• -Currently booking here: Anime USA, 3 slots left
  
• -Next: Katsucon. Please read up on policies here.
  
• -Check out my other Dragoncon clients here.

I’m probably repeating myself like some Sakizou-obsessed parrot… but um, have I mentioned how fulfilling it is to me as a photographer to work with these kinds of cosplayers?

Don’t answer that question, because I know I have. I’m at least a self-aware parrot.

I’m also certainly not unique for loving these designs to begin with. Why else would seamstresses slave away for endless nights, finishing the perfect seams, bedazzling the 1000th crystal, ruffling the perfect ruffles (clearly you can tell I sew by how I’m describing this, LOL) to achieve the level of ethereal elegance and fantasy that this illustrator imagines? There’s nothing like these illustrations come to life! Um. Then again, I’m biased.

There’s a certain chemistry I have as a photographer with these sorts of costumes; I tend to visually fall right into place with what I see in terms of these designs. And I find that the photos I take of these costumes are clearly my favorite–and in turn, become my best. I’ve become somewhat of a go-to photographer for Sakizou cosplayers to book with - and this is indeed the Literal Opposite of a Problem. (Honestly, I should probably set up a separate gallery page just for my Sakizou work! For now you can check out my Sakizou blog tag to view what I’ve done so far.)

However, I also find that photographing Sakizou costumes are the most challenging shoots I do. I found myself pondering this while editing this set, honing in on every detail–it almost became stressful, and when it comes to shooting/editing Sakizou shoots, this is usually the case. This is because these costumes are so, so overwhelming. The sheer amount of minute detail on these costumes calls for a lot of attention from a photographer - it demands them to give as much justice to the piece as the client deserves. I never want to deprive the viewer and the creator anything in my images–for Sakizou it is no exception.

I love when my work is challenging for me, and I love when it demands a lot from one image. For designs like these that have hundreds–literally, hundreds–of details strewn about that I know the cosplayer worked hours on perfecting, the challenge comes in how to capture all of that in one image. 

Even then, with these photos that I ended up being really pleased with, I found that the costumes still weren’t shown enough justice… so I have decided to do a special publication of them on my instagram in nine-part photo-tile series for each costume, zooming in on every detail so that you can see just how much goes in to these. Check it out periodically this week on my insta: chezphotocosplay. 

Sakizou cosplays are, as I said before, both a great challenge and an incredibly fulfilling experience for me! Katsucon is coming up and that’s when I book the most Sakizou of the year–and I am counting down the days. Hope to hear from you when booking opens December 15th!

Now, on to the photos!

 In the order featured, find them on Facebook:

Coffee Cat Cosplay

Betsy Bon Bon

Sarah Shortcake

Hold the Mayo Cosplay

Ms Silverfox

See ya soon!

Riley