Megan Amis / Meggo Photography

As lockdown measures begin to ease many of us are eager to meet up and get creative together. With conventions still having an ambiguous future, many have turned to photoshoots to show off new costumes or brush off old ones to bring back some cosplay sparkle to their lives in the midst of global uncertainty. As well as stretching creative muscles again, and building up some good old-fashioned content, photo shoots are offering a relatively safe way of seeing friends again and getting some of that convention buzz. However, it is still important that we ensure that shoots remain safe and that when we meet up measure are taken to lessen the risk of spreading coronavirus. 

If you are planning a shoot, or fancy doing one in the future, here are some tips that both cosplayer and photographer can follow to make sure photoshoots can be carried out in a safe manner as well as having fun and creating the work you want.

Wearing a mask

Masks have become a vital part of everyday life in our new “normal”. Wearing them when meeting up with new folks is just as important as wearing them when you go into a shop, especially if you are going to spending a few hours together on a shoot.

Outside locations are obviously preferable but having and wearing a mask even outside will make sure that contact is lessened as much as possible. 

Obviously, masks cannot always be used, especially if you are a cosplayer, but to lessen the exposure and risks all location and prepping can be organised online. This would include what exactly you want out of the photoshoot; poses, action sequences and whether any portraits are wanted. I recommend photographers and cosplayers creating a mood board together full of references at help create their vision and make it a reality. 

Hand sanitiser  

It is important that each person has access to hand sanitiser. It is so easy to forget what our hands have touched, especially if you are posing, or getting into position to get a shot. You may well touch a myriad of surfaces and, while we should be keeping our hands to ourselves, it can be so easy to forget this when you need to fix a model or another cosplayer’s stray hairs or positioning.

Just being able to clean your hands frequently when you are on a shoot can keep everyone safe. It may not be the complete barrier, but by using hand sanitiser risks can be reduced. Everyone will be much more comfortable knowing that their hands are clean at all times.

Travelling

Travelling needs extra careful planning, especially if public transport needs to be used. Look up the public transport guidance when travelling so you are up to date with the newest guidelines.

If you are sharing a car with someone who isn’t part of your household, you should probably consider wearing your mask during your travel to prevent any potential transmission.

Location and public spaces 

Picking locations can be tricky at the best of times, but right now it’s worth considering how well you can social distance in your chosen space. Wide open spaces such as woodlands are very versatile and offer distancing to both photographer and model whereas other public spaces could prove difficult as you have the general public to work around. If you have a larger group of cosplayers, photographers or videographers, see if you can find locations close to each other so you can split into smaller groups and better allow for distancing and not getting in the way of the general public. 

Communication

Communication before a shoot is important. Finding the location, knowing what time and who will be there, all the standard things, but at the moment it’s worth considering talking through the social distancing methods everyone is happy with and if anyone has any concerns in that area. Keeping everyone in the loop will make for a great shoot. 

As for communication on the day, often during a shoot, photographers will direct and even guide a model into a pose by touching. As photographers, we need to learn how to give clear verbal directions at a distance or get used to posing ourselves so that the model can mirror us. This isn’t fool proof, but it can stop there being too much contact between photographers and models. 

Health and Safety Tracking Form

Like with many restaurants and bars currently in the UK, we should consider completing a small form which helps with easily tracking and communicating if someone contracts coronavirus.

Here are some helpful form details and questions:

During the summer months many people can have runny noses and sneezes due to hay fever and high pollen count, this may become alarming to other people so please be sure to explain and have medication available to ease symptoms. 

If you still do not feel comfortable in taking part in photoshoots, there are still other ways for you to be creative and share your cosplays. This includes trying your hand at some self-portraits, this can be on your phone or a camera. Tripods for phones and cameras are easily available, it can be a bit of trial and error getting the shot you want as you have to learn new skills, but it’s worth it in the end! You can also support photographers during this time and ask for editing commissions for the photographs you take, giving your pictures a professional edge.

At the end of the day, safety should be everyone’s priority, and while we are all itching to get back to conventions, large cosplay groups can wait!