Week 9 Questions – Cosplay Pt.2

1. In what ways can cosphotography be understood as a form of “fan capital”?

Cosplay is where an individual performs sections of a character, during this exhibition printed reference in regards to textual citation and photographic practices are joined and sometimes “collide” (Mountfort, 2019). The mere role of photography is crucial in terms of contemporary cosplay. The basis of fan convention have formatted the framework genre when it comes to “cosphotography” (Mountfort, 2018). With photography you can both report and organize various components of the cosplayer’s exhibition “by means of visual kinds commonly spreading over those of the design run-way, studio and ‘hallway shoots” (Mountfort, 2019). Cosphotography can be perceived as a ‘token’ of fan capital since it can work as a money, that is more or so due to the fact it makes individual incentive for the cosplayer however the photographs/recordings made are likewise a significant thing to devotees of cosplay or of the character the cosplayer is depicting. Much the same as hard money it tends to be exchanged from picture taker to cosplayer or vice-versa from photographic artist to fan or among cosplayer and fan. It can expand the prevalence of both in part, the subject and the photographer. 

Cosphotography can be viewed from a perspective that highlights the foundations as a type of fan capital as it is a lasting media that advances and archives cosplayers. It makes their work, effort and dedication worthwhile and thus, it is then a two-way trade as it “approves” the work of these cosplayers who take their time to fully express this means of art using themselves as canvases. It is only fair they get the recognition they deserve. In view of how much exertion goes into their ensembles, props, hair and cosmetics, cosplayers feel that increasing a type of fan capital would be of a notable and desire-able nature. This is then the place where the idea cosphotography comes in, as this is a route for cosplayers to catch their training for the individual estimation of the photography, yet in addition possibly gain fan capital as their photographs are shown inside the cosplay network may it be online or in conventions. 

The various sorts of cosphotography run from formal and casual photography means of practice. The generally well known or most viral; photos are just taken inside the given conventions or outside in a foreordained setting. Some other themes for cosphotography are specifically committed to exhibiting cosplayers and their intricate ensembles. Also according to (Mountfort, 2018) photography and video can give cosplayers both private worth and fan funding to disperse inside the more extensive cosplay network. However, over all the use of cosphotography is so vital as the initial performance of cosplayers are of a short-lived nature, especially since the costumes in question are only worn one day at a time – the use of photography then would make the impact much more long lasting due to the fact it would then be permanent (Mountfort, 2018). Overall cosphotography can be understood as a fan capital based off the given dynamics of what the initiative of the idea has to offer per say.

References:

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