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!

Any Costume Party - and Violet Baudelaire

So my friend Judy had an Any Costume party and it was super fun! I decided to wear something old, and after thinking maybe I'd wear Leia Bespin, I remember that I'd spent like a year making my Violet Baudelaire costume (from Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events) and then wore it once at DragonCon in 2006 for like a couple hours and then never again. That costume was a complete trial to make, it was so much work. And then the skirt didn't really fit. And the zipper ripped out. Anyway, I dragged it out and the skirt actually fits now! So I repaired the zipper, which took 5 minutes and I was good to go! The bodice, oddly, worked fine even though it has to be laced a lot tighter now, but somehow it worked. And I got to wear the new strappy boots I had bought to go with this that are much closer to the movie ones but then never wore.

So I was really glad I got another wearing out of it and though I didn't get a ton of pictures, I like these ones a lot better than the other ones.

So here are some pics of my costume and of the party!

Also, I got to see a high school friend of mine (actually, I've known her since 3rd grade) who is randomly friends with Judy. I hadn't seen her since high school!









I handpainted the stripes on the underskirt, which is a full circle!




I drove up with Mike and Gloria, which is always super fun, since we end up chatting the whole way. And we stayed at Gloria's parents house, which is always supercomfortable. So thanks to them!

Mike and Gloria


Judy and Steve had purchased a 6 lbs bag of gummy bears:


Kat in Game of Thrones:


Mike got into the tiara spirit:
























Gloria and Mike's pics:






And one bonus picture from my trying out the costume, without my hair done:

Boots

I thought I'd post these on here too, to remind myself to use them if I do more later Victorian stuff!

The first are these Pleaser boots ("Bordello Women's WHIMSEY-115"). They're available in a variety of places and for a variety of prices, but you can see them on Amazon here.

They're pretty close (except for the bow) to Violet Baudelaire's boots, and there are period boots that are strappy like this. So pretty.

The other recent purchase are these Anthropologie boots that I got on the secondary market, the "chiseled doiley" bootie. I know they're not period accurate, but I would totally wear them anyway with a costume.  :-)

They were also a style worn by Quinn on Glee. (She wears a lot of Anthropologie.)

Lemony Snicket Violet Baudelaire costume

I spent like a year on this one and parts of it were constantly having to be redone. I'm still not happy with it. Oh well.

Here is the web page for my costume with my research and more photos:
http://costumersguide.com/maggie_costumes/my_lemony.html