Mastodawn

WildRikku Jun 27, 2025

@fuzzylynx Hey, I often like your cosplay photos, but I'd like them even more if you named the cosplayers. :) Give them credit, too! Can't demand attribution via license and don't even attribute yourself.

@[email protected] unfortunately, I don't know their names. :( what I usually do is reportage-style shots, no more than 40-60 seconds per person. 'cos if you keep them a bit longer, they become slightly bored, and their facial expression changes. so, I just have no time to ask anything. and I feel somewhat wrong doxxing them via social networks post-factum.

@fuzzylynx I don't understand a couple of things about this. First and foremost, I understand you want to get the photos done in a couple seconds. Nothing stops you from talking to them before or afterwards though, after all, you must have talked to them to ask for a photo anyway. Also, how do you get consent to publish the photos at all? That's a simple "Can I publish that photo on social media and what's your name you'd like to show up as?" the moment you put the camera down.

@[email protected] well… usually it's implied that photos will be published, and almost always people ask me, where I intend to publish them, but not whether I publish them at all. I mean, if anybody takes photos and just keeps them for themselves, it's rather creepy. :) people here want to be photographed and want to see their photos. and if you does not share their photos within a couple of weeks, they may even ask you, when you'll publish them.

@[email protected] I mean, it's not a private photo-shoot, when you send a set of photos individually. it's a public event, and if someone does not want to be photographed, they just answer “no” if I ask them. but usually it's just “may I…?” – “yes, of course! =) ” – [click-click-click] “thank you very much!” – “oh, no, thank you! and where and when I can see the photos?” – “there and there, prolly in a week or two”, and that's all.

@fuzzylynx I have no doubts that is all true, it's very similar to my experience at cons both as cosplayer and photographer. :) I just wanted to point out the discrepancy between you obviously caring for your rights as a photographer and seemingly caring less about the models. Some of them might not even care but since you approach them and not the other way around, I think it would be fair to take care of both sides and just ask for a name and put it in the photo description. 1/2

That might even give room to include the character they are cosplaying (though that's usually obvious for fans). Also, both infos are also valuable to your visitors so maybe that's a motivation for the extra effort (I realize you'd need to keep notes of names linked to photos)! 2/2

@[email protected] perhaps, there might be some cultural differences here. I'm afraid, models would be crept out by me asking them their name and social network address and writing it down in a pocket-book. :) usually they are just visitors passing by, not necessarily cosplayers or models appearing at the event. so usually they want to keep some privacy. if some stranger tries to find out your real name, they're most probably a cop or some con-artist.

@fuzzylynx Hm. I find that hard to imagine, since they most likely have a social media presence anyway. I didn't mean real name if that's what you thought. Did you try? Most encounters here happen in a way that person who takes photo immediately posts to Instagram and immediately tags person who was photographed there. I don't have Insta so my process is different but that'd be a very frictionless method and it's very common here. It links the social media names of photographer and cosplayer.

@[email protected] yeah, if I'm a pro (or wannabe) photographer and publish a photo-set, I credit a model, a make-up artist, a stylist, a dress maker (if any) etc. but at events, unfortunately, de-facto nobody asks model names/nicknames. even pro photographers, which have their official photo booths: they just publish a bunch of [very beautiful and high-quality] photos with a logo of an event. it's all about cultural differences: world is wide, and habits differ.

@fuzzylynx Well, just because something is common doesn't mean it's good or appreciated. Maybe people passing by, stopping for a photo for 30 seconds don't care if their social media handle, name or whatever appears alongside the photo - but maybe they do and would appreciate it if you ask.

@[email protected] one more detail, that can be crucial: I have no smartphone nor accounts in any “conventional” social networks or chat apps. :) this caused some people say “no, thanks” and flee, really. :) so in my case I'd have to write down all info on paper by hand. and it's uncomfortable, when you carry on your shoulders and in your hands all your stuff, it's slow and error-prone. I'll try it, when will shoot at an event (in November, maybe), let's see. :)