Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Summer SacAnime 2012

So two weeks ago I ran/limped around a hotel doing 5 photoshoots in 6 hours. I wouldn't have gone but I had promised these people their photoshoots and I wanted to practice my photography.

I wasn't even going to cosplay either but after helping my friend make armor the night before I felt left out haha! I decided to wear my RTN Hinata because I thought it would be easy to move around in and cooler than my other costumes.

Here are my favorite shots from each shoot I did:

Can you tell I like to shoot with shallow depth of field? lo

I also got some pictures taken of me as well by my friend Reno! He interviewed me as well.

Name: Lauren
Age: 20
Location: East Bay, CA
Q: So when did you start cosplaying, and what was your first character you cosplayed as?
Lauren: The first character I cosplayed was Yui in her dress from the first ending credits of K-ON! at Summer SacAnime 2009. One of my friends was dressed as Mio from the same version, so we matched.
Q: What made you want to start cosplaying?
Lauren: I started cosplaying because of that friend. She looked so cool in her costumes, I wanted to dress up too!
Q: What character(s) did you cosplaying as during Sac Anime?
Lauren: For this SacAnime I was cosplaying the Road to Ninja version of Hinata from Naruto.
Q: What do you enjoy most about cosplaying?
Lauren: What is there not to enjoy about cosplaying?? I love getting dressed up and doing my makeup, and I really like getting my picture taken! It’s cool when someone goes up to you and hugs you or asks for a picture with you or just tells you they love the character you’re dressed as. It’s definitely an ice breaker and helps you interact more with others at cons.
Q: In your opinion what are the Pros and Cons about cosplaying?
Lauren: The pros of cosplaying for me are getting my pictures taken and how it helps me to make new friends when people recognize my costume. The cons are that it’s really hard to take pictures of other cosplayers when you’re in cosplay, so I have to choose between one or the other, especially since I don’t have a tiny point and shoot anymore.
Q: If skills, and money weren’t an issue what would be your dream character to cosplay as.
Lauren: My dream character to cosplay as would be The Princess of the Crystal from Mawaru Penguindrum. I’d make it entirely with black velvet, silk and leather. It’s a costume I’d really love to take on, but with my skills and budget right now it’s not reasonable.
Q: What costume do you feel most proud of that you’ve completed?
Lauren: I’ve never made my own costume (yet!) so I don’t necessarily have one I’m proud of, but my most prized cosplay is my HeartShooter Miku. When I debuted it at Fanime earlier this year I heard people yelling “Miku! Miku!” everywhere and a lot of people came up for hugs. I felt very loved haha.
Q: Do you have any tips for people who want to start cosplaying?
Lauren: For people who want to start cosplaying, just jump into it! Find a character you love and either commission or buy the costume or start making it yourself. If you are not familiar with sewing and aren’t ready to try, there is nothing wrong with buying a pre-made costume. I feel like a lot of people are scared they will be looked down upon if they don’t make their costume, but who cares? Cosplaying is about having fun and being a part of a great community, not about petty things like that. I would say though to splurge on wigs! A shoddy wig can ruin a costume.
Q: Aside from cosplaying what other hobbies do you enjoy?
Lauren: Besides cosplaying, I enjoy listening to music, fashion, makeup, and photography. I haven’t been able to update my fashion blogs lately because of lack of inspiration/injuries, but I hope to be updating them soon.
Q: What character(s) can we look forward to seeing you cosplay as in the future?
Lauren: My next costume I’ll debut at Fanime 2013 will be Lucy from Fairy Tail! I’m going to try my best to make it myself as this character is very near and dear to my heart. I am also looking forward to debuting Keiko from Yu Yu Hakusho there as well. Some other characters I would like to someday cosplay are Kotetsu from Tiger and Bunny, The Princess of the Crystal from Mawaru Penguindrum, Julia from Cowboy Bebop and either Maka or Soul from Soul Eater!
Q: If any fans wanted to see your costumes what future conventions will fans be able to see you at?
Lauren: I normally only go to Fanime, but I am trying to branch out and go to other conventions. I’m starting to go to SacAnime again and I’d like to go to Anime Expo again as well. My main priority will be conventions and events in my area.
Q: Thank you for being part of this interview, and are there any last words that you would like to say the to the readers? 
Lauren: I’d just like to say thank you to everyone who read this article and like my cosplays! I encourage everyone to follow what makes them happy.
Thank you very much Lauren allowing me to do a photo shoot with you, and to take time out of your day to do this interview with me. If you’re interested in seeing or following more if Lauren’s work please check out some of her sites:

If you'd like to see more of my pictures or any other interviews/pictures he took that weekend, click here!

It was a very fun day (I was only there on friday) and I definitely got a lot of good practice. :)

I'll send you off with a picture of me and Princess Bubblegum being very symmetrical. seeyoulater!

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