Cosplay ideals vs. reality, part 5: Props gone wild edition【Photos】

Joan Coello

Jul 20, 2016

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Sometimes it’s not about the quality of your props, but how you use them.

Twitter users in Japan can’t get enough behind-the-scenes action from cosplay photoshoots, and neither can we. As we’ve discussed in our previous installments, #レイヤーの理想と現実 (“cosplayer ideals and reality”) has been a well-used hashtag on Japanese Twitter, and it still continues to pop up on the trending list once in a blue moon. So here’s yet another installment of passion, effort and creativity!

Let’s get the ball rolling with a blast of special effects, the good ol’ way. Photoshop is always there to provide an extra oomph to your photos, but creating effects the analog method can be fun, and, in some cases, cheaper and even more efficient and effective than digital editing!

▼ Need a splash of water? Leave it to the ninjas.

▼ Need laser beams shooting out of your palms? Try stabbing lightsabers into your palms instead.

You’ll never know when a good sense of balance comes in handy, so apart from practicing poses and facial expressions, spending some time working on your core muscles could be an advantage.

▼ At the end of the day, all you need to be “cool, cooler, coolest” is a stick and the courage to put said stick up against your butt.

▼ As long as you rocked the shot, nobody needs to know what you stood on.

▼ Even dozing off sometimes requires exceptional balance.

Sometimes, the lack of props or a proper backdrop can be a little restricting, but with a little imagination, creativity and technique, the tables can be turned!

▼ Many hands make light work, and also a really successful concert shot.