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Fursuit Photography tips, Part 1/?
11 years ago
General
Well, I say Part 1, but I can't guarantee I'll actually have anything more to add after this. All being said, I'm learning a lot.
Waffle out of the way, I wanna share some tips and ideas with you guys as I've learnt up front when it comes to photographing 'suiters and their antics at meets, and whilst I do use a DSLR, these can be applied to most cameras, so don't worry about that!
#1 - Focus on the eyes
Much like regular portraiture (i.e. taking photos of people), a photo is considered 'made' when the eyes of the subject are in focus and are sharp. The same can be said for fursuits, however their nature means you have a bit more leeway with it. Focusing on the eyes acts as a root of an image. Everything around falls in line with it and makes for a pleasing photo. The exception to this is if you're taking a photo and there's a non-suiter next to the subject or otherwise interacting with the suiter, in which case, focus on their eyes instead!
#2 - Don't feel compelled to get the entire suit in frame
Fursuits are works of art, of course, but the real detail lies in the head. Unless you're showcasing the suit (in which case, go for getting them in frame) or the story would be best told with a full body shot, aim to get their torso upwards in a frame.
#3 - Be spontaneous!
Posing a fursuit has its advantages, but sometimes going around and catching moments as they happen can yield some great results. Candid photography is also a great thing to do if you're not feeling confident in directing people or otherwise have anxieties.
#4 - Don't be afraid to edit your photos
Everything I upload here has been edited in some way - sometimes massively, though usually not. As I shoot RAW, I have a lot at my disposal for manipulation. My workflow allows me to bring my images to life - boosting the colours, brightening or darkening the images and other stuff to tell a story.
There is a caveat though - don't over-edit them! I want my images to be believable but also fun to look at. Getting the balance is only something you'll get with time. A notable exception would be a recent upload, "Five Nights at Teekos?", where I added vignetting, split toning, gradient filters and selective desaturation, all to tell a story.
That's all I got this time around. I'll write another up in due course!
Waffle out of the way, I wanna share some tips and ideas with you guys as I've learnt up front when it comes to photographing 'suiters and their antics at meets, and whilst I do use a DSLR, these can be applied to most cameras, so don't worry about that!
#1 - Focus on the eyes
Much like regular portraiture (i.e. taking photos of people), a photo is considered 'made' when the eyes of the subject are in focus and are sharp. The same can be said for fursuits, however their nature means you have a bit more leeway with it. Focusing on the eyes acts as a root of an image. Everything around falls in line with it and makes for a pleasing photo. The exception to this is if you're taking a photo and there's a non-suiter next to the subject or otherwise interacting with the suiter, in which case, focus on their eyes instead!
#2 - Don't feel compelled to get the entire suit in frame
Fursuits are works of art, of course, but the real detail lies in the head. Unless you're showcasing the suit (in which case, go for getting them in frame) or the story would be best told with a full body shot, aim to get their torso upwards in a frame.
#3 - Be spontaneous!
Posing a fursuit has its advantages, but sometimes going around and catching moments as they happen can yield some great results. Candid photography is also a great thing to do if you're not feeling confident in directing people or otherwise have anxieties.
#4 - Don't be afraid to edit your photos
Everything I upload here has been edited in some way - sometimes massively, though usually not. As I shoot RAW, I have a lot at my disposal for manipulation. My workflow allows me to bring my images to life - boosting the colours, brightening or darkening the images and other stuff to tell a story.
There is a caveat though - don't over-edit them! I want my images to be believable but also fun to look at. Getting the balance is only something you'll get with time. A notable exception would be a recent upload, "Five Nights at Teekos?", where I added vignetting, split toning, gradient filters and selective desaturation, all to tell a story.
That's all I got this time around. I'll write another up in due course!
