Interest

Austrian Photog Shows Cosplayers In Their Natural Habitat

Austrian photographer Klaus Picher created an interesting project titled "Just the Two Of Us" that pairs costumers in their natural habitats: their own homes. The fantasy-meets-reality photo series takes costumers of all types: Master Chief, unicorns, and giant teddy bears. Picher describes the project:

Who hasn't had the desire to be someone else for awhile? Dressing up is a way to create an alter ego and second skin which one's behavior can be adjusted to. Regardless of the motivating factors which cause somebody to acquire a costume, the main principle remains the same: the civilian steps behind the mask and turns into someone else.

For this photo series I visited owners of elaborate costumes in their own homes. As a matter of fact, "Just the two of us" deals with both: the costumes and the people behind them.

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Picher talked about his two-and-a-half year process in making the series with Wired earlier this month.

“In the beginning I thought I would get to know a lot of nerds, but I discovered that most of these people have settled lives. They have families and they are integrated into social life,” he said. Picher stated that one common motivating factor he found for the costuming crowd was a desire to escape from social pressures, like a boring job, and feel empowered.

Of the subjects in in the photographs, 2/3rds are men. Furries and cosplayers tended to lean younger while those in traditional dress and historical regalia were older. The photographer also stated he was looking to show the costumer's passion, not make fun of their hobby.

“The easiest thing you can do about costumes is make fun of them,” he said. “But by doing that you're avoiding reflection and not thinking about why people are doing it. You're not thinking about what the person wants to say with their costume.”