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