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 .
120