Welcome to the GeekShot Photo Exclusive Series. This will be a weekly post featuring cool, interesting, or just plain awesome moments we have captured during San Diego Comic-Con. Each week we’ll post a photo by Beth or James of GeekShot Photography. We may include a short story about the photo, but sometimes we’ll just let the photo speak for itself.
About This Photo
Easter Bunny Wolverine cosplay by Lonstermash at WonderCon 2014.
Cosplay mash-ups are a big thing and getting bigger. You can’t go to a con anymore without seeing at least one. I think one of the first I recall was a group of steampunk Ghostbusters, but that just may be my failing memory. What helps set this particular mash-up apart is that it works on multiple levels. First, Lonstermash is known for his Wolverine cosplay so he already looks the part. Next, WonderCon took place on Easter weekend, so that’s just makes the Easter Bunny part entirely appropriate. And finally, Hugh Jackman is Wolverine (of course) and he voiced Bunny in Rise of the Guardians. This was one of my favorite cosplays of the weekend.
This photo also gives me the chance to talk about taking cosplay photos on a show floor. Simply put, these are usually the worst photos due to all the background “noise”. Â Booths, signs, and other attendees walking in the background all make the photo busy and crowded. There are some things you can do to combat this though. If you have the option, always use a wide aperture. Not only does this allow more light in, but the depth of field is narrower so the background is blurry (bokeh). This helps separate your subject from the background. Another option is to find a wall, curtain or other plain surface for a background. Unfortunately that may mean either waiting for cosplayers to walk by you, or asking them to wait a bit for a photo. The best option though is usually to seek out where the cosplayers and photographers gather at the con. There is usually a favorite space, and you can find it in advance by searching last year’s photos or just asking those who have attended before. If you’re going to WonderCon next year, the prime spot is outside near the fountain. There were typically dozens of cosplayers hanging out in that area all weekend.
What’s your favorite cosplay mash-up? Let us know in the comments!
You can see all of the previous posts in this series here.