Cosphotography refers to the videoing and photographing of a person participating in cosplay and can act as a way for the cosplayer to gain capital through promotion which allows recognition (). Paul Mountfort believes “photography pays a crucial role in contemporary cosplay,( Mountfort, 2020) as it  “as long as it is not of the invasive variety can thus provide cosers not only with tokens pf private value but fan capital that circulates within wider, largely online networks of exchange operating in the cosphere,”(Mountfort, 2020). Meaning cosplaying through cosphotography creates a new space for the cosplayer not only space for expression but offers a chance for them to gain capital from the labour they have put into their costuming.

Of the three main genres of cosphotography as outlined by Paul Mountfort the most formal of the three would have to be the runway cosphotography. This is where cosplayers could be gathered usually in a competition event where preparations for these cosplayers are made before the photos and videos are taken (Geczy, & Peirson- Smith, 2018). It is here where cosplayers are directly rewarded for their hard work as often, they gain monetary capital for the creations of their cosplay. This type of cosphotography is narrated as occurring in 1941 we have photographs of these cosplay competitions creating the earliest moments of the formal runway cosphotography despite these cosplayers entering costumed competitions as early as 1910 when a young woman won first prize at a masquerade ball as she went in cosplay in a  skyjack costume(Mountfort, 2020).

The less formal version of cosphotography compared to the other main genre of cosphotography would have to be hallway cosphotography. This refers to the photographs and videos which are taken of cosplayers in a more natural none planed space (Geczy, & Peirson- Smith, 2018). Oftentimes these photographs are done without the cosplayer’s consent (Mountfort, 2020) this type of cosphotography began to occur around the same time technology developed in a way allowing people to become cosphotographers, technology like the handheld camera (Mountfort, 2020). In doing this everyday people gained access to recording events as such cosplay can spread more easily and

The slightly less formal, when compared to runway cosphotography, is the studio portrait. This involves yet again planning and the complete consent of the cosplayer as time is put in for selecting lighting and backdrops and occurs in a private location (Geczy, & Peirson- Smith, 2018). They are in a sense taking steps to ensure that they are gaining capital by sharing and distributing these photographs. In 1969 we see one of the first examples of studio portrait through the image of Angelique Trouvere in cosplay as Vampirella (Mountfort, 2020). Studio portrait, in the end, can be described as a combination of the formal runway and informal hallway cosphotography ().

Looking at these main genres of cosphotography one will not that as they developed through history it does seem that the less formal hallway cosphotography has developed into a much larger medium of the three and one could attribute this to the development of technology such as the handheld cameras.

Reference

Geczy, A., Mountfort, P., Peirson- Smith, A. (2018). Planet cosplay. United Kingdom: Bristol, United States: Chicago. Interlect

Mountfort, P (Lec). (2020). [Lecture powerpoint]. Retrieved from https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_96250_1&content_id=_5273101_1&mode=reset

Mountfort, P (Lec). (2020). [Lecture recording]. Retrieved from https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_96250_1&content_id=_5273101_1&mode=reset

What are some of the problematics around cosphotography in terms various (potentially unwelcome) gazes?

The most obvious of problematic gazes in regards to cosplay is the male gaze. That is, the gaze commonly held by men – although sometimes perpetrated by women as well, due to taught misogyny – that views women solely as sexual objects, objects of their desire and for their personal gratification. While an issue in almost every aspect of society, it is particularly notable within cosplay for several reasons.

The first is the larger population of women participating in cosplay culture compared to in other areas, especially within wider fandom. While typically seen as a ‘boy’s club’, fandom, especially for genres such as science fiction and action comics, has always had a relatively large amount of women participating in the art of cosplay, described as being ‘a product of female DIY culture’ (Mountfort, 2018, p. 48). This is evident from the very beginnings of cosplay, with cosplay pioneers such as ‘Morojo’ (Myrtle R. Jones) in the 30s through to famous female cosplayers such as Yaya Han in today’s world (Mountfort, 2018, pp. 51, 63). With a larger than usual group of women participating in this area of fandom, this unfortunately makes instances of unwanted ‘male gaze’ much more likely.

The second is the range of characters available to female cosplayers. While, given the nature and general attitude of cosplay and cosplay communities from the beginning of the movement, effectively any person can cosplay as any character regardless of gender – and there are even recorded instances of drag costuming at early cosplay events (Mountfort, 2018, p. 54) – many prefer to cosplay as their chosen gender identity in every day life (i.e. those who identify as men cosplay as male characters, and women cosplay as female characters). This becomes problematic for women as many female characters – across genres, mediums and time periods – are hypersexualized in both appearance and behaviour. This means that female cosplayers are often forced into highly sexualized, caricature-like female roles in order to participate – to the best of their ability – in cosplay culture. This wouldn’t be a problem if not for the aforementioned ‘male gaze’, which is attracted in a far greater amount by such characters (as these characters were, originally, created for the male gaze by the male gaze). If not, female cosplays must then find ways around this; often through strict ‘rules of engagement’ for both socialization and photography, allowing them at least some form of control if not outright rejection of this ‘gaze’. (Mountfort, 2018, pp. 63-64)

There are other ‘gazes’ which provide issues within the cosplay community, however. One such ‘gaze’ is that of the outsider – someone with no authentic, genuine interest in cosplay or the cosplay community. As recalled by cosplayer Kane Anderson within Planet Cosplay, ‘not all photographers actually want to celebrate cosplayers. Many spectators surreptitiously diminish cosplayers with their gazes even while the costumed performers enjoy the attention.’ (Mountfort, 2018, pp. 63-64) This often leads to another problematic gaze within the cosplay community – the judgemental gaze. These ‘outsiders’ to the cosplay community often post images and videos of cosplayers online and, along with others like them, mock and judge them for perceived ‘flaws’: in weight, in race, in general beauty standards. (Mountfort, 2018, p. 64) This can lead to many cosplayers (especially women, who already face higher standards of beauty due to the aforementioned ‘male gaze’) feeling self-conscious about their cosplay or growing disheartened with the art of cosplaying; with social media growing bigger, more invasive and more toxic by the day, this may become an even greater issue for the cosplay community, as it has become for many others.

References

Mountfort, P. (2018). Cosphotography and Fan Capital. In P. Mountfort, Peirson-Smitth, Anne, & A. Gaczy, Planet Cosplay (pp. 45-74). Bristol: Intellect Books.

1. What are the three main genres of cosphotography, and how did they historically develop?

According to Mountfort et al. (2018), cosphotography is a subgenre of photography which focuses on the capture and promotion of Cosers or Cosplay artists through visual mediums. Firstly, photographic practices are a major part of Cosplay culture. It allows for both public and private visual documentation of a cosers hard work by provided photos and videos of the finished product, the Cosplayer’s “final look”, but is also used to document the process of creating the costumes, often by hand, as well as the use of prosthetics, the application of make-up and the time of perfecting the Cosers “act” through poses and other motion captures and gestures (Mountfort et el., 2018). These photos and videos are also used promotionally and have become an avenue for financial gain, allowing for Cosers to receive capital for the work that they do as the images and clips are advertised across websites, social media platforms and other online and offline businesses (Mountfort et el., 2018). In this post I will be discussing the origins and the impacts of three genres of cosphotography, fashion shoot or runway cosphotography, studio portraiture, and hallway snapshots.

According to Mountfort (2018) in 1939, Forrest J. Ackerman, financer of Ray Bradbury’s Future Fantasia zine, and Myrtle R. Jones, also known as Morojo, appeared in matching costumes for Worldcon. Together they wore “futuristic costumes” based on the feature film H.G. Wells’ Things to Come (1936). From that point onwards Worldcon began showcasing costumes with staged competitions, “originat[ing] in an annual Masquerade” (Mountfort et el., 2018). These Masquerades fashioned the first of the cosphotography genres, Fashion shoots or Fashion runways where costumers “posed for photographs”. In relation to Mountfort et el, Lamerichs (2018) mentions that these fashion shoots and runways have become organized as not only mainstream fashion culture, but also as professionally organized catwalks. These fashion shows are often combined with a narrative which the Coser’s costume or character is based, and the Coser is given either a stage platform or a literal runway to showcase their character and their accompanying costume (Lamerichs, N., 2018).

Second are the studio portraits or portraitures, introduced with the commercialization of cameras from 1925 and the release of the Kodak Retina I in 1934 which allowed for cameras to reach the wider mass population as well as the production and introduction of the Argus A in 1936 and the Argus C3 in 1939 (Mountfort et el., 2018). By the 1970s, studio portraiture became prominent, staging shots of fans modelling their costumes for both professional and amateur photographers. The studio portraits paved the way for today’s photography sessions, sometimes held during or after a fashion show, in which the Coser’s costumes become the highlight of the session. Photography sessions have become not only central to Cosers, but also to the photographers themselves, as a means of honing their photography skills and building photography portfolios (Lamerichs, N., 2018).

Lastly is the hallway snapshots, that unlike the above genres which are often well organized, orchestrated and formal, are considered informal and casual. While often initiated in conjunction with fashion shows hallway snapshots which during the Worldcon Masquerades were taken in less staged shoots such as from the sidelines of the competitions (Mountfort et el., 2018). Now in the modern age where almost every person owns a smartphone with a camera, hallway snapshots are classified as those photographs taken of Cosers by fans of the Coser or the character that the Coser plays. These photographs are often taken as something to be expected, and even as compliments (Lamerichs, N., 2018).

References

Lamerichs, N. (2018). Productive fandom: Intermediality and affective reception in fan cultures. Amsterdam University Press.

Mountfort, P., Peirson-Smith, A., & Geczy, A. (2018). Planet cosplay: Costume play, identity and global fandom. Blackboard. https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/

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

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

Unofficial and offline promotions and resources may consider a capital for fans and personal works. For instance, cosphotography.

Photograph plays a vital role in contemporary cultures of cosplay and it is a key tradition among fans and promotion within this culture. According to (Mountfort et al., 2018), cosphotography has developed through several decades as a tradition among fandom, it is worthwhile works to memorize for fans and it is also a record to reveal how this culture represented and performed. Cosphotography can be taking pictures of people in customs and recording videos. Both pieces and other forms of recordings are the “token” of players as cosplay requires their endeavor and devoting of time, skills, personal life and competencies. Those videos, photographs and even documentary contain many different features of players and their works, and thus prominent works are values to cosplayers as they may be role models to help other individuals to establish or improve their own work. Furthermore, cosphotography can be a means to increase players’ and works’ commercial capital within the culture. For instance, cosplayers’ active performances can bring more attention to their works and thus make their works worth. Mountfort et al (2018) also assert that cosphotography can make players work worthwhile.

Unfortunately, issues arise with the development of cosphotography. Mountfort et al (2018) explore the issue of “heterotopian and hegemonic control of cosplaying spaces”. Hegemonic occupied dominant position and power to control the spaces and thus others on the opposite positions may experience body shaming or cursing in the online community.

References

 Mountfort, P., Peirson-Smith, A., & Geczy, A. (2018). Planet cosplay: Costume play, identity and global fandom. Intellect.

Cosphotography is a photography genre and a form of capturing the Cosplay culture, where people dress up and performed as characters of all types of popular media texts.The cosphotography acts as reflect and define agent in the performance of cosplay phenomenon. There are three main genres of cosphotography, which are Runway, Hallway and Studio portrait.

According to Mountfort et al. (2018), the history of Cosphotography started around 1908 in the US through news articles in newspaper. A craze documented a couple, William Fell of Cincinnati and his wife, dress up or cosplay as science fiction strip cartoons characters, Mr. Skygack from ‘Mr. Skygack from Mars’ and Miss Dillpickles from ‘Chicago Daybook’. Two years after this event, news article reported that a young women created a Skygack costume and wear it to a ball and won first prize. Her male friend later borrowed the costume for a skating rink advertisement. He was arrested by Tacoma police and released on bail for walking around the city masquerading, as it was prohibited. We later able to see the wider culture of costume dress up or cosplaying and photography in around late 1930s and early 1940s, with the Worldcon in New York and the New York World’s fair. The New York World’s fair has a futuristic theme ‘The world of Tomorrow’ they had domes, transportation and models, while Worldcon has around 200 participants dressed up and posed for photographs. As culture and technology developed so did the Cosphotography production, circulation and audience reception. From black and white in the 1940s, Polaroids and instamatics in the 1950s to 1970s, then SLRs and digicams in the 1980s to 1990s, and now more choice of technology for photography such as DSLR camera, Smartphone camera and many types of high quality video capture devices. 

Cosphotography have three main genres of cosphotography, which are Runway, Hallway and Studio portrait. 

Runway is a genre or style that capture while the cosplayer is on fashion show stage.  Similar to the mainstream fashion show culture, this is like a catwalk stage where cosplayer show off their costumes. This style “have a definite presence, especially on promotional websites or pages curated by fans who have been favored on the competition stage.” (Mountfort et al., 2018). 

Hallway is the more casual, informal genre or style of cosphotography, it can be taken from any photographic devices, such as DSLR, smartphones or camcorders, etc. This style is distributed through online social media platforms, to spark people’s interest in cosplaying culture. 

Studio portrait genre or styleis “the dominant visual genres that evolved out of convention spaces” (Mountfort et al., 2018).  It is when a cosplayer becomes a model for the photographers, it can be both indoor or out, as well as with physical props or just blue or green screen. They are also allowed to used the photographs of themselves for self promotion of their costume as well.

Cosplayer also view being photographs as something that to be expected, as well as a compliment to the cosplayer. 

Reference:

Mountfort, P., Peirson-Smith, A., & Geczy, A. (2018). Planet cosplay: Costume play, identity and global fandom. Intellect.

1. According to Mountfort et al. (2018), what are the three main genres of cosphotography, and how did they historically develop?

Cosphotography is the art of capturing cosplay through the medium of photography. Throughout cosphotography’s lifespan, it has developed new methods and styles that have expanded our perspective of the global phenomenon. The art of cosphotography originates back to the early 1910s, in which a rising interest of sci-fiction costuming was gaining mainstream attention with photos appearing in newspaper articles. However, it did not begin to resemble modern cosphotography until the late 1930s, with the inception of an influential sci-fiction convention, Worldcon (Mountfort, 2020). During the 1940s, sci-fiction conventions began to gain widespread popularity. Consequently, cosphotography also continued to develop, later embracing new genres and styles. Mountfort et al. (2018) state that there are three main types of cosphotography, the runway style, hallway shots and the studio-style.

Firstly, the runway style. The runway style of cosphotography is achieved by capturing active cosplayers on a stage or runway. The mainstream fashion culture heavily influenced the runway style of cosphotography, essentially transforming cosplay into a fashion show event. This style of cosphotography provides numerous cosplayers with a platform to showcase their costumes and designs. Additionally, it allows the audience to appreciate the craft and quality of the participant’s costumes (Mountfort, 2020). First accounted by Mike Resnick in the 1940s, the Chicago Conference annual masquerade served as a precursor to the runway style of cosphotography (Mountfort et al., 2018). This approach towards cosphotography produced a formal perspective on the art form. However, during this period, informal styles of cosphotography had begun to emerge, the hallway shots.

Secondly, hallway shots. The hallway style of cosphotography is considered fairly casual in comparison to the other techniques. The hallway style tends to be more relaxed and spontaneous. Instead of being photographed in elaborate settings and areas, cosplayers are often photographed wandering the convention space (Mountfort, 2020). Controversially, these photos are often taken without the consent of the cosplayer, emerging questions regarding the morality of this style. The hallway shots were the result of emerging portable cameras in the late 1930s (Mountfort et al., 2018). This accessibility of which allowed participants to capture their favourite cosplay moments through their own lens. By the 1940s, portable cameras were widespread, consequently increasing the popularity of the hallway style of cosphotography (Mountfort et al. 2018).

Finally, the studio-style. The studio-style of cosphotography functions as an opportunity for amateur photographers and fans to capture photos of cosplayers in a designated space during a convention (Mountfort, 2020). This style of cosphotography came into notability during the 1970s, thanks to stars of the genre such as Angelique Trouvere. Furthermore, one of the defining features of the studio-style was the “presentation of the costumed self in a consciously staged manner in ad hoc settings” (Mountfort et al. 2018, p. 51). Therefore, the studio-style can be understood as a combination of the runway style and hallway shots. However, in these early stages, this style did not maintain the same quality as a studio style photoshoot. Sets tended to be simple backdrops with a few additional props (Mountfort et al. 2018). However, as this style developed, it continued to adopt many features from professional photographic shoots. Now, the studio-style of cosphotography tends to operate independently from conventions, within professional photo studios.

References.

Mountfort, P., Peirson-Smith, A., & Geczy, A. (2018). Planet cosplay:
Costume play, identity and global fandom. Intellect Books.

Mountfort, P. (2020). Popgenres week 9 cosphotography and fan capital [PowerPoint Slides]. Blackboard. https://blackboard.aut.ac.nz/

What are some of the problematics around cosphotography in terms of various (potentially unwelcome) gazes?

The purpose and intention of cosphotography has evolved alongside social values, gender ideologies and individual agency. In the broadest sense, soliciting attention is part of cosplay, giving cosplayers an opportunity to share their hard work in a performative way rather than verbally (Morrison, 2015). But enjoying the validating gazes of other attendees unfortunately comes with it unwanted, alienating gazes too (Mountfort, Peirson-Smith, Geczy, 2018). Mountfort refers to one of these gazes as the ‘tourist gaze’, occupied by a “less specifically fan-based demographic of gazers” who may interpret and convey cosplayers and the convention environment as alien environments filled with strange people of questionable status (2018). As with any phenomenon, there comes with it controversy and critique, both within the cosplay community and outside of it. The prominence of social medias and ever-growing popularity of cosphotography leaves cosplay enthusiasts vulnerable to social media flaming, including but not limited to topics of body shaming and racism. It’s important to remember that not all photographers want to celebrate cosplayers and their work, with some having a goal to diminish cosplayers with their gazes. These gazes poison the socially inclusive and heterotopian ethos of Cosplay (Mountfort, 2018), contributing to the restraint of challenging mainstream hierarches – a pillar of cosplay practice and cons. Another problematic gaze is the objectifying male gaze, especially in regards to female cosplayers. Mountfort (ibid. 2018) states that cosplay is reduced to a “a realm of normative cliches” surrounding girls in kinky, sexy and fetishized outfits within this male gaze. Cosplay scholar Kane Anderson provides a different lens, in discussing the idea that it is source content itself that is hypersexualised, rather than cosplay itself. Convention attendees who objectify female cosplayers do so due to an expectation to see their idealized and fetishized favourite characters represented as “faithfully” as possible (ibid, 2018). This leads to the issue of depictions of people in these texts as “not just hypersexualised to the point of caricature, but ‘extra-human'” (ibid. 2018). Although this can explain an element of why the male gaze is problematic, it is still important for this not to be an excuse or justification, but more so an pressing reminder to be aware of what media you consume and how it may augment pre-existing ideologies. “Women learn that in order to be worthwhile in society, they must appear attractive in the eyes of others—or specifically, men ” (Lamp, 2018) This highlights that it is a historical and ongoing journey for bodily agency for females that has existed long before cosplay and popular media, despite the artificiality of source texts being increasingly free of determinitistic gender constraints of biological bodies to become entirely aesthetic and affective vessels (Mountfort, 2018).

References

Lamp, S. J., (2018) The Sexy Pikachu Effect: Empowerment and Objectification in Women Who Cosplay. Student Research Submissions. 295. Retrieved from https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/295

Morrison, A. (2015) Understanding Gender Identity Among Women Cosplayers of the Gotham City Sirens. HIM 1990-2015. 1728. Retrieved from https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses1990-2015/1728

Mountfort, P., Peirson-Smith, A., & Geczy, A. (2018). Cosphotgraphy and Fan Capital. In Planet Cosplay: Costume Play, Identity and Global Fandom (pp. 23-38). Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press.

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