Hi everyone,
For my first Instructable i have decided to create an informative piece on how to pose while you are in cosplay. The above picture is me as Kagome Higurashi, my cosplay for Anime North 2014.

Enjoy

Step 1: Brainstorm

Who will you be cosplaying? The character you have chosen plays a huge part in deciding how you will pose for photos. You wouldn't pose like a school girl if you were cosplaying a generally tough character with battle scars. But then again, it is cosplay, there are always exceptions.

Here we can see the female titan from SnK posing casually whilst twirling a member of the survey corps. (We imagine.) This is a good example as it is something we could see that character doing. We can see the whole costume as well as the prop.

This table is good for coming up with ideas for what to do. Just fill in the blanks with poses that correspond to the titles and work with your character.

Step 2: Camera

Some times looking away from the camera is a nice change. We can still see the front of the body and some even the side of the body, and their backs are not completely facing us.

An action tableau can also add a degree of dimension to the photo. The 11th Doctor battling it out with a weeping angel in the second picture is great, because when these two meet, it is an iconic pose, as well it generated some giggles from the photographers.

Step 3: Posing

Now we get down to it, how to pose.

Angles
Looking at the camera head on can prove to be a very bland photo, try turning around and looking back, or facing a little bit away from the camera. Here, we have a profile shot of Sherlock Holmes, you can see enough of the costume, and the angle of the body gives depth to the photo.

Posture
Whether you are sitting down, standing or kneeling, or maybe even having a gun battle, try to maintain a good posture. Here, this cosplayer is looking straight at the camera, but with a good pose, it works. Another thing to watch out for is the 'dead hand,' this is where, one or both hands aren't doing anything in the photo.

Expression
When posing, give it your all! Even if you think you're not good at posing, or you aren't happy with the way your cosplay turned out, don't let that show. Remember to show expression in the face and body. Despite these characters above not having a visible face, they are showing expression through their arms and body placement.

Props

When posing with a prop, first of all, make sure that it is facing the right way. As well as direction, don't just hold the prop, interact with it. Above, we can see Seras and Alucard, each totting their weapons, and showing them off in a manner where we can see them clearly, and they are showcasing their characters personalities.

Others

Sometimes during a convention, people will ask you to pose with them. Are your characters enemies? Lovers? How would your character react to meeting itself? Remember that the person you are posing with might not be comfortable with the same things you are. Even if it's something minor, like placing a hand on that person's shoulder, always ask whether or not it's okay for you to do so. I found an Inuyasha at the convention, so i had to pose with him. We glomped each other, but it was a sort of mutual understanding thing. As many of you may know, Inuyasha and Kagome are in a romantic relationship, yet, nothing in our pose indicated this, because we weren't comfortable with it. So don't stress if the same situation arises. Just remember to always ask if the other person is alright with what you have in mind.

Step 4: Finishing Off

The last piece of advice i can give you is to have fun. Taking pictures, going to conventions, and buying fandom merch. is meant to be fun, so posing in your costume should be as well.

I hope you found this guide helpful in some way or another. It was a great way for me to get my anime north pictures out on the internet. If you happen to be in a picture, message me if you want it. Thanks to all of those who posed for me.