2. In what ways can cosphotography be understood as a form of “fan capital”?
Cosplay is a medium where a person performs fragments of a character, during this performance textual citation and photographic practices are combined and “some-times collide.” (Mountfort, 2019). With photography you can both document and arrange different elements of the cosplayer’s performance “via visual genres typically spanning those of the fashion run-way, studio and ‘hallway’ shoots” (Mountfort, 2019).
According to Mountfort (2018) photography plays a significant part in modern cosplay, although
cosplay was documented as early as in 1939 at the New York Worldcon, foreshadowing the emergence of the three genres of cosphotography, “the fashion-shoot, studio portrait and ‘hallway’ snapshot.” (Mountfort, 2018). Over time fan conventions have further formed the development of the cosphotography genres. Photography and film are now acting as a shaping agent in how cosplayers act out their performance. Cosplay can be very time consuming and cost a lot of money, and cosplayers might hope they get something or some form of capital in return for their hard work. By being photographed and filmed the cosplayer can achieve tokens of private value and fan capital that circulates online and reaches a bigger audience. Photos and video can serve as a token of value, not necessarily in the form of money but in the shape of subcultural capital and happiness. Cosphotography aren’t limited to online publication, but is also being published in books, sold as prints, coscards and as film and media files, you also have the concept of cosplay music videos (CMVs).
There are a lot of tension surrounding cosphotography, Mountfort (2018) mentions the issues between fan-directed cosplay and commercial cosplay and the “heterotopian and hegemonic control of cosplaying spaces”. Heterotopian meaning a vision of the cosplay community as a progressive/transgressive space where people can “enact a kind of collective détournement in the mass requisitioning of intellectual property from their legal rights holders and make it their own.”
On the opposite side you have the threat: commercialism, sexism and racism. You also have “flaming and body shaming” which can create a nasty vibe, especially on online forums.
Because the cosphere is a community where visual tokens are in the centre of attention and exchanged between people, it is likely that these tensions will continue to circulate within the community.
The commercial space and other social forces is a constant threat to the heterotopian side of cosplay, reality TV series such as Heroes of Cosplay and Cosplay Melee are being criticised for turning into a competitive sport rather than a collaboration or ‘team work’ between the people in the cosplay community (Mountfort, 2018).
Cosphotography can be understood as a for of fan capital because it can function as a currency, as mentioned earlier it creates personal value for the cosplayer but the photos/videos created are also a valuable item to fans of cosplay or of the character the cosplayer is portraying. Just like hard cash it can be traded from photographer to cosplayer (or vice versa), from photographer to fan or between cosplayer and fan. It can increase the popularity of both the photographer and cosplayer, and it can provide the fan with the most valuable thing of them all; happiness.
Sources:
Mountfort 2018, Planet Cosplay (Bristol, UK: Intellect Books), Intro and Chapter 1
Mountfort 2018, Planet Cosplay (Bristol, UK: Intellect Books), Chapter 2
Mountfort 2019, Cosplay at Armageddon Expo
Pop Genres 2020 