Grit - DC Cosplay photoshoot

Long time no update - which is really more work related than baby related (I had a baby in November!), though the combo has me pretty busy. And I’m once again massively behind on blogging stuff. So let’s just just back to March, shall we?

I attended a DC Cosplay photoshoot at the Graffiti Warehouse in Baltimore with friends - mainly because I had heard of this venue and it sounded amazing. (And also to spend time with my friends.)

The way these shoots work is that there are a bunch of cosplayers and a bunch of photographers, and you pair up and the photographers take pictures. The costumes had to be along the theme of “Grit,” so there were lots of super hero/horror type stuff, none of which I have. But Gloria thought my Violet Baudelaire from the movie version of A Series of Unfortunate Events would work. That costume hasn’t gotten a ton of wear and I spent like a year on it, so I thought why not?

Each photographer is obligated to produce 2 pics of each cosplayer they work with. So you end up with a bunch of photos you may or may not be happy with (depending on how much you like photos of yourself, haha), but you never know when you might get a gem. I’m no model and also have specific angles I particularly hate, but I decided to do it because it made me uncomfortable - and though I didn’t love all the photos, there were, indeed gems, and it was a cool experience. (It’s definitely intimidating in this era of hi-res photography that leaves no flaw unmagnified to let go and accept that it’ll be all on display. Also, finding good lighting in this place was definitely a challenge - and good light makes for flattering photos - but this wasn’t necessarily about that.)

First off, here is the group pic, taken by In the Long Run Designs (my friends Mike and Gloria).



Which you can contrast with this group photo take by Don Holmes.

The next few are my favs, probably because they aren’t really about me, per se.



The lighting on this floor was so cool that I had a vision of a cool shot of me silhouetted in the light from those windows. I’m not sure I posed exactly right to match what was in my head, but Mike definitely got my vision.





Lando Valez



Robert James Litchfield:



Tony Kazmierski:



Elysian Arts Photography:





In the Long Run Designs:







Selfie!



Random snapshot, probably taken for me by Mike:



Gloria and I afterwards, in the graffiti alley outside the Warehouse.



Mike, shooting a picture of Gloria. It was soooo cold that day!