Raychul
the model
MOORE
Raychul Moore is a friend of the Live group of publications, we’ ve been lucky to interview her previously in Cosplay Live, but what many fans may or may not know is Raychul is also a journalist, model and social media veteran. One thing most photographers want to get better at is social media, and if you’ re a portrait or model photographer or want to be, you probably want to know how to photograph and approach models. So with that in mind, I decided to reach out to our friend in the U. S … Raychul, welcome to our first issue of Photo Live!
Whoa, thank you for such an amazing intro!! And thank you for asking me to be a part of the first issue, this is super exciting!!!
You’ re a well-established cosplayer and social media personality; tell us about your modelling work. How did you get started?
My best friend was getting into photography so I was basically his willing test subject. I had started cosplaying and really wanted to get more comfortable being in front of a camera cause I can be quite shy. So between shooting with him and doing more and more cosplay stuff, it just kinda became a thing I do more fulltime than just a fun hobby.
You’ re also a very popular cosplayer; do you find the two cross-over?
Yes and no. Some people will say cosplay is basically“ character modelling”, dressing up in a costume and modelling it. But that’ s not what cosplay is to me at all. You don’ t need to be a model to cosplay, and a model in a costume doesn’ t equal cosplay. In modelling you are hired to help a photographer complete a vision, whether that’ s to capture a moment or to show off some sort of fashion. In cosplay, I make my own costumes and I design some of the pieces myself. When I’ m being photographed in my cosplays, I’ m showing off my own work and the photographer is helping me capture the character I am portraying.
I want to talk a bit more about modelling, how do you get jobs for modelling?
Jobs in this industry can come from a bunch of different sources. They can come from friends who are photographers that you’ ve worked with before. Jobs can come from discovery, people who happen across some of your photos and reach out to you because they want work with you. Or sometimes, you can just luck into something that opens a lot of new doors.
Can you walk us through a typical model shoot and maybe compare that to a cosplay shoot …
A modelling shoot is all about helping the photographer create an image or a moment he has thought of or has been hired to create. So for a modelling shoot you usually already know the theme of the shoot; you get dressed up and made up then you get in front of the camera and follow the photographers direction to help him achieve the goal of the shoot.
A cosplay shoot is more about portraying the character you are dressed as. The photographer will help pose you still, but it’ s up to you as the cosplayer to really bring out that character’ s personality while showcasing the costume you created.
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