Questions and Answers!

I had a fellow email me the other day and in his email he said "Sorry to bother you, but I am not the best costumer out there and I would really like to have some pics by you at DragonCon, would that be possible". I thought this was a little strange because he was either being self deprecating or figured I only shoot the best of the best. It got me thinking..I do think sometimes lol.

I have never thought of cosplay as a competition and have never searched for what I considered the best of the best. I am fortunate enough to have several friends that are extremely good at building costumes and so much of the work I post is them, but when it comes to my own photography I will certainly take pictures of anyone who approaches me and ask. One of the reasons I do what I do is because I love the work these people put into their projects and I want to give them something they can be just as proud of. So for this Blog I will answer some of the questions I frequently get.


Do you ever shoot Guys:

Have you ever looked through my port, Yes of course. Women however contact me more than men about shooting so you are going to see more of them.

Why don't you shoot Anime: 

Truthfully I have never been approached by anyone to shoot their anime costume except two of the coolest sisters I know, Robyn and Christie. Having no real knowledge on the characters they explained to me perfectly what I needed to know and I would like to do more.

Are you friends with other Cosplay Photographers:

Yes, I make it a point to meet others and get to know them. I have never looked at this as a competition and do not understand those who do. I share their work on my Facebook pages and frequently send others to see what they do. There is some great talent out there. Bryan Humphries, Davin Ng, Mark Schaffer, Robert Brooks, Grace Moss, Lawrence Munne and more, The are not just photographers but my friends.


Do I cosplay myself:

I haven't yet, but I just may in the near future!


How many people does SGH PhotoArt consist of:

I like to think all the cosplayers I have shot do in someway because they are the people in the photos, but as far as the hands on stuff it is just Me (Photographer and Editing), Rosalind Friday (Creative Director) and Meg Murdherer (Photographer and Editing).


 Do you shoot straight up photography:

I do, there is a large group that only knows me through Pin-Up Photography (The DropZone) and standard photography, but most know me through SGH PhotoArt.

Do you have a favorite genre:

Not really I like them all!


Do you let others edit your photos:

Yes! If I have already done my thing to them and the people feel they want to crop, change or edit in some other way then I say go for it. I also have no restrictions on cosplayers selling the pics I take of them.

What advice would you give someone who is preparing to shoot with you:

No Duckfaces!!, be prepared to move around alot, if you have ideas don't be afraid to share them, and trust me when I tell you act like your riding a horse or reaching for something. It may look silly to you, but I have it built in my head! Most of all just have fun!

Who is your favorite model!

That would be my girlfriend Lisa! I have learned more about what I do with her than anyone, so even though I don't post alot of her she is my Fav!

If you have any other questions just ask!

Creating Backgrounds

The most important thing you can do when creating PhotoArt is get a great picture to use through your photography. The background comes second but can be an important piece to bringing it all together. There are several you can download from different sites, but truthfully it is easier to make your own. Almost everytime I take a pic, as I snap through the viewfinder I am immediately building my scene in my mind so when I get to the computer I just get started. Here are the steps I take.

1. Pick the main color you want to use and on a clear layer paint it a solid. I chose gray!

2. Next you will want to find pics or parts of photos, .psd, .pngs, whatever you think might work in a photo or an idea. I just throw them all on the canvas the start moving them around in different areas until I find the sort that works best for my vision. All of ours are different so play, experiment and have fun doing this.

3. Once you have them arranged start to erase the parts you don't want and start to blend them all together. Use curves, brightness and other adjustments until you  start to see what you vision all come together.

4. Once you get the background looking the way you like copy the layer and the top layer at 20%-30%, then using the eraser brush start to erase from the foreground to keep the detail intact. Possibly add lighting if you want!

5. Color the result to your desire. Here I went with yellows and gold colors.

You can see the blur here and how the light changes a little but adds a more dramatic effect

6.Add your photo. Find a place in the scene that works best for you!

7. Blend the subject into your background. Also blur the subject. Try to make your blur even with the overall scene. This takes practice and you have to eye the whole picture. It will eventually come, Also at this poing add your gradiants and use the burn and dodge tool to create accents, even little ones, and you will see how the subject will start to blend and become one with the project. In the pic below notice how it is all blurred to match.

 8. Your PhotoArt is pretty much done. The last steps you take are more personal. What I call the finishing effects and you can do so may different things with own vision that it is really limitless. Never worry about having it look perfect, worry more about the overall composition and what exactly you are trying to express.

I know this is real condensed and there are many small steps to learn as well. This is just an example of the workflow I use. If you have questions please reach out!