Photographer of the Month #8!- Wan-Mei

Nov 17, 20136 min read

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KoreWaCosplay

SamhainKWC

Published: Nov 17, 2013

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Hello fancy photographers!

Today we introduce you to the 2nd photographer of November. Wan Mei is a lovely and very talented photographer from Ukraine that deserves more love ;D I had a really hard time selecting the pictures for the showcase, the gallery is incredible! ♥︎__♥︎
Just keep reading ~

ABOUT Wan-Mei

KWC: Introduce yourself. How old are you, where do you live, and what do you do?
Wan-Mei I'm 28, I live in Ukraine & do mostly photography.

KWC: Do you have any other hobbies besides cosplay photography?
Wan-Mei I've been also a cosplayer for many years, the other hobbies are writing novels (yaoi ones ahaha), reading & traveling. I'm also making some small stuff for cosplay (like decorating dresses, making wings and so on) and I like it a lot.

KWC: What is your favorite game/manga/anime/comic/movie?
Wan-Mei Worms Armageddon/ Eyeshield 21 / Slam Dunk / - / Aliens. Right now I'm fond of "The walking dead" series.

KWC: Which are your favorite characters?
Wan-Mei In cosplay my favorite characters are Vocaloids and Sheryl Nome - they are bright and have a lot of amazing costumes. The favorite anime character is Naruto (yeah I still like him for his brave and strong personality) and Lina Inverse for the same reasons.

KWC: Do you have a favourite photographer or a role model?
Wan-Mei My favorite non-cosplay photographer is Kyle Thompson (his photos are full of atmosphere, the ideas are just crazy and breathtaking, and those abandoned houses...). Favorite cosplay photographers are Kira Winter & Vaxzone. Both of them are very talented and have the amazing ideas, great work with the light, angles, color and many-many other stuff.

ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY

KWC: Why and how did you become a cosplay photographer? Did you have any help?
Wan-Mei It's a very long story actually. I've bought a camera to travel with, then I tried to take photos of people. By that time I became too old for cosplay myself so I decided to take photos of some of my friends in cosplay. That's how everything started.
I had a lot of help from Kira Winter. Not only help but inspiration also. To work with her was the greatest experience and she is an amazing photographer.

KWC: What does photography mean to you?
Wan-Mei A lot. It's a way to express myself, to never be bored while travelling or just walking in the city. Photography is the one of the reason I started to improve myself. Now I'm able to really see the beauty of the world, people, action. And I can make people happy with my photos. I like to make people happy.

KWC: Which camera do you use?
Wan-Mei Canon 550D, the cheapest Canon DSLR ahaha. But I hope to change it soon.

KWC: Do you prefer manual ou auto focusing?
Wan-Mei Auto.

KWC: Which lenses do you use?
Wan-Mei 10-20 4.0-5.6 Sigma, 85 1.8 Canon, 135 2.0 Canon.

KWC: How do you pick the place to shoot? And the photo angles?
Wan-Mei I've made a list of interesting places in my city and I choose more appropriate for the anime & the character. If there's nothing suitable I just shoot at night. The angles... I guess it depends on many things like location, model's face features and figure, like that.

KWC: What have you learned as a photographer?
Wan-Mei I've learned how to work with people, how organize shooting, to pose models, how to catch *that* moment, how to be risky and do really crazy things.

KWC: Useful tips for the future photographers.
Wan-Mei Know your gear. Don't take important shoots if you don't know your gear. Be confident, because if you're not confident, your model won't be confident. Photography is not for the shy guys. Don't be lazy. Study the photography and practice a lot. Don't be afraid to try out the new things even if you fail over and over again. Don't buy the expensive camera & lens till you really think you're ready for it. Remember that every person has the beauty and you need to capture it.