How to photograph cosplay and historical re-enactments: complete technical guide to costume portraiture

I'm writing to you from my desk in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, with the (mental, for now) view of the Campanian Amphitheatre that reminds me every day how history is layered beneath our feet. But my photographer's heart often beats elsewhere, in places I called home for two wonderful years: amongst the alleyways of Bevagna and the piazzas of Foligno.

Why am I telling you this? Because those who photograph "characters" – whether they're brightly coloured cosplayers at the Mostra d'Oltremare or 18th-century ladies in the Vanvitellian salons – aren't doing reportage. They're making cinema.

When we take to the streets during Naples Comicon, or when we breathe the scent of wax and charcoal during the Mercato delle Gaite, our task isn't to document reality. Reality is made up of barriers, blue chemical toilets, tourists with Invicta rucksacks and road signs. Reality is the enemy.

Our task is to protect the illusion.

In this article I'll take you with me on a technical and emotional journey. We'll learn how to isolate a Jedi knight from the chaos of Fuorigrotta, how to render a lady at the Reggia di Caserta painterly, and how to manage candlelight in a mediaeval Umbrian workshop. We'll talk about equipment, psychology, light, and that subtle art of making those who look at the photograph believe they've ended up in another century.

Welcome to the photography of fiction.

The philosophy of scenic portraiture: seeking the credible lie

Before talking about ISOs and apertures, we need to set our brains. Photographing a re-enactor or cosplayer is the exact opposite of street photography. In street photography you seek raw truth. Here you seek the credible lie.

The principle of suspension of disbelief

When we watch a science fiction film, we know that spaceships don't exist, but if the light and texture are coherent, we believe it. In photography it's the same. If you photograph a soldier from the Quintana di Foligno with gleaming armour, but in the background you can see the sign of a pharmacy with green LEDs, the illusion collapses. The photograph becomes "a bloke dressed strangely near a pharmacy".

Our objective is to eliminate every anachronism. We must become visual snipers: every millimetre of the frame must belong to the subject's world, not to ours.

The three pillars of perfect illusion

To protect the illusion in every shot, we must control three elements:

The background: it's the number one traitor. A single road sign, a parked car, an abandoned pizza box can destroy hours of costume preparation. The background must be cancelled optically (with depth of field) or physically (by changing angle).

The light: it must be coherent with the setting. A mediaeval knight illuminated by frontal flash looks like a souvenir photo. The same knight illuminated by raking, golden light looks like he's stepped out of a 15th-century painting.

Body language: a cosplayer standing in pose with arms dangling isn't their character. Our task is to guide them towards the posture, expression and attitude that the character would have. We're not photographing people in fancy dress, we're photographing the characters they're interpreting.

Essential equipment: what to put in your rucksack

You don't need to spend a fortune, but you need the right equipment to combat the two great challenges of these events: crowds and difficult light.

The camera body: reactivity and ISO management

A modern full-frame mirrorless is ideal (Sony A7 IV, Canon EOS R6, Nikon Z6 II, Fujifilm X-T5) for two fundamental reasons:

High ISO performance: in Bevagna's taverns or the Reggia's corridors, light is lacking. Shooting at 3200-6400 ISO with manageable noise is vital. Latest-generation full-frame or APS-C sensors allow you not to have to choose between sharpness and atmosphere.

Eye-recognition autofocus: cosplayers have helmets, masks, wigs, coloured contact lenses. Old autofocus systems go mad. Modern eye-AF (present on models from 2020 onwards) locks onto the eye even through a partial visor or with difficult lighting. It's the difference between a focused shot and one to bin.

Technical note: if you have an older mirrorless or a DSLR, don't despair. Use the single central AF point and manual focus when necessary. It's slower but it works.

Lenses: the war against backgrounds

Forget the 35mm or 28mm, unless you're literally 30 centimetres from the subject or in an empty and perfect location. At events, wide-angle includes too much "visual rubbish".

The 85mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 (the Holy Grail): it's the perfect lens for costume portraits. It compresses planes just enough to eliminate distractions, isolates the subject with creamy bokeh, and allows you to stay at conversation distance (2-3 metres). If you can only afford one lens, get this one.

The 70-200mm f/2.8 (the sniper): heavy? Yes. Fundamental? Absolutely. At the Giostra della Quintana, when knights thunder past at the Campo de li Giochi, you can't stand on the track. You need to zoom. But even for static portraits: at 200mm f/2.8 the background becomes an abstract watercolour. A car park full of cars, at 200mm, becomes just an indistinct patch of colour. Perfect.

The 50mm f/1.2 or f/1.4 (the luminous wildcard): to use when night falls at the Mercato delle Gaite and the only light is that of fire. The maximum aperture of f/1.2 or f/1.4 allows you to capture atmosphere without having to raise the ISO too much. It's also lighter and more discreet than the 70-200mm.

Portable light: when the sun isn't enough

We can't always rely on natural light, but be careful not to ruin the atmosphere with overly aggressive artificial lighting.

Compact RGB LED panel: small, fits in your pocket or rucksack. Useful for giving a touch of "magical" colour (cold blue or dramatic red) on fantasy armour at Comicon. Models like the Falcon Eyes F7 or the Aputure MC cost little and do much.

Off-camera flash with foldable softbox: if you know how to use it, a hand-held flash (or held by an assistant) with a small softbox creates drama and modelling. But beware: in historical contexts (Reggia, Quintana, Gaite) flash breaks the atmosphere if used badly. The solution: orange gels (CTO - Colour Temperature Orange) to apply to the flash to simulate the warm light of torches or candles. The flash becomes invisible.

5-in-1 foldable reflector: economical and versatile. The silver or gold surface can lighten shadows under the subject's face using only reflected ambient light. Fundamental for portraits at the Reggia when windows create too-harsh contrasts.

Photographing Comicon: managing chaos and colours at the Mostra d'Oltremare

Naples Comicon is pure energy. Saturated colours, fluorescent wigs, shiny plastics, chrome. But it's also a logistical nightmare: thousands of people, concrete everywhere, rationalist architecture that often clashes with Star Wars or Genshin Impact, midday sun creating harsh shadows.

The challenge: "wrong" setting and crowds

We're at the Mostra d'Oltremare, a beautiful Fascist architectural complex but one that rarely has anything to do with the narrative universe of the cosplayer you're photographing. What to do?

Technique 1: the "low angle" and clean sky

The oldest trick in the book, but it always works.

Get down. Throw yourself to the ground if necessary (tiler's kneepads, advice from a friend with ruined knees).

Shoot from below upwards, with an angle between 30 and 45 degrees.

The cosplayer's body will cover the crowd and architecture behind them.

The background will become the sky (hopefully blue) or the foliage of the park's trees.

Use long focal lengths (85mm minimum, better 135mm or 200mm) to further compress the background.

Psychological effect: the subject will appear like a giant, a hero. Perfect for superheroes, warriors and imposing characters. Doesn't work for characters who need to seem vulnerable or graceful.

Technique 2: natural framing and leading lines

If you can't go to ground (perhaps it's raining or the subject's costume doesn't allow it), use the environment to your advantage.

Seek natural frames: arches, columns, openings between trees. Position the subject inside these frames to concentrate the observer's gaze.

Use blurred foreground elements (branches, leaves, structures) to hide portions of unwanted background. With an aperture of f/1.8 or f/2, anything that's less than a metre from the lens becomes an abstract blob.

Interaction with the cosplayer: the "signature pose"

Here the psychology is different from classic portraiture. Don't seek the soul of "Marco, engineering student". Seek "Spider-Man" or "Sailor Moon".

What to say: "Show me your attack pose" or "How would your character stand if they'd just won a battle?". Cosplayers have studied these poses in the mirror for months. They know exactly how to position their legs, hands, body. Let them do it, then correct the details.

Micro-adjustments: "Lift your chin to catch the light better", "Rotate your shoulders 10 degrees towards me", "Your left hand is a bit stiff, relax it". These are details that make the difference between a static pose and a dynamic one.

Attention to technical details: ask them to move their wig if it's covering their eye (eye-AF can't work miracles). Check that prop "weapons" aren't cut out of the frame or overlapping the body in a confusing way.

Managing harsh midday light

Midday sun is the enemy of portraiture, but at Comicon you often have no choice.

Seek open shade: bring the subject under a tree or portico. The light will be diffused and soft, without harsh shadows on the face.

Use the reflector: if you're in full sun, position the subject with their back to the sun (backlight) and use a silver reflector to illuminate the face from below. You'll get enveloping light and the edge of the hair/costume will be illuminated by the sun (cinematic "rim light" effect).

Slightly underexpose: if the light is still harsh, underexpose by -1 stop to protect the highlights (especially on white or metallic costumes). You'll recover the shadows in post-production from the RAW file.

Portraits at the Reggia di Caserta: capturing Bourbon elegance

We're changing register completely. Here we're at home, in the heart of Terra di Lavoro. The Gran Ballo delle Regine or costume events at the Reggia di Caserta require a "painterly" approach, almost like a Renaissance portrait.

The challenge: architectural grandeur and tourists

The Reggia di Caserta is immense, a UNESCO heritage site, a masterpiece by Luigi Vanvitelli. We want to show the environment without transforming it into a generic postcard. And then there are the tourists. Always. In Bermuda shorts, with selfie sticks and Decathlon rucksacks.

Technique 1: Vanvitelli's natural frames

The architecture of the Reggia was designed to create perspectives and framings. Let's use them.

Position the lady under an arch or between two columns. The architecture frames the subject and guides the eye.

Use blurred foreground columns to hide unwanted groups of people. With an 85mm at f/1.8, a column one metre from you becomes a golden blob covering half the frame, perfect for hiding a group of tourists.

Exploit the symmetry: Vanvitelli loved symmetry. Position the subject at the centre of a symmetrical perspective (for example at the centre of the Grand Staircase) and shoot frontally. The effect is solemn and regal.

Technique 2: natural "Rembrandt" light from windows

This is my favourite technique in the Reggia's historical apartments.

Seek side windows (there are plenty everywhere in the royal apartments). Position the subject about a metre from the window, with their face turned towards the light at 45 degrees.

Expose for the highlights (measure the light on the illuminated side of the face). This will "kill" the background in shadow, isolating the subject.

The triangle of light: if done correctly, you'll see a small triangle of light on the shadowed cheek, just below the eye. This is the classic "Rembrandt lighting", used by the Dutch painter and by every cinematic portraitist for a hundred years.

Attention to white balance: the Reggia's windows often have antique glass that's slightly greenish or yellowish. Shoot in RAW and correct in post to obtain neutral or warm tones as desired.

Posing: regal rigidity and controlled gestures

An 18th or 19th-century costume imposes a posture. Corsets don't allow slouching, skirts are voluminous, heels change balance.

Ask for static and elegant poses. No jumping or brusque movements that would clash with the costume's elegance.

Hands are fundamental: they must be delicately resting on wide skirts, on a fan, on a parapet. Never dangling or with fingers spread like stars (they look like claws). Hands tell the story of the character's social class.

The gaze: it mustn't be aggressive as at Comicon, but haughty, dreamy or slightly melancholic. Ask the subject to look "beyond" the camera, towards the Royal Park or towards a window, as if thinking of something distant. This creates emotional depth.

Torso posture: straight, shoulders slightly back. The chin mustn't be lowered (would seem like timidity or insecurity) but neither raised too much (would seem like arrogance). The perfect angle is when the chin is parallel to the floor or raised by 5-10 degrees.

Managing tourists: patience and timing

You can't clear the Reggia. You have to coexist with it.

Wait for gaps: observe the flow of tourist groups. There are moments when a room empties for a few seconds. Be ready to shoot at that moment.

Use long exposures (with ND filter): if you have a neutral density filter (ND 6 or ND 10 stop), you can shoot with times of 2-4 seconds. Moving tourists will become transparent ghosts or disappear completely, whilst your still subject will remain sharp. Requires a tripod.

Communicate with tourists: often, if they see you're doing a serious photo shoot with a person in costume, they'll spontaneously stop and let you shoot. A smile and "thanks, just a second" always works.

Mediaeval re-enactments: the Mercato delle Gaite and the Quintana di Foligno

Here I touch upon something both painful and beautiful. Having lived in Bevagna for two years, I know the sweat behind the Mercato delle Gaite. It's not carnival. It's maniacal historical reconstruction, cared for in the tiniest details by historians and artisans who work all year round.

The challenge: darkness, authenticity and dynamism

The workshops of the four Gaite (San Giorgio, San Giovanni, San Pietro, Santa Maria) are poorly lit by photographic standards. Often only by fire, candles or torches. Bevagna's alleyways are narrow, there's no space to step back. And then there's the Quintana di Foligno, with horses thundering past at 60 km/h.

Technique for workshops: embracing darkness and texture

Don't be afraid of digital noise: shooting at ISO 3200, 6400 or even 12800 is necessary in dark workshops. With modern sensors, digital grain is manageable and in this context adds "historical texture". It almost looks like the grain of rough canvas or antique paper. Don't fight it, use it.

Manual white balance: this is fundamental. If you leave the balance on "auto", the camera will try to cool the orange light of candles and fire, completely ruining the atmosphere. You must set manually:

• "Candlelight" preset if your camera has it (look in the "WB" or "white balance" menu). This preset is calibrated precisely to maintain the warmth of flame without veering to highlighter yellow.
• Manual Kelvin: set between 2800K and 3200K. This way you'll maintain the warm, golden tone of candlelight without making it unrealistic.

Shoot in RAW: with such extreme lighting, you'll need all the sensor's dynamic range to recover details in shadows or calm some overexposed candles.

Focus on hands and materials: the heart of craftsmanship

Gaite re-enactors aren't acting. They're genuinely working. The blacksmith of San Giorgio beats incandescent iron, the chandler of San Giovanni moulds hot wax, the weaver of Santa Maria works at the loom.

Don't make them strike static poses. They'd lose authenticity. Let them work and photograph their hands in action.

Seek material details: Bevagna during the Gaite is the realm of matter. Beaten iron, handmade paper, silk, wax, hemp, wood. Photograph the textures, rope knots, the grain of paper just pulled from the vat.

Use the 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.2: in tight spaces, the 50mm is more versatile than the 85mm. And maximum aperture will save you from lack of light.

The Quintana di Foligno: freezing the gallop

At the Campo de li Giochi, the Giostra della Quintana is pure kinetic spectacle. Ten knights, one per district, charge at full gallop against the target (the ring hanging from the arm of the God Mars).

Fast shutter speeds: you need at least 1/1000s to freeze the horse and knight in motion. If you can, go up to 1/1600s or 1/2000s to also block the fluttering of the cloak or dust under hooves.

Panning for sense of speed: if you feel brave (and have practised), try panning. Set a slower time (1/60s or 1/125s) and follow the knight with fluid camera movement, keeping them at the centre of the frame whilst shooting. The horse and knight will be relatively sharp, the background will become a horizontal streak of speed. The effect is cinematic and conveys the sense of racing like no other technique.

Position yourself strategically: arrive early and choose a spot in the stands where you have a clean view. Curves are better than straights, because the knight will be closer and you can capture the body angle as they prepare to hit the ring.

Continuous burst: set the camera to burst mode. In a charge lasting 3-4 seconds, you'll shoot 20-30 photos. One or two will be perfect, with the right expression, horse movement at the ideal moment and lance in optimal position.

Advanced technical settings: how I set up my camera

Here's how I set up my camera when I arrive at these events. I'll use a Nikon as reference (valid for models like D7500, Z50, Z6, Z7) and a Panasonic Lumix G90 (micro four thirds). These are starting points you can adapt to your camera and style.

Shooting mode

Aperture priority (A) for static portraits where I want to control depth of field but let the camera calculate the appropriate shutter speed.

Manual (M) for complex light situations, when using flash or when light is constant and I want full control (for example in Gaite workshops).

Shutter priority (S) for the Quintana or other dynamic situations where shutter speed is critical.

Aperture

For APS-C sensors (Nikon D7500) or micro four thirds (Lumix G90):

Single portrait full or half figure: f/1.8 or f/2.0 if you have fast lenses. With the Lumix G90, consider that the micro four thirds sensor has a 2x crop factor, so a 25mm f/1.8 is equivalent to a 50mm f/1.8 full-frame as field of view, but depth of field will be greater (equivalent to about f/3.6 on full-frame). To get the same creamy bokeh as full-frame, you'll need to open wider or use longer focal lengths.

Portrait with costume details: f/4 or f/5.6 if you want both the subject's eye and, for example, embroidery on the shoulder or helmet placed on the ground in the foreground to be in focus. On the Lumix G90, f/4 will give you depth of field similar to f/8 on full-frame.

Group of people: f/8 or f/11. With wide apertures, those behind or to the side will be out of focus. By closing the aperture, you increase depth of field and keep everyone sharp.

Shutter speeds

Never below 1/125s for "still" people: even if they're posing, they breathe and move imperceptibly. Below 1/125s you risk micro-blur.

Never below 1/250s with telephoto lenses: if you use a 70-200mm handheld (or equivalent like the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 on the G90), weight and long focal length amplify any tremor. The empirical rule is "speed = 1/equivalent focal length", so:

• On Nikon APS-C with a 200mm: at least 1/300s (200mm × 1.5 crop = 300mm equivalent)
• On Lumix G90 with a 100mm: at least 1/200s (100mm × 2 crop = 200mm equivalent)

I always prefer 1/250s or 1/320s for safety, even if stabilisation helps.

For action (Quintana): 1/1000s minimum, better 1/1600s or 1/2000s.

Exposure metering

Spot metering or centre-weighted: measure light on the subject's face, not on the entire scene. This is crucial when the subject is much lighter or much darker than the background.

On Nikon: press the "MENU" button → look for "Metering" → select "Spot" or "Centre-weighted". The AE-L/AF-L button locks exposure after metering.

On Lumix G90: press the "MENU/SET" button → "Rec menu" → "Metering mode" → select "Spot" or the symbol with the central dot. Use the "AF/AE LOCK" button to lock exposure.

Why it's important:

If the cosplayer is dressed in black (Batman, a raven, a dark fantasy character), the camera in "evaluative" or "matrix" mode will tend to overexpose, trying to render black as grey. Result: the face will be burnt. Meter in spot on the face and lock exposure.

If the re-enactor is dressed in white (a bride, a plague doctor, an angel), the camera will tend to underexpose. Again, meter in spot on the face.

ISO: how far can I push?

Attention: ISO management varies significantly between full-frame, APS-C and micro four thirds sensors.

For Nikon APS-C (e.g. D7500, Z50):

Native ISOs: generally ISO 100-6400 with excellent quality.

• ISO 100-800: perfect quality, use these values when you have abundant light (Comicon outdoors, Reggia with windows).
• ISO 1600-3200: excellent quality, noise is minimal and easily manageable. Use them fearlessly in workshops with supplementary candlelight or at dusk.
• ISO 6400-12800: good quality but with visible noise. In post-production you'll need to denoise, but the image is absolutely usable. Better a slightly noisy sharp photo than a blurry or underexposed one.
• Beyond ISO 12800: extreme territory. Only if you have no alternatives. Texture and colours begin to degrade.

For Panasonic Lumix G90 (micro four thirds):

Native ISOs: ISO 200-6400 with good quality. The smaller sensor handles noise differently.

• ISO 200-800: excellent quality, use them when possible in good light situations.
• ISO 1600-3200: good quality, acceptable and manageable noise in post. This is the range where you'll work most often in Gaite workshops or at the Reggia with little light.
• ISO 6400: recommended limit. Noise becomes evident but the image is still usable with denoising in post-production. Don't push beyond unless strictly necessary.
• ISO 12800 and beyond: avoid when possible. Degradation of texture and colours is marked. Better to underexpose slightly and recover in RAW than push ISO so high.

Advice for the G90: exploit the sensor's 5-axis stabilisation (up to 5 declared stops). This allows you to use longer times instead of raising ISO too much. For example, with a stabilised 25mm f/1.7, you could shoot at 1/15s instead of 1/125s, gaining 3 stops of light that you can "save" on ISO.

File format: RAW always and regardless

Don't negotiate on this. JPEG throws away 70% of the information captured by the sensor to compress the file. With the mixed lighting of fairs (sun + LED + fire) or extreme contrast of a candle in darkness, you'll need all the dynamic range of RAW to recover shadows and calm highlights in post-production.

On Nikon: set "Image quality" to "NEF (RAW)" or "NEF + JPEG" if you want both formats.

On Lumix G90: set "Quality" to "RAW" or "RAW + Fine" (JPEG at maximum quality).

Practical advice: if your camera has the RAW+JPEG option, use it. You'll have the RAW for serious editing and the JPEG to share quickly on social media or to show immediately to the subject on the camera screen.

Post-production and colour grading: giving the shot soul

You have the RAW file. Now you need to give it soul. Development changes drastically based on the event and atmosphere you want to create.

For Comicon: saturated colours and chromatic contrasts

Cosplay thrives on intense colours. The costume is made to stand out, to be seen from afar. Post-production must amplify this.

Saturation and vibrance: in Lightroom or Capture One, push vibrance to +20/+30 and saturation to +10/+15. Vibrance increases less saturated colours without exploding already intense ones (like skin reds).

Teal & orange colour grading: this is a cinema classic. In highlights (skin, warm elements) push towards orange. In shadows (background, dark areas) push towards teal (bluish-greenish). Chromatic contrast is pleasing to the eye and makes the subject "jump out". In Lightroom, go to "colour grading" (or "split toning" in old versions) and apply:

• Highlights: hue 30-40 (orange), saturation 20-30
• Shadows: hue 190-210 (teal/cyan), saturation 15-25

Clarity for armour: increase "clarity" to +20/+30 on metallic armour, weapons, constructive costume details. This makes textures and reflections stand out. But beware: don't apply it to skin or they'll look 90 years older.

Selective sharpening: use the local adjustment brush to apply sharpening only to costume, weapons and eyes. Skin should be left softer.

For the Reggia: pastel tones and romantic atmosphere

Here we seek elegance, not impact. We want the photo to look like an 18th or 19th-century portrait, not a modern photo.

Slightly lower clarity: bring clarity to -5 or -10. This softens skin and gives a slightly "dreamy" effect without losing sharpness on important details.

Warm and pastel tones: increase white balance temperature by +200/+300 Kelvin to give golden, warm tones. Then, in curves or colour grading, slightly lift shadows (make them become warm grey instead of pure black). This creates the "matte" effect very fashionable in cinema and perfect for historical atmospheres.

Light vignetting: apply vignetting (corner darkening) of -15/-25. This naturally guides the eye towards the centre, where the subject is, and adds a touch of "antique" to the photo.

Grain texture: in Lightroom there's the "grain" section. Add light film grain (amount 15-25, size 25-35). It looks like photographic film and removes that "perfect digital" flavour that would clash with a period costume.

For Gaite and Quintana: "gritty" mediaeval and texture

This is my favourite approach because it's the opposite of perfection. We want dirty, authentic, material.

Selective desaturation: using the HSL panel (Hue/Saturation/Luminance), remove saturation from "modern" colours that might have accidentally ended up in the frame:

• Blue: -30 (eliminates electric blue tones)
• Purple: -40 (eliminates digital magenta)
• Acid green: -20

Instead leave intact or slightly increase:

• Orange: +10 (fire, candles, wood)
• Yellow: +5 (warm light)
• Red: 0 or -5 (to not make fake blood seem too fluorescent)

Texture and clarity: bring "texture" to +30/+50 to make the weave of rough fabrics, Bevagna's stone walls, beaten iron, wax stand out. "Texture" is different from "clarity": it works on micro-textures without increasing overall contrast.

High-contrast black and white: I often convert these photos to black and white. The mediaeval in B&W has a flavour of historical documentary, almost National Geographic. Use a conversion with high contrast (closed blacks, bright whites) and marked grain. If you use plugins like Silver Efex Pro or Nik Collection, try the "High Structure" or "Gritty" presets.

Shadow recovery: with high ISOs and candlelight, shadows will be very dark. Recover them by bringing the "shadows" slider to +30/+50, but without exaggerating or you'll lose the drama of light. The objective isn't to see everything, but to see enough to understand the environment.

Noise reduction: with ISO 6400-12800 you'll have noise. In Lightroom, go to the "detail" section and apply:

• Luminance noise reduction: 30-50 (removes grey grain)
• Colour noise reduction: 25 (default, removes random red/blue/green pixels)
• Detail: 50-60 (preserves fine details)

Don't overdo it or the photo will become "plasticky".

Ethics, law and respect: as fundamental as technique

We're not paparazzi. We're professionals (or aspiring ones) working with people who've invested time, money and passion in their costumes.

"Cosplay is not consent": the first commandment

Never touch a cosplayer or re-enactor without permission. Don't adjust the costume, don't move the wig, don't fix their sword. If you see something out of place, say "Hey, your wig's slipped a bit, want to fix it?" and let them deal with it.

This goes doubly for costumes that show more skin. The fact that someone wears a skimpy costume isn't an invitation to physical contact.

Permission: always introduce yourself

Even if you're in a public place and technically could photograph anyone, if you're doing a posed portrait (not crowd reportage) it's good practice and a matter of respect to introduce yourself.

Approach, smile, say: "Hi, I'm Umberto, I've been photographing these events for years. Your costume is fantastic, can I take some portraits of you? I'll send you the photos in high resolution afterwards." Most cosplayers and re-enactors will be thrilled. They made the costume to be photographed.

The digital business card

Print little cards with your name, Instagram handle (or TikTok, if that's your platform) and a QR code leading to your profile or portfolio. Alternatively, use apps like Linktree to create a universal QR code.

The process: shoot the photos, immediately show a couple of results on the camera display, say "Look how well it turned out! I'll leave you my contact, write to me and I'll send you everything in high resolution".

Result: the subject is happy (they'll have professional photos of their costume), you gain visibility, followers and potential contacts for future work. It's a win-win.

GDPR, privacy and releases: navigating the law

In Italy (and the EU), GDPR regulates the use of images of recognisable people.

For editorial, artistic, news use (portfolio, blog, articles): you're generally covered. If you photograph at a public event (Comicon, Reggia, Gaite), you're documenting an event of public interest. You can publish photos without a release, provided you don't use them for direct commercial purposes.

For commercial or advertising use: if you want to sell the photo as stock photography, use it in an advertising campaign or to promote a paid product/service, you need a signed release (Model Release).

Practical solution: use apps like Easy Release, Releases App or Model Release. The subject signs with their finger on your phone screen, the app generates a PDF with signature and date, and you archive it. Takes a minute and you're legally covered.

Right to be forgotten: if someone asks you to remove their photo from your channels, do it. Don't argue. Professional reputation is worth more than a single photo.

Conclusion: the hunt for magic

Photographing these events, from Caserta to Umbria, passing through Naples, is a continuous exercise in imagination. When you're there, in the chaos, with the sun beating down or in the darkness of a workshop, sweaty and with a heavy rucksack, remember: you're not photographing an office worker who dresses as an elf at weekends. You're photographing an elf.

Your eye must cancel the present and frame only the magic. Is it difficult? Yes. It requires technique, creativity, patience and respect. But when you return home, download the SD card and see that shot where the light is perfect, the background is clean, the subject seems to have stepped out of a film and everything, absolutely everything, works... well, that satisfaction is worth all the sweat.

What to do now: your next move

This article has given you theory and technique. Now it's up to you to get out there and get your hands (and knees) dirty. Here's what I suggest:

Choose an event: whether it's the next Comicon in Naples, a day at the Gaite in June, the Quintana in September or a costume visit to the Reggia. Mark the date.

Prepare your equipment: review this guide the night before. Check batteries, format memory cards, clean lenses.

Study the location: if it's your first time at the event, arrive an hour early to explore. Find corners with better light, clean backgrounds, strategic spots.

Be generous: when you photograph someone and it turns out well, actually send them the photos. Build relationships, not archives. Costume photography is a community, and reputation is built one portrait at a time.

Let's talk: your experience

And you? Have you ever tried shooting during your city's Historical Procession, have you ventured to Lucca Comics or Naples Trade Fair? What's the biggest difficulty you've found? Which event intrigues you but you haven't yet dared to tackle?

Write to me in the comments below or tag us in your Instagram stories @insightadv. We're curious to see your fantastical worlds and learn from your experiences.

If this article has been useful to you, share it with that friend of yours who goes to Comicon with their DSLR but then returns with photos where you can see chemical toilets in the background. Do them a favour.

Good light (and watch out for lightsabres).