For the past year, I've had the opportunity to work with and assist Amanda (know here on dA as ~Elemental-Sight) with her photo-shoots at various anime conventions and other field trips in the US and Canada, and over this time I've been excited to see how the scope of her portfolio continues to grow. Besides merely wielding a giant camera, she takes the time to research how to best use that equipment and combines technical knowledge with an increasing awareness of artistic composition.

Her willingness to go out of her way for the perfect shot - whether it's getting locked in emergency stairwells, scaling giant mounds of construction debris, teetering over the edge of waterfalls and contorting into bizarre positions - delivers truly unique perspectives that are not often seen in portraiture of any category, much less of a cosplay theme. Additionally she experiments with her two off-camera strobes (toted by a growing team of eager groupies) with some amazing results - effects that could not be achieved with a single camera-mounted flash - everything from simulating natural light in the darkness to adding striking emotive elements to completely change the mood of the scene.

Additionally, she truly believes that every cosplayer deserves a chance for a good photo. Going above and beyond merely documenting a costume, Amanda has worked to also capture the essence of the character portrayed, and this is what elevates her work from simple reporting to actual story-telling. Cosplaying isn't just about constructing a garment; it's a personal dialogue, a collaboration between the costumer and the photographer, and with her work, this couldn't be more apparent. Please join me in thanking Amanda for respecting all costumers and for treating cosplay photography as a legitimate art-form.












( These photos represent only a small selection of the work she has submitted to deviantArt. Be sure to check out more at Cosplay.com's Photoshoot listing = [link] and also on her personal website = [link] )

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