Danny Sexbang
Majestic.
Cinestill 800T
Character: Danny Sexbang
Sauce: Ninja Sex Party
Cosplayer: @gsquared.cosplay
This was a shoot that was booked well over a year prior to actually happening. I was living out of state at the time of booking and the costume had just been commissioned. The glittery outfit was completed after discussing and hyping the shoot for several months. Greg had himself a test fit and a little break in period, then we scheduled the shoot at a studio in the mall. There is also intended to be a second portion of this shoot and it is planned for a rather cool location. It is quite rare that I do any studio work, but this was very much the environment for Danny Sexbang of Ninja Sex Party.
Stylin’
Cinestill 800T
Selfie WRLD AZ in the Scottsdale Fashion Square was a great choice for this shoot. It offered a wide variety of styles and props to work with and provided just the vibe for NSP’s flamboyant music videos. We had a blast on this shoot. Immediately, we had decided that anything goes; having fun and goofing off was going to get the results Greg and myself were after. I certainly would like to think that Danny would be proud. Walking through parking and the mall to get to the studio with his rather obvious costume garnered many stares and comments. Pretty much everything was positive. One that stood out was a remark from an older gentleman that Greg’s outfit was “smile inducing.” It is always super refreshing to hear affirming comments, as the cosplayers I photograph present themselves for the center of attention to a public that often does not understand cosplay. I love seeing my models’ confidence grow.
Freak show? Nah, you’re a rockstar.
Cinestill 800T
Don’t you know? You’re cool as fuck on the inside! It was liberating to work with the freedom of a character that is known for a wild side. I didn’t have to keep in mind “the tone” of a character; we just did what we wanted. I choose to shoot Cinestill 800T, because it is the best C-41 film stock for most any purpose. I mean damn, look at these tones! The mild grain and solid sharpness at 800 speed is perfect for shooting indoors, as well. I didn’t have to worry about low shutter speeds or unsavory color shifts wiht this film. The tungsten color balance worked to my favor, as most lights were set to 3200K. I also employed a small RGB light for flavor in several shots. The lights, colors, and rad installations of the studio really gave us a wide variety of photos. Playing with all the balls was especially fun.
Inspired by a scene from a NInja Sex Party music video.
Cinestill 800T
I have made a half-assed effort to attempt at least one double exposure per shoot. I had a solid idea of what I wanted to attempt for this one, as there is a scene in the “The Magic Crystal” music video where Danny is shown in magenta and cyan duplicates singing. I did not clone the shot from the video and I also ended up with both exposures too close together, but it still turned out really cool. The black backdrop with white splashes on it made for a convenient and stylish canvas to compose both exposures. I can’t wait to execute the second part of this shoot. This little warm-up really showed the potential art we can make with this cosplay.
