KATSUCON 2025
“I'm someone who loves film and wants to celebrate film. I’ve made it a point to shoot my projects primarily on that format — not just for its aesthetic, but for the way it renders moments with a richness that digital often can’t replicate. I find that it lends itself well to cosplay, re-framing it in a way that feels more like a memory than documentation or a direct homage.
I returned to 6x7 medium format film to build on last year’s Katsucon series. Inspired by Christopher Nolan’s "Oppenheimer," I took a more liberal approach to blending color and B&W, letting each format shape the atmosphere of the moment.
I also sought works from local DMV photographers like Bearden Douglas and editorial works from Gordon Parks and Stanley Kubrick to bring a documentary-like approach to cosplay. I feel that it’s right to bring the people behind the costumes in the spotlight to immerse the viewers into the event.”
“I’ve grown to be more comfortable with working on large-scale projects and Katsucon 2025 is no different. I tend to approach them as if they were event films, so it just made sense to frame and shoot this project like one. I’ve also become very comfortable with shooting on 6x7 medium format and it’s my preferred format for shooting portraiture in general.
Being able to operate solely on that format I think presents a very honest and singular approach to shooting cosplay; It gives these characters a larger-than-life presence while keeping the overall aesthetic grounded.
Even with its very high theoretical resolution, I find that film softens reality in a way that I think is beautiful — it’s more about impression. That’s why I named this series as is.”
“Katsucon 2025 ended up being the most medium format I’ve ever shot for both B&W and color combined. It was so big that the series had to be split into three galleries to allow the site to show all 380+ photos without issues.
I remember hearing about Nolan’s Oppenheimer breaking IMAX 70mm film plates due to its massive runtime. Since this series was very much inspired by the movie’s stylistic approach, I might have taken the inspiration part a little too seriously.”
TECHNICAL SPECS
CAMERA: Mamiya RZ67 Professional II
LENS: Mamiya Sekor-Z 110mm/f2.8
FILM: Cinestill 400D, Cinestill 800T, Kodak Tri-X 400