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My 1st CosMeetDMV

On June 21, I attended my first CosMeetDMV event at Jones Point.  CosMeetDMV is a separate group and not affiliated with the DC Cosplay Photoshoot group, of which I’m also a member.  The main difference between the groups is CosMeetDMV is a casual group that hosts free events for the most part and appears to trend younger, while DC Cosplay Photoshoots is an official non-profit that charges for events and tends to trend a bit older.  Jones Point is a nice place, and the popular place to shoot is under the freeway overpass, which has a few basketball courts and picnic tables under it.  The area under the overpass also has a nice cross breeze that flows through it, which was perfect for the day of the shoot.

For this event I used:

  • Canon R6
  • 1 Speed light
  • Trigger
  • 24 - 105mm lens

Camera Settings:

This was an outside shoot with variable lighting conditions, thus my camera settings changed accordingly.  I used ISO 200, 320, and 400, depending on if I was shooting under the bridge or in the sunny field next to the bridge.  My aperture was all over the place, ranging from F4 all the way to F10, with F7.1 being my most common aperture.  My shutter speed ranged from 1/50s to 1/250s, with 1/250s being the most common speed, as that is my native flash sync speed.  My focal length ranged from 24mm to 94mm, with the most common being 24mm.    

The Photos:

This first image is of @bonitonee as Neve from Nikke Goddess of Victory, which was a daring choice for 80-degree weather.  For this image I used a mix of ambient and artificial light, with putting my speed light to my right.  In post-processing, I did all the standard edits and removed a group of people from the background.  I also added a slight teal(shadow) /orange (highlight) color grade to the image, to help balance the image.  Overall, it is cute little picture.

Focal Length 24mm, Shutter 1/125s, Aperture F7.1, ISO320

Next up is @_dakoden as Ellen Joe.  I never thought I would have to teach someone how to use giant hedge clippers for a photo shoot, but you never know what kind of prop a character might have.  In this image I had the cosplayer hold the clippers pointed down to the ground and strike a power pose.  This is almost like they are selling the clippers.  In this image I also had to remove some people from the background, but photoshop is making that easier than it was in the past.  Then after doing all the standard edits, I added a blue (shadow) / orange (highlight) color grade to the image.   Overall, I’m pleased with how it came out.

Focal Length 40mm, Shutter 1/160s, Aperture F7.1, ISO400

This final image is of @dmrx91 as a tactical Captain America.  In this image I really focused on using the leading lines of the bridge overpass, the curved arches of the support and general perceived grittiness of the area.  For this image I had the flash to my left with a narrow beam spread, around 80 – 100mm.  During post I did the standard edits and added a blue (shadow) / orange (highlight) color grade.  I also used a heavy vignette on the image to help isolate the model.

Focal Length 50mm, Shutter 1/160s, Aperture F6.3, ISO320
Wrap Up:

I have wanted to shoot at Jones Point for a while now, since I have seen so many images from that location, and it seems to be the go-to spot for more street-oriented portraits.   Overall, it was a very nice group of cosplayers and photographers.  I probably will go to a few more of their events when I have the chance.  However, my biggest concern is that since the group is very casual, the proper permits may not be obtained before the shoot.  I’m very conscious of permitting due to things related to my day job.  The other concern I have is that cosplayers aren’t getting their photos, as there seems to be no standard repository to place them after the shoot, except to say on the Discord server, they are up on my website.  It felt like the early days of the DC Cosplay Photoshoot group, and I’m glad there is more than one group in the area hosting events.

You can see all the images from the meet-up here: Cosmeetdmv - Jones Point

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