A Love of Fiction
The world of fantasy and make-believe has always caught my attention. Halloween is my favorite holiday and holds a special place in my heart. When I was a kid, my mom would spend days creating costumes so I could enter the annual Halloween costume contest my dad's job hosted. I won 1st place quite a few times, might I add. 🤗 Fast forward 20 years and I'm still obsessed, and love working on costumes/props. I guess my childhood was like an “early workshop.”
Since I’m a geek at heart and well versed in all things imaginary, I really wanted to incorporate my love for fantasy/cosplay into my photography work. Fantasy sessions require a lot of time and effort as there are quite a few moving parts. I start by creating and sketching out a concept/character. Then I work on finding a model that visually matches this character. Once the theme and model are chosen, I work on creating props and selecting outfits that fit the concept, as well as choosing the perfect location. During the session, I guide the model and make sure they really understand the story so that the posing matches the storyline. Last is the editing. It's very important to me that my edits don't look too fake. I want my images to convey emotions and magic, while also looking realistic.
Cosplay sessions require effort, as well, but in a different sense. They come with their own characters/props and my job is to help tell their story and highlight their creativity. I work closely with them to help find the perfect location to set the scene. When on location, my assistant and I help guide them to achieve those perfect poses to highlight their work and character. Lastly, I spend a lot of time editing the photos to take the shots to the final ethereal level. Cosplayers put a lot of love and effort into their work and I love being able to showcase that.
Kansas City is home to so much creative energy. Cosplay has been around for decades, but not always as inclusive as you'd think. The subculture of black and brown Cosplayers has been on the rise and I want to continue to help it grow. I also want to help expand the presence of black and brown people in the fantasy world.
As a black photographer, I want to show the beauty of having people of color in the Fantasy realm. Representation matters and I will always be inclusive. There are many stories yet to be told.
