There is something powerful about finding your people.
Kirilee and I first met 15 years ago through the stock community on DeviantArt. Back then, we were both experimenting and sharing reference images, building something that at the time, felt niche and wonderfully strange.
This next photo is from our very first catch up in 2011, it was a bit of a gamble to meet a stranger from the internet at a park agreeing to dress up as elves and take photos together, but a risk that was definitely worthwhile.
Over the years we can kept in touch, celebrating the twists and turns our lives have taken, it might be several years between our meet ups, but when they happen it feels like no time has passed at all. We spend most of the photoshoot just giggling, talking about books and catching up, sharing the occasional bottle of moscato and doughnuts.
Double trouble - 2013
Light and darkness - 2016
Since those early days, Kirilee has gone on to become a world-class cosplayer. She won the 2015 Madman National Cosplay Championships, in 2018 represented Australia at the World Cosplay Summit in Japan and in 2023 won the Cosplay Central Crown Championships at PAX Australia, an extraordinary achievement that reflects the craftsmanship and dedication she pours into everything she creates.
(You can see more of her work at kirileecosplay.com it’s always inspiring.)
What I admire most about her is not just the accolades, but the discipline behind them. She is someone who understands that creativity is not a gift, it’s structure, resourcefulness, and showing up even when it’s hard. The ballgown she created for this Victorian pack is entirely her own making (as is every single costume she has ever worn in our photoshoots), inspired by the Victorian era and the character Bluey. We paired it with an antique wooden writing desk, and a vintage Singer sewing machine to create a series of studio portraits that feel timeless and painterly.
Working with Kirilee reminds me that creativity is not meant to exist in isolation. Perth (the city we both live in) is quite literally the most isolated city in the world, It can feel very far away from the creative hubs, from conventions, from the noise and energy of bigger artistic communities.
Yes, the internet connects us globally and artists from all over the world use Faestock images to create extraordinary work. But to find someone in your own backyard who shares your interests, who is just as willing to dress up in elaborate costumes for the sake of a photoshoot, who understands what you are building and who is also just a genuinely cool human, is such a stroke of good luck.
Here’s to long creative friendships, shared laughter, and the kind of collaboration that reminds you why you started in the first place.
The Beach - 2012
Until the next shoot,
Jess
1 comment
Your blog post allows to catch a sight of the world of cosplayers while being such an ode to your friend Kirilee. I also caught a glimpse of a (suspected) writer there in that it can sometimes feel like I’m speaking into a void of bots and ghost accounts line.
Yet the real reason for the existence of this comment is the notion of Perth being the most isolated city in the world. It kinda struck me as not the best perspective to look from while I do get why it’s said so. (I remember seeing a photo on Insta of what I understood was you on at Edinburgh Fringe some time ago, which tells me you know what you’re talking about.)
I mean I’m sure Montevideo, Guatemala City or Jakarta, for instance, are all quite isolated in that sense. Likely more isolated than Perth. But I think that perceived isolation can also be a blessing in disguise, perhaps turned into an advantage. Especially for a photographer. You’ve got so many things over there, in Perth and outside it, that can provide for a unique setting, vibe, backdrop et al. (This can become especially valuable is the age of AI, when the real authentic and unique, and sometimes even surreal looking becomes even more of a rarity among all the content, especially ‘slop’.) I remember seeing some photos of a coast on your Insta years ago – it looked like from another planet almost. I guess it takes an outsider to help and identify these things that one is probably so accustomed to, not realizing how interesting and fascinating it could perhaps get to people who hadn’t seen anything like that. But there seem to be a lot of nuances that could potentially add a unique flavor to the visuals, or stories one would tell in pictures. I’m sure there’d be some places and settings that could turn the Victorian themes, for instance, into something a little original and rule defying in a similar manner as the Steampunk concept and aesthetics would. One would just need to mull over the concepts, outlandish ideas, I suppose. Perhaps a session with Moscato and specifically trained AI bot about wild ideas and concepts could help? Just an idea.