Jin — also known as behindinfinity on Deviantart, is an internationally recognized cosplayer from the Philippines. Jin and the rest of the cosplay group Tuxedo Team are best known for their elaborately-staged and beautifully-shot cosplay portraits — covering a diverse range of titles from Code Geass to Shin Seiki Evangelion to The Little Prince.

Jin has so kindly answered some questions to share thoughts on Tuxedo Team’s cosplay inspirations, describe the extraordinary lengths the team goes through to get the perfect shot, as well as give suggestions on how to plan for and successfully execute a cosplay shoot of your very own.

When and how did you get into cosplay?

It was around 2005, and during my visits to some fan communities I would browse at the time, I came across the word cosplay. The concept seemed interesting to me so I looked it up and clicked on the link with the most obvious URL – Cosplay.com. There I saw some of the featured photoshoots. It was so amazing and fascinating to me to see how those characters seemed to have crossed over some dimensional border and ended up in our world.

I thought this was a wonderful way for fans to pay tribute to characters that they love — by making them come alive in a sense. At least, that’s how I see it. When I see a particularly convincing cosplayer, I feel a sense of wonder from seeing a life-sized, moving replica of a character that I admire.

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You and your group are more into cosplay shoots than ramp competitions. What made you decide to go that route instead of the more “traditional” romp around the convention circuit?

My friends and I aren’t really the competitive sort so we’re really happy just coming up with photos that express our appreciation for a series. A lot of our costumes are quite simple, so there’s not much point in competing with them against the many brilliant cosplayers in our local community. We do not particularly care about winning and would rather go around conventions and enjoy the company of people in the crowd. And based on my personal stand about big cosplay competitions, it wouldn’t feel right to compete if I did not make a large percentage of it myself.

In the few instances that my friends and I had joined competitions, it was because we had come up with a skit or gimmick that we wanted to share with the crowd, simply to entertain and reach out to other fans who might appreciate it. We’re never in it to win, but are happily surprised that we somehow do. That was the case when I entered the individual ramp during an AME event with my Ichigo Kurosaki cosplay. I decided to because I figured out a way to sculpt a partial Hollow mask out of plaster. During the catwalk, I broke it on my face the way Ichigo does, and threw the pieces at the crowd (doing my best not to hit anyone directly). That was my personal tribute to Ichigo for inspiring me to pick myself up and be a stronger person.

As I mentioned earlier, my first encounter with cosplay was through looking at cosplay shoots online so that’s what my friends and I really wanted to do and continue to pursue. Even with our simple costumes, we are always hoping to capture the hearts of our fellow fans and inspire their imaginations as the series that we cosplay had done for us.

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Which costume or shoot was your favorite?

It’s difficult to choose a single favorite, but I would have to say, our Rurouni Kenshin shoot. That series has a special place in my heart. It was through Kenshin that I learned that even though a person has lived through terrible things, they can use that pain to learn how to be kind to others. He’s one of the characters that actually inspired me to try to be a better person. And by doing so, I’ve had certain people come into my life. A number of them were involved in our Rurouni Kenshin shoot. I could see bits of them and myself in the characters and how they relate to each other so it wasn’t difficult for us to get into character. If we lived in a less peaceful era, I know I’d rush off to risk my own life to save them if they were ever put in danger.

What is the hardest part about this type of specialized cosplay? How have you dealt with any problems?

We don’t face as many problems as cosplayers who compete at events, I think. The biggest factor for outdoor shoots is of course the weather. We always hope for sunny days, but not too hot as to give us heat stroke in our wigs and costumes. If the weather decides not to agree with us, we opt for studio shoots instead.

We’ve also had run-ins with security personnel, because sometimes we unknowingly venture into areas where it is apparently prohibited to take photos. It’s never been too much of a problem as we often look pretty harmless, don’t intend for the photos to be used commercially, and we speak to them respectfully. They usually just give us warnings after we finish getting our shots, and in turn we do better research about the places we go to and have learned to arrange for permits.

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What advise would you give to others who aspire to do cosplay shoots as well?

To start with the technical stuff, I would like them to know that the quality of their work will not be solely determined by the type of camera they use. A more expensive camera doesn’t necessarily mean better pictures. A lot of factors will come into play – the usage of available light, proper utilization of surroundings, and most importantly, learning the most basic photography concepts and understanding camera functions (like ISO, shutter speed, aperture, and so on).

Pick a series that you love so that inspiration for photo concepts will come easily. If possible, make it something for which you can find an appropriate location near your area. Organization is important — coordinate with everyone involved. Plan out your dates and times, arrange for your transportation, get your permits if necessary. Be aware that sometimes, things simply will not go according to plan despite your best efforts. When that happens, your shoot team (hopefully comprised of your good friends) should just help each other get through it and figure out fun solutions. Don’t dwell on the problems because cosplay shoots should be enjoyable! Just get out there and have fun!

To view more of Jin’s photos, just head on over to Deviantart. There are also make-up, photography, and Photoshop tips on the site. Thanks to Jin for accommodating my interview request 😀