arkadymac.com was happy to be invited to cover a particularly romantic shoot arranged by Alphard Penetrante, a photographer who has long had a keen interest in cosplay photography. He is a familiar figure in the local cosplay scene as he attends events as much as his busy schedule allows to take shots for his photo outfit, Snapshot Fantasy.
He has long thought of having a Romeo × Juliet anime-themed cosplay photoshoot, and last Sunday he was finally able to make it happen. It already felt like summer that particular afternoon. The weather was mild and the skies were clear and it was as good a day for a shoot as any. Paco Park with its rustic yet scenic locales of weathered walls and stained glass was a fitting backdrop for this project.
Alphard has long been a fan of Shakespeare’s classical play Romeo and Juliet, and when he discovered there was an anime adaptation of it in 2007, he did not hesitate to watch it. He became an instant fan of Romeo × Juliet, an anime TV series loosely based on William Shakespeare’s timeless tale, featuring numerous references and characters from other Shakespearean plays.
For this project, he specifically chose Freya and Trowa Akabane to cosplay the protagonists because they were a real-life couple who he thought would pull off the romantic feel of Romeo and Juliet with ease. Alphard did not regret his choice as they played their parts well.
Alphard has already been doing cosplay photography for a year now. He says cosplay has always fascinated him, especially since he was once a cosplayer himself. Now capturing fantastic moments from the other side of the camera, he really enjoys seeing his favorite anime brought to life by truly exceptional cosplayers. He has come to respect and admire their confidence and attitude towards the characters they’re cosplaying. He says that when a when cosplayers are confident, they project well and they look good on camera.
Besides Romeo × Juliet, Alphard is eager to have cosplay shoots for other anime series like Saber Marionette J, The World God Only Knows, Space Warship Yamamoto Yohko, Uta no Prince Sama and Slayers, so he says he’s always on the lookout.
Invited to this shoot as co-photographer was Chris Mortell of CLICK Concept Photography. He started photography December of 2012 and started dabbling into cosplay photography January of 2013. He tells us that cosplay photography is special for him because he gets to go to conventions and other events, gets to meet friends and enjoy himself. He also got to meet his special someone, Gian Dela Cruz, through it.
Chris found this Romeo × Juliet shoot enjoyable because the cosplayers, Trowa and Freya, are their beloved friends who played the roles of Romeo and Juliet. They made the shoot easy to do because they really are life partners, and that they didn’t have any problems directing them and getting the poses they wanted. Chris really admires cosplayers who are confident and are very familiar with the characters they are portraying. He tells us that his dream shoot is with a complete cast/captains of the Bleach anime series.
He tells us that Alphard is his partner in crime, that he is a a very passionate photographer who always thinks of the best way how to make his shots so awesome. “He’s my master when it comes to PP time,” he says. Of Chris, Alphard shares that he is a good photographer with whom he can see dedication in the field of photography and enthusiasm during shoots. “Chris is very reliable and he makes shoots happy and fun,”Alphard tells us. “You can guarantee that every shoot he always does his ‘meme’ shots all the time.”
We expect more great things from these photographers, so please do support them as we promise to feature more of their work here on our website. Many thanks as well to their supportive friends that day. It really was a fun experience.
Thanks for dropping by, and do visit us again soon for more cosplay features here at arkadymac.com.
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