Cosplay Kingdom - January 2023 - Issue #4

Letter from the Editor

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!! We hope you had an absolutlely magical holiday season and are super excited to kick off 2023 with a bang! Here at Cosplay Kingdom Magazine, we are looking forward to a safe and amazing new year!

With the beginning of every new year we get a feeling of being able to start somthing fresh and new. It’s a time to think of ways to improve on things that maybe we felt were not up to par previously. Cosplay Kingdom is excited to begin it’s first full year of publications and is making a resolution for 2023 to make each issue better than the last. With that in mind, we will be updating our website often, so be sure to check us out at www.cosplaykingdommagazine.com to keep up with the most recent news and information.

This new year is bound to be exciting and we are looking forward to seeing all of your amazing cosplays and the beautiful photos that are taken. It’s also a great time to remind everyone that this publication is made for cosplayers by cosplayers, and we rely on your submissions for publication.

One specific thing we would like to improve on in 2023, will be to include the stories that go with the submitted images. We want this publication to be more than just a collection of pages with great photos. This year we will require more information on the characters and the photo shoots prior to publication. When you consider submitting images or articles with photos, please take some time to think about what the readers want to know about your images, for example:

• Who are the characters in your images? What are the character names?

• What movie, series, or game are the characters from?

• Any interesting stories from the photoshoot?

• Who are the models and why did they choose that character?

• Are parts of the cosplay handmade? If so, how was it done and by whom?

• What was the location the images were taken and on what dates?

• Are the images from a convention? If so, which one?

• If you are a photographer, what is your next convention?

• How can fans contact you?

Of course that list is not completely exhaustive. Cosplay Kingdom encourages you to add any additional details about the images you’d like. As always, we are here for any questions you my have about magazine submissions. Feel free to email us anytime at cosplaykingdommagazine@gmail.com .

Best Wishes for a safe and happy 2023!!

-Kevin

Cosplay Kingdom Magazine

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cosplay Kingdom Magazine will be attending Katsucon on February 17-18, 2023 with Evolution Images Photography. We will be doing a series of professional shooting with clients who have already booked and may be doing some short video clips of the event. We are looking forward to our first event of the new year and seeing your amazing cosplays!

For more information on Katsucon 2023, visit katsucon.org

Cosplay Kingdom Magazine - Themed Issues

Cosplay Kingdom will be planning to publish at least one themed issue in 2023. With that thought in mind, we want to reach out to our readers and get your input on ideas for themes.

If you’d like to submit an idea for a themed issue, you may do so by emailing us at cosplaykingdommagazine.com.

Cover photo: @tight_photography Cosplayer: @yougotink

Image courtesy of Katsucon.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

January’s Featured Photographer is TIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY who brings us a series of shots from Holiday Matsuri. PAGE 1

SHANA FEELY PHOTOGRAPHY

Shana shares a beautiful collaboration including set design, wardrobe, makeup, and wigs. PAGE 19

STARRISE PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographer Mickey Davis presents a broad variety of shots with several models. PAGE 25

IN THE SPOT LIGHT

Photographer Jamie Baskin shares select studio images of model Tori.

CROCHETED TINKERBELL COSPLAY

Fashion designer Jessica Chambers and photographer Sorina Ratkiene share a beautiful hand crafted Tinkerbell outfit. PAGE 35

THE UNLIKELY ELECTRIC DUO

Lady Chapell Photography presents Raiden Shogun and Yae Miko from Genshin Impact. PAGE 39

Sailor Moon: @Sailormoonturtle Tuxedo Mask: @Sailorgeekcosplay

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER TIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Cosplay Kingdom Magazine is happy to present Tight Photography as our featured photographer in this issue. We had the opportunity to ask Jackie some questions for this feature.

CKM: Where did you grow up, what were your hobbies, schooling, work and career aspirations, actual career path, etc….

TP: I’m a natural born Floridian! I was born in Fort Lauderdale, moved to Ocala with my family when I was seven, and then I moved to Gainesville to go to college in 2012. Originally my plan was to attend college with high ambitions of becoming an art teacher. I’ve been an artist since the day I was born so it only made sense that I’d want to inspire the next generations of artists. By the time I started my senior year of high school I realized that being an art teacher wasn’t what I expected for myself. Then suddenly I was attending college with zero ideas of where to go and what to do with my future. Sound familiar? I went to work, went to class, and then went back to work. I played this schedule on repeat for a few years until I figured out that I had a knack for Graphic Design. I upped and moved myself to Gainesville in 2012 as a new adventure had called out to me. Gainesville gave me the chance to really spread my creative wings as a graphic designer and my photography really began to blossom there.

Some of my hobbies consist of Lord of the Rings... Actually, most of my hobbies consist of Lord of the Rings. I love binge watching new shows and movies within the first day or two of its release. I love being outdoors and barefoot as I consider myself to be a druid or a hobbit! All animals are considered my best friends and I will never say no to movie nights in pajamas with friends, peppermint hot chocolate, or a Starbucks run!

CKM: Is photography something you set out to do specifically from childhood or did you fall into photography some other way?

TP: Both, actually! I fell into photography watching my dad take pictures of nature when I was younger. It only developed into a business when I merged into wedding photography and realized how much I loved it.

Cosplayers: Sailor Moon: @Sailormoonturtle - Tuxedo Mask: @Sailorgeekcosplay

CKM: How long have you been a photographer?

TP: I first picked up a camera and considered myself a photo taker in 2008. I wasn’t a professional by any means but I was out there taking pictures of my friends as they got married and celebrated other special occasions and milestones. In 2010 I started an official business. In 2018, I changed the business name to what it is now; Tight Photography, and started specializing in weddings. That same year I found my love of cosplay photography and started merging that in with my work. In 2020 I made the decision to specialize in both weddings and cosplay.

CKM: What got you started in photography?

TP: My dad had a Canon camera while I was growing up and he enjoyed photographing nature. From time to time I’d try my hand at taking photos with his camera and was instantly hooked. Being naturally artistic, photography wasn’t far off the beaten path for me.

CKM: When you look back at your photography beginnings, how do you feel when you compare early images to the work you’re producing today?

TP: I appreciate and love my early works so much! I have never looked back and thought: “how ugly”. At that time and level of experience it was perfect! Without my early works I wouldn’t have the images that I have now! Appreciation for the passion and expression of my earlier self gives me so much motivation for the future.

CKM: Is photography a full time venture or just something you’re passionate about outside of your normal career? Both?

TP: Right now it’s a lot more part time than I would really like it to be. Outside of owning my own photography business I am a full time Senior Graphic Designer. I do photography sessions as often as I can on my days off and I have been known to take time off of work so I can make it to a convention so that I can be around and to photograph “MY” people! The dream is to leave the corporate world to be a self-employed, full time photographer/graphic designer.

CKM: What is your favorite gear to use (camera, lenses, lighting, accessories)?

TP: I have 4 different cameras but you’ll only ever see me using my Nikon D750. It’s my pride and joy! My photography game went up several levels since upgrading from my Nikon D40. My favorite accessories are definitely my prisms and my new utility belt that holds EVERY-

THING at my hip! This belt holds all of my lenses, snacks, batteries, SD cards and other important things I’ll need for a session. I can maneuver through a session much easier with this piece of equipment vs the backpack I had been using. I also have the coolest flash diffuser, called a Mag Sphere, that I use for any indoor photography. It diffuses the harsh light beautifully and spreads that light throughout an entire room more evenly than other diffusers out there, in my opinion.

CKM: Do you prefer shooting indoors (studio environment) or outdoors (natural light)?

TP: 100% natural light. As a self proclaimed hobbit and druid, I love being barefoot and surrounded by nature and animals. Natural light is too beautiful for me to give up and move into the studio realm. However, if I had access to a studio of my own I would learn to make use of it as well! I do have some really nice external lighting for any indoor photography but you’ll always see that I recommend an outside location before I give in to something indoors.

CKM: What advice would you give to a beginning photographer?

TP: Two things actually! One, take breaks! I know how exciting it is to go to your first session, whether it be at a convention or to an on site location. However it’s super important to pace yourself and focus on breaks for water and food. 100 sessions in a day isn’t worth you getting overheated and dehydrating. Trust me on that! Secondly, don’t be afraid to go for it! Test the waters with lighting and poses, try something new! Get out of your comfort zone! You can’t go wrong as it will only stretch you to move towards better skills.

CKM: What photographers do you admire most and if given a chance, who would you most like to collaborate with?

TP: I am extremely influenced by Heather (Honey and Heather), Molly (Adoylible), and Amie (Amiephotos). Their energy and their own individual styles inspire me. I’ve expanded into using prisms and sun flares because I’ve seen the creativity that both Heather and Molly have had with them. Amie has such a gorgeous eye for photography. The richness she has is something I am also striving for. They have all helped me expand on what I can do, showing me that there’s really no wrong way to go about cosplay photography.

Cosplayer: @Alakazammit

Dress Designer: @kenna.sews

Cosplayer: @Alakazammit

Dress Designer: @kenna.sews

Cosplayer: @Alakazammit Dress Designer: @kenna.sews

CKM: How did you find yourself immersed in cosplay photography?

TP: I have always considered myself to be a photographer and a geek, and yet somehow it had never occurred to me to merge the two together?! Megacon 2018 was the convention that officially started it all. I was ambitious, curious and ready to try my hand at something new with my photography work. Cosplay was always something I enjoyed observing when I attended a convention but I wanted to be in on all of the action. I wanted to hang out with people who were like me and I wanted to create the photos that they all loved so much. Surrounded by so many amazing cosplayers I started, with their permission, snapping photos left and right. Towards the end of the day I met a group of four friends that, to my surprise, agreed to meet me outside for a small photo session. Posing them, getting to know them and capturing their cosplays created the biggest and brightest spark in me as I walked away feeling encouraged to make the move into cosplay photography. This group paved the way for me and every future session to come after theirs. I’m all about creating friendships and bonds during my photography sessions as I don’t want anyone to ever feel like they are “just a client”. With that being said, the coolest thing to come from that small group is the fact that I still, to this day, talk to and occasionally photograph all four of them. I even had the privilege of photographing one of their weddings.

CKM: How long have you been a cosplay photographer?

TP: It will be 5 years August 2023

CKM: What was your first cosplay shoot and how did that go?

TP: My first official cosplay shoot was something I called a Meet and Greet Photo Day. It was a day encompassed around building up my portfolio so I offered free 30 minute cosplay sessions to anybody and everybody! The day started around 10:00 in the morning and ended around 5:30. Thank goodness an entire session was rained out or I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to sit down and eat something. I imagine mother nature wasn’t fond of me working myself to death for 7 hours straight. I was very new to cosplay but I knew I wanted to pack my portfolio, so overworking myself in the middle of summer didn’t feel like such a bad thing for one day. Oof, was I wrong! The day was long and extremely hot but it was worth it and if I could go back in time I’d tell myself to pace myself, drink water, take breaks and eat! I appreciate every cosplayer that I photographed that day and I wouldn’t be who I am as a cosplay photographer without them. Almost 5 years later and I still photograph some of them today! Their support means so much to me and I’ve developed some really close friendships from the cosplay community and because of this I have had the privilege of photographing a few engagements and weddings as well.

CKM: What is a cosplay shoot like for you? What do you try to get out of a shoot?

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KEVIN Q. GRAY

CHARACTER: HOKUSAI

COSPLAYER: @LUCID_DREAMER_COSPLAY

TP: Cosplay sessions are always full of high energy, tons of laughs, and captured inspiration! The only thing you need to do is expect the unexpected, as no shoot is ever the same. One moment we’re following the ideas we talked about before your session and then the next you’ll see that I’ve climbed a tree for your perfect shot. Some of the best photos I capture will happen because we deviated from the plan. What I strive to get from every shoot is the trust from the person I’m photographing. I try my very best to build confidence in them throughout the entire session while also striving to make sure they are always smiling between the snaps of the camera. I thoroughly enjoy turning my camera around between shots so they can see what I see in them. More often than not this gives them so much confidence and happiness and that fills up my heart.

CKM: To date, what is your favorite cosplay session you’ve worked on or created?

TP: I have so many and it’s always hard to pick the very best one as every session is different and after every session I’m growing! I could tell you which session from each convention was my favorite, but we’d be here all day. Holiday Matsuri 2022 was my most recent convention and from that weekend I’d have to say that Ally’s (alakazammit) original fairy (featured in this magazine) was my best session, even though all of them stretched me and made me so proud! There was just something so perfect that morning. The lighting was *chef kiss*, Ally had really grown as a cosplayer herself, and my development as a photographer had also grown exponentially. Starting off the weekend with her session really set up the rest of the weekend to be successful. I think that’s why I have to say that her session was my favorite. I don’t know how the weekend would have gone without her.

CKM: If you could shoot one specific cosplay, what would it be and why?

TP: One specific cosplay for life!? Princesses, fairies or elves! So in other words: Elegant or Whimsical Fantasy. I feel like I really excel when it comes to magical vibes and elements. Give me any type of cosplay and I’ll figure out how to make it work but I don’t ever have to second guess myself in the realm of elegant images. I love playing with my prisms during a session and adding in some sparkle and shine during post.

CKM: Feel free to discuss/describe the work involved with any of the images you shared with me. Fun things, frustrations, challenges, achievements.

TP: The photos shared in this magazine feature were all taken at Holiday Matsuri 2022, except the Jynx photo that was taken at Metrocon. What all of these photos have in common is that they stretched my creativity. I’m always hungry to grow and for all of these sessions I really pushed myself to play more with my surroundings as well as different height variations. Everyone has their quirks but I’m incredibly impressed with the work I created in this feature.

To be more specific; the original fairy cosplay that Ally (alakazammit) created and the Xayah cosplay that Kaitlyn (yougotink) created were huge achievements for me in terms of how I edited their photos in post. I wanted a specific element of magic for Ally’s original character and by changing the colors of the plants while also adding in some shimmers and light bokah’s I really hit the mark as far as what I saw in my mind. Kaitlyn sent me a video for inspiration before we had her session and I was immediately brought to tears as I started learning about Xayah. Long story short I had an image in my head and the end result is in this magazine today. I had so much fun researching the character and finding little pieces that I felt were important to bring into the final image, like the blue feather.

CKM: If you could work with anyone in the cosplay world, who would it be and why?

TP: I want to work with every cosplayer! There’s not a single person that I would want to work with more than another. If you have a body and you cosplay, then you are on my list of “someone I want to work with.” I want to help everyone feel confident, attractive, and special through the magic that we create together.

CKM: Hypothetical situation: You’ve decided to give up photography and retire. If you could choose one last shoot to do to end your career, what would it be?

TP: Oh my gosh... This is so hard! If I really had to pick just one last photo shoot it would have to be a Lord of the Rings session. An Arwen cosplayer or perhaps a Hobbit cosplay session at a gorgeous on site location that screams Rivendell or The Shire. Lord of the Rings is a huge passion of mine and if I was going to be putting my camera down for good, then capturing something related to that would be my final farewell!

CKM: Any events or conventions that you’d like to attend that you haven’t yet?

TP: I have always wanted to go to Dragon Con! I’ve never been to such a large convention before so I may have to refrain from planned photo sessions and just go to get a lay of the land. So to speak.

MomoCon, MagFest and Katsucon are a few others that sit on my list of “would like to attend” conventions.

CKM: Any favorite conventions you like to work on a regular basis? (include a schedule of days/dates)

TP: My favorite convention is Holiday Matsuri. I’m unsure of the 2023 dates just yet but this is a guaranteed convention for me. Metrocon quickly grew on me as well as it’s my second top favorite convention. I love the atmosphere of both conventions as well as all of the different variations that the locations/venues have to offer for photography work.

CKM: What does the future hold for you in both long and short term plans?

TP: The vision of my photography is both long and prosperous. While the future is never certain and always ours to write everyday, I strive to grow and develop my skills so I can deliver a better session than the one I just had. In 2023 I am focused on delivering the best art of my career at the conventions and on site locations that I will be attending. Long term, I have already laid the foundation for a successful full time photography business, so in five years I will walk into that lifestyle.

CKM: Any upcoming conventions you’ll be attending where people can get a chance to work with you?

TP: I have about 11 to 13 conventions planned for 2023 with Megacon (March 30-April1), Metrocon (July 14-16), and Holiday Matsuri in December as my main conventions. The best way to stay informed about all of this year’s plans is by following my Instagram account: Tight_Photography. I post stories about con dates as well as when session forms go live. I am over the moon to connect with you and plan your next cosplay session!

Cosplayer: @Kameriicos

Cosplayer: @Max.Therrien_

Tight Photography Social Media Links:

Instagram: tight_photography Facebook: /TightPhoto Twitter: /TightPhoto

Shana Feeley Photography

Model:

Photographer/set

Model/Accessory Designer: John

Starrise Photography

Photographer: Mickey Davis IG: @starrisephotography

Page 26 Credits:

Top Left - Model: Isabelle Murphy

Top Right - Model: Rabbit

Bottom Left - Model: Star

Bottom Right - Model: Rabbit

Starrise Photography

Photographer: Mickey Davis

Model: Ash Model: Orion

In The Spot Light with Jamie Baskin

Photographer: Jaime Baskin

IG: jaimebaskinphotography

WB: http://jaimebaskin.com

TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@jaimebaskinphotog

Model: Tori IG: ohwell.tori

Photographer: Jaime Baskin

Model: Tori

Crocheted Tinkerbell Cosplay

Fashion Designer: Jessica Chambers

IG: transatlanticcrochet

WB: transatlantic-crochet.com

Photographer: Sorina Ratkiene IG: sorina.ratkiene.photography

Fashion Designer: Jessica Chambers IG: transatlanticcrochet WB: transatlantic-crochet.com

Photographer: Sorina Ratkiene IG: sorina.ratkiene.photography

PETITE PennywiseThe Unlikely Electric Duo

Hello, Everyone! My name is Chapell Sears and I am a professional photographer from Belcamp, MD just outside of the greater Baltimore area. I started portrait photography in February 2022 at Katsucon. As a little girl in the 1990s, I loved taking pictures of anything because I did not want to forget the memories. As I got older, I became a published model in 2016 (and continuing). Now, I want to bring my hobby into reality to help others to feel their best.

Cosplay is a wonderful outlet to bring your inner geek out for the whole world to see. I want to capture the excitement and the joy of your favorite character to life. From the location to the small details on the costume, the reaction is priceless. Every character has a story to tell, and I love telling stories through a lens.

As a cosplay model myself, I want everyone to be comfortable and safe during the photoshoot experience. No one should judge of where it from as long the cosplayer is happy. Representation matters in the cosplay community and need the younger generations to see that they can cosplay no matter what the body type, sexuality, race, age, etc.

My next convention I will be going to is Katsucon 2023. I love taking hallway photos and doing private sessions. When I go to conventions, I love the atmosphere of meeting with new people and get to know them better. Cosplay brings people together and we all thrive!

Character: Raiden Shogun and Yae Miko Video Game: Genshin Impact

Instagram: cupcaitcosplay Instagram: feralmarshmallow

Photographer: Lady Chapell Photography Instagram and Facebook: ladychapellphotography

Photographer: Chapell Sears