Cameko Flash! - Kevin Lillard

This talented cameko needs little introduction because you've likely browsed his site numerous times looking for cosplay photos from an event while that convention was still going on. He is none other than Kevin Lillard, the brains and brawn behind A Fan's View , a truly comprehensive web site featuring not only photos of cosplayers, but a complete photo-documentary of many, if not most, of the anime conventions in North America. We asked Kevin a battery of questions about cosplay photography and we hope his answers will give you ideas for your own photo-taking projects.

Thank you Kevin - from every cosplayer who has ever graced your web site. Your photos continue to capture and inspire new generations of costumers. Please keep up the great work!

Personal questions

What's your favorite aspect of shooting cosplayers? The costumes. Anime costumes are bright, colorful and full of fantasy. How many conventions are you averaging a year? It increases every season. It's been 21 or so for the last couple of years. What type of shots do you prefer to take? (candids, group shots, stages shots, etc ) No preference. Hall pictures are the easiest, but the stage presentation pictures are the most challenging - people are moving, you have to wait for the costumers to reach the right spot for a properly framed shot, and you have to adjust the camera to deal with stage lighting. Of the total number of photos you take at a convention, what percentage get posted online? About one-third. We'll take three shots of each person, and the best of those will get online.

How many shots do you try to get of each cosplayer?

At least three; the cameras take images in rapid succession, so there's little wasted time.

What motivates you to spend the time and money to travel to these events documenting them in digital format?

It's my idea of fun. There's so much youthful enthusiasm and craftsmanship that it's impossible to stay away.

What is your profession?

Nightshift at a publishing company.

Did you go to school for photography? "School" was taking a camera to race tracks, taking pictures, seeing what worked and what didn't, then trying it again. Been doing it seriously since 1994, going from a Pentax point-and-shoot to a Canon Rebel XS film SLR, then a succession of seven digital cameras. Taking race shots teaches you to get the job done fast, because there's no way you can get the drivers to crash again. Racing photography is better preparation for the challenges of anime conventions than studio photography. Are you a big anime fan? List some favorites. I've been an animation fan since Mighty Mouse and the Roadrunner. Robotech was the first anime series that had any impact. The greatest anime of all time is Dragon Half, followed closely by Read or Die and Haibane-Renmei. What's your typical con-going camera setup? (camera, lenses, battery count, laptop, etc) Typically it's two cameras. The new camera is a Fuji FinePix S7000 that gets the hall costuming work. For panels and stage action, out comes the Canon D30 digital SLR, which has lower resolution than the S7000 but is the more responsive camera for action shots.

Are you shooting full resolution?

It's hard to describe "full resolution" with the Fuji S7000, since it's supposed to be a 12-megapixel camera that resizes images to 6 megapixel, but the 6 megapixel setting is the one used with the Fuji. The D30 is always used at its full 3.2 megapixel  settings.

What type of post-processing do your photos require?

For the web site, they're rotated and resized in Irfanview, with a slight brightness adjustment. The idea is to get exposure and framing correct in the camera so the images don't need to be repaired.

Do you make any money as a result of shooting cosplayer photos?

At some conventions, I'll bring a printer and sell cosplayers their print for $5.

Tips for cosplayers in costume

How many poses should a cosplayer have for any given outfit?

As many poses as work.

Peace sign. Good, bad, or indifferent?

It's a bad thing for an odd technical reason when you're taking a flash shot: since one arm is usually extended toward the camera and the light source, that arm is over exposed.

What's the best way to get a nervous cosplayer to relax for the camera?

Wait 15-20 minutes...but that's too much time, so the best thing to do is to quickly take the picture and move on.

Any costume construction tips as they relate to photography?

The hardest color combination to correctly expose is a black outfit and a light-skinned costumer; cameras tend to try to render the black outfit as gray and overexpose skin tones.

The perfect cosplay photo is...

...one that's properly exposed, posed and shows the best shapes and colors of the costumes.

How long should a cosplayer hold their pose while on stage during contests?

A minimum of 20-30 seconds of posing is best if the costumer is a walk-on entrant.

Where should a cosplayer look while posing on stage?

To the rear of the hall.

What type of poses give poor results?

Poses that don't show the outfit at its best, especially when the costumer is standing sideways to the camera.

Tips for cosplayers taking their own pictures

What's the best way to use a flash?

The light source should be at least 6-8 inches above the lens. That produces shadows that extend behind and below the subject. It also reduces the chance of redeye, which is made worse when the flash is too close to the lens - as it in on most small cameras.

How should one choose the setting for their portrait?

It should resemble a setting from the series - something where the character would be in place.

What are some best-practices when it comes to taking pictures of cosplayers at conventions?

Get the shot as quickly as possible; say please and thank you; if someone doesn't want a picture taken, don't try to talk them into it.

What types of pictures should be avoided?

Butt shots.

How do you go about asking a cosplayer to take their photo? With enthusiasm and courtesy. When shooting a group and there are other photographers shooting the same group, how do you get your subjects to look at you? You don't. Just get the best composition where most of the people in the group are showing interest in the pose and don't look distracted. Include cosplayers' footwear in the shot? Yes, unless the shoes are really cheap or don't match the rest of the outfit.

Tips on sunlight...

Noontime sun is too harsh but sometimes can't be avoided; use fill flash to minimize the harshness. Diffused light on a  cloudy day is good, as well as soft light around sunrise or sunset.

If you have any rumors to dispel, or you would like to elaborate on something - please feel free.

There's a long-standing myth, taken very seriously by convention fans who love  giving out orders more than getting the job done, that taking flash pictures of costumers during a costume contest will force them to fall off the stage. I've been to 110 conventions since 1997 and I've never seen that happen.