>>4086637>and no photog is going to work for free or if they do work pro-bono they are trying to pad and promote their portfolio with photo rights still being held.m8 you need to understand that cosplay photography is in a space all its own outside of traditional genres of photography. There are dozens if not hundreds of guys at a con running around with their babby's first dslr calling themselves professional cosplay photographers. They charge for as little as $20 - $40 dollars for their services. A lot of them even shoot for free, because like you said they're trying to build their portfolios. This has completely fucked up the way cosplayers value photography as a service. They believe $100 for a photoshoot is way overpriced, because some jackoff is willing to do it for $20 and they consider that the normal rate. A lot of them even complain about photographers charging ANY money at all while shooting at a convention. Cosplayers will often say, oh I paid money for my convention pass, I paid money putting together my costume, I paid money for food and travel and lodging to go to this con, why the fuck are photographers the ones making money at these events? They should be shooting for free for the love of the culture and the fandom! Seriously, pop in on /cgl/ and ask them yourself if you don't believe me.
tl;dr the average cosplayer is a broke ass teenager/college kid and they severely undervalue the worth of your services. This is the absolute worst genre of photography to get into if your goal is to make money.
