam along one side – notice how I kept all the seams on one side.

This way when I turn it around, the part that shows outside will be seamless!

I didn’t think I could double-roll this hem since the material is so thick, so I folded it once then carefully did a zigzag stitch along the edge, so at least it’s clean-looking.

(This fabric also went through my standard sewing machine just fine – it’s thick but it’s very soft!)

Then, I sewed the hanging part by hand to the inner half of the waistband. This is why I kept the top open till now, so all the stitches are on the inside.

When you look at a back view, no seams are visible!

To start on the belt, I cut a thin piece of upholstery foam about 6 inches by 4 inches.

I cut the cover for it out of Yaya Han’s silver stretch pleather, making sure to leave seam allowance.

I sewed the ends of the cover together and pulled them right side out to make a tube.

Then I folded the foam in half and fed it through.

To attach it to the red part, I hand stitched the ends to the inside of the waist piece.

After doing a test fit I didn’t like the way this pulled at the waist piece, so I added a few blind stitches at the very edge so it sits better.

I’ve also seen this called a slip stitch or a pillow stitch. If you want to learn, I found this video explains it better than I ever could.

To finish off the skirt, I did the same blind stitch across the top of the waistband to close it all off.

Now my skirt is complete!

Info on how I made my top coming next post!