it has been a long while since i’ve made any internet activity since my self-imposed hiatus from the big social media platforms. Instagram is nothing but a popularity and numbers game, Flickr shot itself in the foot, while Tumblr also shot itself in the foot twice before proceeding to dip its feet in a vat of acid. the lack of a viable platform to share photographs to an audience that cares forced me to inwardly ponder on “the meaning of taking photographs and wanting to share your shitty work with people who may or may not care to view your photos”. as an amateur hoobyist photographer, one goes through the motions on what drives a person to click the shutter button, whether to be for the likes, or something as simple as the satisfaction of nailing that shot. there’s only so much that revisiting a location and photographing your cup of coffee can do to one’s creative juices. the operatic word here is “safe”. after ten odds years, what else is there to photograph?
in my social media hiatus, i’ve rekindled my love for photography via cosplay photography. having gotten a taste of it at Malaysia’s biggest anime/comic books/video games event, Comic Fiesta back in 2018, i’ve been steadily attending several more of these events throughout 2019 and plying the convention halls looking for characters i recognise or costumes i’m impressed with to photograph. it’s somewhat a blend of consensual street portrait photography, except somewhat a little bit more a form of hyper reality. nothing quite impresses me more than the enthusiasm and dedication of the cosplayers attending these events - it’s a gathering of like-minded individuals sharing their love for pop culture. you can’t help but be swept away by the energy and vibe in these spaces, and i consider myself rejuvenated whenever i’m sharing the space with these individuals. i must admit in my years of taking photographs, i’ve never once entertained the idea of asking strangers to pose for a photograph, simply because i’m not wired to talk to strangers on a whim. coming to these conventions forces me to step out of my comfort zone and embrace the open wide space of the unknown, and i am happy to report that i’m making great, if small, steps into improving myself as a photographer. exhausted (physically and mentally) as i may be when i reach home after a day of walking the event halls, everything all falls into place whenever i’m done processing my photos. i’m mostly fired up, and ready for the next cosplay event.
but still, the quandary remains as to whether its worth returning to the big social media platforms to share my work, not least for my own benefits, but mostly because i would love for the cosplayers to get a hold of these photos for themselves, especially the non-professional cosplayers. i guess the search continues.
