Cosplay photo - Arwen from Lord of the Rings

[Neddog]

http://cyclopsphoto.ca/galleries/cosplay/isabel_arwen_lotr_web.jpg
Shot with Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5

I'll have more cosplays coming soon. ;)

[John Watson]

I love Arwen!! ♥ This is beautiful~

[Neddog]

Thanks. <3 Here's another one of the same girl, dressed as Madam Red from Kuroshitsuji...

http://cyclopsphoto.ca/galleries/cosplay/isabel_madam-red_kuroshitsuji_web.jpg
Shot with Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5

[Kaitou Ace]

Great shots! Did you set up a booth at a con, or is it from a studio shoot?

[Princess Cupcake]

Awesome Arwen! It would be even better if she were in some kind of nature scene.

[Chigumi]

Its new-ish to me to see this type of cosplay shoot in a studio.
I must say it looks fantastic. Great clothing and styling.
I want to give you some advice, though I have no idea what materials that studio has.
The flashlight is comming mainly from the front.
The tricky thing with a black background is not to flash frontal, but from the sides.
And also its good for the model to take some distance from the background (3 big steps).
Now you might think, then what about lighting the face? The light from the sides isn't enough.
Thats where you jump in with those big round reflectors, the white or silver side :P
Also, light from the side seems more natural to the eye, because in non-flash photos the light is never/rarely frontal either :P
I hope you continue this. This looks very promising/fantastic!

Oh and also f3.5 is a bit too small if you want to shoot someones WHOLE body.
Try this ISO250 (or less), 1/125 and f8, I'd say f.3.5 is better for portraits, but thats just me :P

[Neddog]

Great shots! Did you set up a booth at a con, or is it from a studio shoot?

Thanks. :) These were just in the studio.


Awesome Arwen! It would be even better if she were in some kind of nature scene.

i noes, that would be wonderful. :) Unfortunately, out here at this time of the year the snow is off the ground (no winter scenes) and there are no leaves on the trees or grass on the ground (no summer scenes). Just scraggly branches and dirt. It would be nice for a swamp scene with a castle in the back, lol. If only we had those here... xD

These photos will be jazzed up though before they're published. Not expecting any background changes, but more likely some type and graphical touch-up.


Its new-ish to me to see this type of cosplay shoot in a studio.
I must say it looks fantastic. Great clothing and styling.
I want to give you some advice, though I have no idea what materials that studio has.
The flashlight is comming mainly from the front.
The tricky thing with a black background is not to flash frontal, but from the sides.
And also its good for the model to take some distance from the background (3 big steps).
Now you might think, then what about lighting the face? The light from the sides isn't enough.
Thats where you jump in with those big round reflectors, the white or silver side :P
Also, light from the side seems more natural to the eye, because in non-flash photos the light is never/rarely frontal either :P
I hope you continue this. This looks very promising/fantastic!

Oh and also f3.5 is a bit too small if you want to shoot someones WHOLE body.
Try this ISO250 (or less), 1/125 and f8, I'd say f.3.5 is better for portraits, but thats just me :P

Yes, I agree with your sentiment that I should have had a shorter light fall-off. The light ratio in these photos though, is actually 6:1 from the sides, using 5 light sources (two high on the sides, two low on the sides, and only one from the front). That's why I don't use reflectors, because I prefer to add additional light sources instead (good help is harder to find and more expensive than lighting equipment, lol).

If the background seems exposed too much, it's only because I didn't use flags. I know I should have, but I need more stands... No come to think of it, that's not true either. I had more stands, but was too lazy to use them. x_X I'm glad you brought that up, as I will remember that for next shoot... *headslap*

The actual aperture used on these photos was f/8. Sorry for the confusion, but the f/2.8-3.5 I listed is just the lens speed of the variable aperture zoom lens I used - a classic digital Zuiko from the first Olympus E-System DSLR. I think it was the first all-digital Zuiko lens made. It's very sharp but much more compact than a constant aperture zoom. I've always had the habit of listing the lenses I use to shoot my photos. I think because I'll forget myself if I don't, lol.

[Kanjoudakai_Ira]

Don't you have some portrait pictures? Taking an overall picture is nice for showing the subject, but doesn't really say anything. you can do much more in a studio... Creative portraits, detail shots, stuff like that

[Neddog]

I was only after one good photo. ;) Sorry I tend to be too mission-oriented in my work, but next cosplay shoot (I guess that'll be tomorrow, lol) I will try to get more variety, and make it more of a fun shoot. That's what cosplay is all about, after all. xD

[Kanjoudakai_Ira]

Well exactly... there's no point in going through all that hard work of making a cosplay costume if you're not going to fully take advantage of it. The models need to express themselves, get into the skin of the character not just stand like a dummy dressed in a piece of clothing...
As I said... play around with perspectives and angles, great shots can come out of that

[Albear]

Actually.... Arwen is a bit of a serious type character. Her beauty and appearance greatly makes up for her somewhat dull personality. So the cosplayer got her down.
Thr photos are awesome though.

[LotusCat]

She looks so pretty in that red dress *_*

[Chi The Sweet]

really pretty!!!!!!!

[OtakuInu!!!]

That's a really lovely Arwen. I hope you get to do a cosplay shoot in a nature scene too.

[threewolves]

Very nice, great job on the look.

[Digimon_Sommelier]

Neddog: Very nice. Cosplay-ing is very brave. You look very nice.

Have a great week ahead! :)


My Wi-Fi, it's gone out . . .

[Mugiwara-no-Basuke]

Shot with Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5

I'll have more cosplays coming soon. ;)

Pretty nice cosplay, I'm fanatic for cosplays (when they are SIMILAR to the original, so as this one) :)