Patron Spotlight: Es! (Patreon)

In 2021, Patron Spotlights are going to change a bit (more on that soon!), but I’m so excited to introduce you to Es for this final spotlight of the year! Es is an incredibly talented cosplayer and vlogger and it is way too easy to get lost scrolling through their Instagram.

Like so many of us, myself included, Es keeps very busy — both in and out of the fandom space. “In daily life I'm a Media Designer/Video Editor and I'm currently doing my Masters in Media Studies,” they told me. “I've been cosplaying for about 8 years now and doing photography casually for approximately the same amount.” On top of all this, Es also makes convention and travel vlogs while simultaneously participating in cosplay competitions (this last in the Before TimesTM, of course.)

Something that struck me while scrolling through their cosplay photos was the amount of emotion and intensity they were able to convey through still photos. When I asked them what advice they might have for cosplayers who struggle with emoting in photos, they shared, “I have done some acting before, and an important thing I learned from that is not to be afraid to be ugly!” Unfairly, despite this advice, Es never looks ugly in their cosplay photos — just animated! “Exaggeration is key,” they told me. “Expressions never come across as well on camera as they do in your head, and it’s always easier to tone it down if it is too much!”

Es also uses video as a medium to showcase their cosplay. “I think video allows creators to add so many more dimensions to the way we convey a story,” they said. “We have sound, time and movement to show our cosplays in a dynamic and immersive way.” This is a lesson I myself have learned in the last two years. So many cosplays have features that are impressive or eye-catching in motion, but much harder to capture in still photos, whether that’s actual mechanical moving parts, or flowy fabrics and sparkly accents. “I find it really exciting to think about what music and movement fit a character and what I can do with that to not just create a picture but a performance,” they said. In fact, they’re currently trying to figure out how out how to translate these things to Instagram’s new Reels feature. “I have some short videos, aesthetics and character portraits planned out to share on there! The recent situation made us get more creative with the ways we can share our cosplays from our own homes and I've seen people do some amazing things with these platforms.”

Not every cosplayer has a single costume they can easily label as their favorite, but Es had a ready answer to the question: “My favourite cosplay to this day is Hiccup! The armor from the second movie was the first big project I ever did.” Es has cosplayed Hiccup from all three “How to Train Your Dragon” movies. While it may be surprising that Hiccup was Es’ first armor (because damn!!), it isn’t surprising to hear that the costume is a longstanding favorite — even amongst the great work showcased on their Instagram, Hiccup shines through as a true “nailed it” moment, from the armor all the way to the subtleties of the makeup.

If you’d like to follow along with Es' work, make sure to subscribe to their Youtube and Instagram to stay up to date!

Photo Credits

• 1 - self shot
• 2 - photo by @alexisashnew 
• 3 - photo by @alexisashnew, feat. @spadeite, @thatonemomcosplayer, @thomasdjmullan 
• 4 - self shot
• 5 - photo by @alexisashnew