In what ways can cosphotography be understood as a form of “fan capital”?
Contemporary cosplay consists of many factors and features, but photography plays a fundamental part in capturing the final concepts and characters as well as the cosplay culture as a whole. According to Mountfort, Peirson-Smith, Geczy (2018) Cosphotography can be interpreted as ‘Cosplay photography’. They further explain that Cosphotography and Fan Capital’ are used to explore different photographic practices at cosplaying sites (p. 11).
The digital world has expanded, and the cosplay world is vast, thanks to fan conventions and the use of photographs and video, cosplay is not only reflected but shaped in the way cosplay is performed and assembled (Mountfort et al., p. 47, 2018). However, all things acquire a cost, assembling characters and gathering materials is no cheap task, therefore by being photographed and videoed cosplayers may be provided with “private value but fan capital that circulates within wider, largely online networks of exchange operating in the cosphere.” (Mountfort et al., p. 47, 2018).
Photographic images and videos are moments captured in time and they remain after the cosplay has come to an end, these are valued highly due to their possible use in ‘promotional media and documentary recordings’ (p. 57). Audience and spectators play a great deal in a cosplayers authenticity. Being photographed can be seen as recognition from the photographer, thus complimenting and acknowledging authenticity. Spectators upload the pictures on social media and on other online websites using hashtags as clickbait that circulate, and resurface, promoting cosplay throughout many platforms such as Instagram, facebook, tiktok, devianart,, tumblr and cosplay dedicated pages like Cure WorldCosplay and Cosplay (p. 57, p. 64). “For cosplayers, photographs and video can serve as tokens of exchange within an economy of desire that values subcultural capital or hipness rather than raw dollar value” (p.11).
Mountfort, Peirson-Smith, Geczy (2018) explain that cosplay performances are the main currency for fan capital and even though moving image media has grown incredibly large throughout the industry still images are still considered to influence the lead of currency and exchange in fan capital economics (p. 38).
References:
Mountfort, P., Peirson-Smith, A., & Geczy, A. (2018). Planet cosplay: Costume play, identity and global fandom. Intellect
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