Here at HCWC, Cosplay and Con Culture is everything.
Every cosplay is an experience. You spend your blood, sweat, tears, and hard earned money to make sure everything is meticulously crafted for your perfect cosplay.
As photographers, we do the same.
Our goal is to put in the same amount of time, energy and love as you did into your cosplay into your photoshoot. We stay at the forefront of nerd popular culture - If we don't know it, we will find it. We meticulously work from the moment your shoot is scheduled into everything from where we shoot to the music playing in the background.
Your cosplay is more than a costume. It is an extension of you. An experience
As will your shoot with us.
Joe (Creative Director - Have Camera, Will Cospaly) has had his thumb on the pulse of cosplay since he was a young teen. Attending Gen-Con in 1998, Joe knew he had found his tribe. He ran into a group of hobbyists creating their own stormtrooper armor. Since utilizing thier knowledge, Joe has become a master foamsmith and created many revolutionary ways of fabricating props and greeblies for cosplayers around the world.
After discovering that cosplayers were struggling with photographers that understood nothing about cosplay as a hobby nor cosplay photography, Joe found his passion. Traveling throughout the United States photographing conventions and events where superheroes, villains, Transformers, mermaids, anime and video game favorites have been his focus. Joe has spent the past several years inspiring cosplayers. Showing thousands of cosplayers that there is someone who knows and understands how to photograph their art.
Being behind the lens and developing stories to be told through pictures, Joe enjoys the challenge presented by projects that make people question “How did you do that?”. These Full-Production photoshoots have gained international recognition and been shared across multi-media platforms with the goal of making Have Camera, Will Cosplay a household name in cosplay photography.
Starting with Conan & Red Sonja in 2022, Joe utilized the natural surroundings on the frozen shores of Lake Huron to set the tone for his sub-zero story. After two days of shooting in artic-tundra conditions with several internationally-renowned cosplayers, Joe was able to create a story unlike anything that had been done before.
Since then, he has taken on the video game world and recreated one of the most Iconic scenes in Japanese Role-playing games (JRPGS); The Opera Scene from Final Fantasy Six. Utilizing a 150 year old theatre, and the largest castle structure in the world, Joe produced and directed one of the largest undertakings involving photography and cosplay. He is currently working with his team on plans for the next big project involving more descriptive story lines, detailed costumes, and next level props!
Joe lives to make his dreams a reality! He works hard at learning new skills to hone his craft and how to pass on what he has learned. His clients are in constant adoration of how perfectly Joe is able to capture not only what they want their images to look like, but how much fun they had and how professional he is!
When Joe is not travelling the country working on the next shoot, he is passing on his craft through mentoring. Joe works with several ametur cosplayers, photographers, vendors, and prop fabricators around the world to help them achieve their dream in cosplay. Joe is driven to inspire as many people as possible with his creative genius. He strives to one day create an organization that will help people in cosplay culture achieve their dream of becoming the next big name in their field.
Joe lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his American Tabby Squeak. He looks forward to continuing to flip the cosplay community on it’s head and inspire as many people as he can.
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"Have Camera, Will Cosplay knows their stuff. They had everything ready to go"
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"HCWC's professionalism and photography skills are amazing. Outstanding communication before, during, and after our event. He far exceeded my expectations and I look forward to working with him in the future.""
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"He is one of the most determined people I have ever met. He knows his goals, wants and dreams and he doesn't just think about it or hope for it. He grabs it and take it."
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"Joe is an incredibly talented photographer/creative person, extremely dedicated and professional, and an absolute delight to shoot with. The end results are always phenomenal"
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