Hello, my friends!
I know I haven’t been writing here very often, and I’m sorry about that. But this is going to change over the coming weeks: I’ll be back with more regular updates about my activities and what’s happening in the world of my photography. I promise!
And I have some important news to share with you.
First: a new Instagram account!
I’ve started a new Instagram account where I’ll be posting portraits unrelated to cosplay.
This is quite an important step for me. Over time, I somehow became very strongly associated with cosplay photography, even though I’m also a portrait photographer. As a result, I didn’t really have a suitable place on social media to showcase my non-cosplay work.
The new account, @kelkadi19_portraits, is still connected to my main cosplay photography account, but it will give me the opportunity to show a different side of what I can do as a photographer.
This is also part of my preparation for upcoming assignments that have nothing to do with cosplay — weddings, private parties, celebrations, gatherings, and other events where I’ll be working as the main photographer.
I’ve already started posting some photos from my backlog, and I’ll continue adding more over the coming weeks. So, if you’re interested, go and follow the new account!
I’ll also be sharing some of these photos here on my website.
Harajuku Festival
The Harajuku Festival in Paris took place this past weekend, and it was quite an interesting experience.
For the first time, I had a full-time assistant with me — actually, a cosplayer friend who volunteered to help. She did a fantastic job, especially with backstage photos and videos, and I really appreciated the results that I will be sharing in the coming days!
Having an assistant also made it easier to approach cosplayers who didn't know me. Since the event is free and offers very good conditions for photoshoots, it attracts a lot of photographers. As a result, some cosplayers can understandably be a little wary of all these strangers with cameras walking around.
Still, things weren't easy. On the first day, I actually experienced an all-time record for negative responses when proposing spontaneous photoshoots!
Fortunately, things improved considerably on the second day. We understood what was causing the problem and adapted our approach, which made a real difference.
The numbers
By the end of the weekend, I had completed three full photoshoots. I was originally supposed to have five, but unfortunately, last-minute cancellations happen — sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for less fortunate ones.
I also photographed 30 new cosplayers and 25 cosplayers I already knew, for a total of around 1,600 photos taken over the weekend.
The next step is, of course, the editing.
As usual, I’ll start with the dedicated photoshoots, followed by the photos of the new people I met, and finally the photos of my friends — who, thankfully, are patient with me and know how my workflow works!
I expect to have the photos ready before the Paris Manga convention, which takes place in about three weeks. I will most probably be there for at least one day, most likely Sunday.
So, that’s all for now!
I’ll keep you updated on the progress of the Harajuku photos and on my new non-cosplay portrait activities, so stay tuned!
Take care,
Khaled
