“Imagination is the beginning of creation.”
The king of cosplay, Shunsuke, is a man of many talents. He is a cosplayer, model, craftsman, artist, entrepreneur and influencer.
But perhaps most unique is that Shun is also a self-taught professional cosplay photographer: the same person in front of and behind the camera.
Cosplay photography experience is something many cosplayers seek. After all, they spend many hours making their costumes, armor, and weapons, while perfecting their makeup, and high-quality photography is the best way to showcase their work to the world.
They usually tag and credit the talented photographers behind their photo shoots, but Shunsuke never needs to. He developed both of these complementary skills when he was much younger and had actually taken the picture before cosplay came into the picture, he told ONE Esports in an exclusive interview.
How Shunsuke got into photography in the first place
Shunsuke started in photography when he was very young, just 11 years old. While he can’t remember exactly what piqued his interest, he does remember practicing taking pictures of his friends and his sister using a “tiny, small-screen, very old camera.”
Around the age of 13 or 14, he got an SLR camera, a Canon EOS 600D, the cheapest semi-pro camera he could find at the time.
It was only when he turned 15 that he started dressing up with his childhood friend as a way to bond. Coming from a small town in Switzerland, no one had heard of the term “cosplay” before, so out of necessity, she took the cosplay photos of him.
“When I was younger and had just started cosplaying, I had a lot of motivation, so I was creating a lot,” Shunsuke explained to ONE Esports. “It was helpful that I was able to take my own photos instead of planning it with someone else.”
This year, he began asking for occasional help from his peers. Top tier cosplayer Knite while in London, but much of his work is still self-taught.
“In the end I always end up taking my own photos because I feel more comfortable that way,” he said.
How Shunsuke’s Positive Attitude Helped Him Master Cosplay Photography
“I think my cosplay becomes more recognizable because of my style of photography,” shared Shun, who taught himself everything he knows about photography.
He also believes his branding is further accentuated with “accurate yet highly realistic” cosplays as he strives to transform these characters from 2D to 3D. All of his wigs, for example, are made from human hair and are not synthetic.
Shunsuke is particularly proud of his Giorno Giovanna cosplay from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, which highlights his distinctive style of cosplay and photography. “The overall shape is really accurate, the hair color, the fabrics have all the details, which look more realistic and not so cartoonish,” he said.
Drawing inspiration from classical art nude sculptures, she also paid special attention to lighting in this photo shoot, which bears similarities to her Renaissance-themed shoot, her second favorite set.
Despite achieving such high standards in cosplay and photography, Shunsuke believes that there is always more to learn. He can see how much he has improved just by looking at pictures that were taken three or four years ago.
“I can always improve, and I try. The way I was editing my skin was terrible and I really learned how to make it more natural,” she shared. “I improved and kept things professional and polished.”
Still, the self-made journey of a professional cosplayer and photographer isn’t always easy, despite their accomplishments. While the countless photo shoots over the years have certainly helped improve his craft, it’s also a challenge “trying to be creative and do something different every time.”
“Trying to find new and interesting lights, angles and poses, trying not to replicate what I can already do and get out of my comfort zone… my ability in terms of lighting and photography, in general, I am very satisfied. The technique I struggle with is more on the creative side of things,” he said.
Follow Shunsuke on Twitter (@Shunsukecos) Y Instagram (@shuncoser) to support your work.
READ MORE: Exclusive: Even after a decade in the industry, Knite still lives by these cosplay ideals.