London-based photographer Thurstan Redding’s first book is an exploration of the world of cosplay like you’ve never seen it before. Extraordinary outfits are photographed in the most ordinary of places creating a series that blurs the lines between fiction and fashion. cosplay kids it is the accumulation of three years of work, which all started with a chance meeting.
Cosplay is the practice of dressing up as a character from a book, movie, or video game. It’s hugely popular around the world, and every year comic book conventions (or “cons”) attract hundreds, if not thousands, of fans, all eager to show off their detailed, often handmade, outfits. Popular cosplay characters include the Incredible Hulk, Stormtroopers, Deadpool, and Superwoman, but the list of who you could go for is practically endless.
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Redding was first introduced to cosplay on the streets of Los Angeles and, a few months later, on the DLR in London. Intrigued by the attention to detail and sense of community that surrounds cosplay, in 2018 he attended ComicCon in London with casting director Finlay MacAulay.
Reddings remembers how much harder it was to get people involved cosplay kids on the beginning. “We would approach dozens of cosplayers for contact details. We would contact them and only a few would reply. And then another handful of them would show up at photo shoots. The further we progressed, the easier it became, however, cosplayers would also mention it to their friends, which helped with the casting process.”
Wanting to differentiate her cosplay photography from that of other photographers, Redding used everyday backgrounds such as urban vacant lots, bedrooms, and bus stops to photograph the project. He combined the extraordinary and the ordinary, fantasy and fiction with settings you wouldn’t normally associate with fantasy characters.
Cover of Kids of Cosplay
Redding’s background in fashion photography inspired the way images in cosplay kids the images were staged and illuminated. Although she originally wanted to take a “purely documentary approach to the project,” he found an approach considered from a fashion perspective to be more original. When asked if she had a favorite image from the project, she replied, “I really love the image of Spider-Man in the kitchen, drinking milk from the fridge,” which shows the juxtaposition between reality and fantasy.
The world of cosplay was completely foreign to Redding before this project began and what surprised him the most about the cosplay community is everyone’s acceptance. Going into the project, I had an open heart and mind and low expectations of what to expect. “As cosplay is often quite a difficult subculture to break into, due to its very esoteric nature, I didn’t expect to be welcomed with open arms. The acceptance and tolerance that cosplayers also have for each other was very inspiring to see.”
Picking a favorite movie, color or book is never easy, but when asked about a particular costume that caught Redding’s eye, the answer was definite. “I really loved Ursula, who is on the cover. She painted herself in the kitchen where we were shooting, which took about three hours, and she came to the shoot with her mother, who also appears in the book as the Wicked Witch of the West. There was something really moving about seeing Ursula do her makeup on her own, with such great results.”
Cosplay is nothing new, but Redding’s alternate take on this much-loved form of costume is incredibly refreshing. He boasts integrity and knowledge of a world that is often depicted with heavily edited compositions and unlikely backgrounds.
Like all projects, cosplay kids has had its challenges. “I went into the project expecting to finish everything in a year, but ended up taking three. I think as you go through a project, your opinion and point of view also evolves, which means you often need to readjust to that.” Now that he’s learned more about the crucial stages of publication progress, model release forms, and how rewarding the journey was, Redding is already thinking about his net photo book.
cosplay kids It will be available as a 144-page hardcover book, housed in a beautiful pastel lilac folding slipcase. The book is now available for pre-order in two different versions, a signed copy of the book on its own will cost £60 (approximately $79 / AU$105) or for £95 ($125 / AU$166) you will also receive a copy. signed of the Mystique stamp.
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