Rising Stars: Meet Joe Swietlik

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Swietlik. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started out making props in cosplay around 2010. I learned rather quickly that there were not many photographers that had a nerd pop culture background that understood a cosplayer’s need for photos of their cosplay. Because of this, I went out and bought my first Nikon DSLR in 2011. From there, I taught myself how to take photographs and use software such as adobe creative suite to create special effects. My goal has always been to put someone cosplaying a character into the natural environment of the character. 

Today, I travel the country photographing cosplayers along all walks of life and spend my free time organizing full-production photoshoots with some of the best cosplayers in the world. I also put on workshops and panels at conventions, teaching the next slew of aspiring photographers on how to get started, and what the market needs are. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Things really didn’t start picking up until COVID. Before that, I was treating photography and cosplay like a hobby. I would network through friends to get photography gigs. Then my first camera broke in 2019. I spent six months working a part-time job to raise the capital to get a new one. 

Shortly thereafter, the COVID pandemic hit. I came out of the pandemic knowing that this was a dream I wanted to achieve. I spent the entirety of 2020 in front of my computer or camera trying to learn everything I could about photography and business. I spent hours videoconferencing with SCORE (a small business organization), learning the ins and outs of getting a business off of the ground. 

In 2021, I hit the ground running, begging anyone and everyone in a costume to get in front of my lens. With any business, no plan survives contact with the market. I thought I had everything I needed to get this business off of the ground (a camera, some extra lenses, a nice laptop, etc.) Until I discovered that I missed out on one of the most important things: Light. No matter how much I shot, I never had enough light to create the scenes I wanted to with my subjects. Even my clients were bringing me concerns with lack of light in their portraits. I remedied this by going back to the drawing board, raising a bit of capital, and buying the needed lights to create the portraits I wanted. 

My biggest hurdle has always been myself. I am constantly challenging myself to fail better. I tend to “go big or go home.” Needless to say, that does not always work the way I envision. But those hurdles have given me the ability to learn from them. Now, I am dramatically more organized, have redundancies in place, and have brought on contractors to be delegated to offset my strengths. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the creative director of Have Camera, Will Cosplay. I show cosplayers what their cosplay is like if it was in the environment of the character they are cosplaying. Every photograph tells a story about that character and helps people celebrate their fandom. Knowing that most clients have never worked with a professional cosplay photographer before, I spend several weeks working with the client beforehand, making sure all poses are perfect before we start shooting. I create storyboards, pose workbooks, and composite assets, so every picture comes out right without any additional reshooting. 

My passion is full production shoots. We take a scene from a video game, movie, or comic book, and we artistically recreate it using cosplayers in live action. Spending six months to a year planning out a photoshoot that takes place over several days is one of the most fulfilling experiences I have ever had the privilege of being a part of. It gives me the opportunity to work with professional-level cosplayers and models from around the world. I also get to shoot in locations that I never would be able to, such as the Kalamazoo State Theatre. It is really a dream come true, and I am just getting started. 

What’s next?
I have two plans at the moment. First, I want to continue to increase my footprint in the cosplay community. This means that I am going to travel more around the US (and eventually the world) to events where I can shoot cosplayers (such as comic cons). This will also give me the ability to continue to create full-production shoots with new talent. 

I also want to show up-and-coming photographers in cosplay how to achieve their goals. I am in the early stages of creating an organization that will work with others in this community to achieve their goals and dreams with as few speed bumps as possible along the way. 

Pricing:

• One-hour shoot: 200.00

Contact Info:

• Website: www.havecamerawillcosplay.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/havecamerawillcosplay/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Havecamerawillcosplay

Image Credits
Have Camera
Belle Bunni Designs
Pink Opal
HappyRock
Envy The Green Fairy
Knightmage
Bebe Alkaid