A friend of mine is a very, very good cosplayer.  She and her boyfriend do this semi-professionally, and they always go all out.  Last year, she did a feudal Japan-style Sailor Mars, from Sailor Moon.  I asked if she would be willing to let me get some practice doing photo shoots, and she obliged.  And let me say, this was a lot of fun!

![DSC_0563 (2).jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZu1X4jf1wrtjxBMhtb35TV48SsHg4gutBWt7GazQooqp/DSC_0563%20(2).jpg)

We set up shop at one of the local community colleges in the area.  They have a Japanese Garden on the premises, which gave us plenty of opportunities for some great photos.  This was one of 3 bridges we could work with.

![DSC_0483.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbEP3v7F15reu4boYoBRYxEcx2CCk3wcz24E9FdT29ki2/DSC_0483.jpg)

This waterfall made for a great backdrop.  Situating ourselves to get the right perspective, on the other hand...

That was some work!

![DSC_0508 (2).jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNTP8ySVtnuQ2RMfLD2pdmkseGuLyTQNQwgZUCdAkXW3v/DSC_0508%20(2).jpg)

![DSC_0762.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQzBBcQbfZxpVE3gn6yf7MJCjrtR7PzuFt9mj4FQyDkG2/DSC_0762.jpg)

She was really proud of the embroidery she put into the Obi.  Said it was one of the most difficult parts of the entire cosplay.  Her hard work paid off, though.  It looks fantastic!

![DSC_0663.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNwDsMkfDA42PxWUUqgweZCNdzuwUJfYYxd3cCqx3YPv5/DSC_0663.jpg)

All these photos were taken on July 4th, in the middle of the day.  It was super sunny, and then we had this one moment of overcast that forced me to change my settings.  Still got some great shots out of it, though!

![DSC_0647.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWLTyj1u9TJaPNDs3yPAwoPcu8qhTpzBbAQTTTYQsA72E/DSC_0647.jpg)

Fun fact about cosplay:  actual weapons are almost universally banned at convention spaces.  As a result, cosplayers have to get creative.  In the case of bows, many conventions state that the bow must be non-functioning.  You can't have one with a string that's actually taut.  So what she did for this particular longbow is design the bow with a natural curve, and then used loose elastic clothesline to give it the stretch needed.  That way, it looks like it's real, but simply cannot do much of anything.  Cosplay breeds an ingenuity that would impress a lot of fashion designers.

![DSC_0959.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQUc6Z2b5KB4VdMjnnjV5Xp1TAXWFEtvmtLdmcNvPgfwZ/DSC_0959.jpg)

![DSC_0966.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmaDASUUhajCbVXMDqW5hpsPTQHDW6ca45xSrmjPPKeqks/DSC_0966.jpg)

On our way out the door, we stopped for a few last shots, including this candid shot.  Mars doesn't like the moon...

I had a ton of fun working with Janella and Alan of Wigwig cosplay.  Go check out their Facebook page if you're on there, these guys do some amazing work!

https://www.facebook.com/wigwigcosplay

All of this was shot using a Nikon D3300, using a couple different lenses.  I have a Tamron that I used for most of the shots, but I also pulled the kit 55-200mm lens that came with the body for a few of the shots. If you're a photographer, I would love some feedback on things to improve.  What worked, what didn't?  Where can I get better?