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The Lady Nerd

Geek Made Chic

Roger and Brianna Outlander Cosplay

December 17, 2018 by The Lady Nerd 4 Comments

Roger and Brianna Mackenzie Cosplay hug. Photographed by Foto Mike. Cosplayers The Lady Nerd and IanTime is not a reality, but a concept.

Time, as it happens, played an interesting part in this photoshoot. My boyfriend and I had long been wanting to do a cosplay together, but obstacles kept throwing us off track. While I was doing research for my big fall collaboration with my roommate, Catherine of The Gluttonous Geek, I ran across a passage that about made me jump out of my seat.

“Roger Mackenzie is what Claire would describe as a “Black Celt” – olive-skinned, with thick black hair and lashes. His eyes are a bright green, often likened to the color of moss, though they are deepset like his MacKenzie ancestors. When Brianna sketches him, she draws a bold nose and a wide, slanted jaw.”

Roger Mackenzie Cosplay. Photograph by Foto MikeBEHOLD.

Does that description not fit him perfectly?! To my chagrin, I admit that I have yet read the Outlander books themselves, having been introduced through the TV show. So I did not realize there was a difference between the book description and the appearance of Roger on screen. Needless to say, I set to finding a kilt straight away for Ian. *cue all the ‘kilty pleasure’ puns*

Roger Mackenzie cosplay. Outlander on the mountain. Photograph by Foto MikeWe pulled this look together literally overnight (so it’s not Highland accurate, please forgive us). So as Catherine and I were finishing up our picnic shoot (more to to come on that soon! Speaking of time, I still have yet to write what should’ve been the first blog and this be the third. Oops…), Ian scurried up the rockface to strike the pose above. I’m so proud of him. This was Ian’s first professional picture EVER. First photoshoot AND first cosplay!

Of course, I had to complete the ensemble with a equally-hasty thrown together Brianna Randall cosplay. For the first time I can recall, a character in a popular show has my name (well, technically one letter off, but everyone miscalls me Brianna anyways. 😅 ). Add in brown eyes and straight hair and I feel right at home in this cosplay. In a sense, I get to be myself.

Brianna Randall Mackenzie cosplay from Outlander. Photographer - Foto Mike. Cosplayer- The Lady NerdRoger and Bree. Photograph - Foto Mike. Cosplayers - The Lady Nerd and IanBrianna Mackenzie Cosplay by The Lady Nerd. Photograph - Foto MikeOutlander Engagement Roger and Brianna. Photographer - Foto Mike. Models - The Lady Nerd and Ian

Photographer: Michael Rivera

Filed Under: Costumes, Modeling, Uncategorized Tagged With: brianna outlander cosplay, brianna randall, outlander, outlander cosplay, roger and bree, roger and brianna cosplay, roger mackenzie cosplay

A Portrait of Lady Croft

December 14, 2018 by The Lady Nerd Leave a Comment

Classic Lara Croft portrait by Foto Mike. Cosplayer- The Lady Nerd

All your tombs are belong to me.

Lara Croft's eyes by Foto Mike. Model - The Lady Nerd
I have sat on this blog post for days, unsure of what to write. Starting, rewriting, erasing, sleeping on it, writing again. Every time I have tried, the words come out at best, boring or at worst, nonsensical. So I shall simply throw in the towel and let the photos speak for themselves. Here is my simple portrait series as classic Lara Croft (a look I never thought I could pull off…), which as it turns out, was my first ever shoot with Michael Rivera back in the day!

Classic Lara Croft portrait by Foto Mike. Cosplayer- The Lady NerdLara Croft by Foto Mike and The Lady NerdTomb Raider and the Setting Sun by Foto Mike. Model - The Lady NerdTomb Raider: Angel of Darkness by Foto Mike. Cosplayer - The Lady NerdCroft Gaze by Foto Mike. Model - The Lady NerdBlack and White Tomb Raider. Photographer - Foto Mike. Cosplayer - The Lady Nerd

Just so we’re clear, you set off a booby trap…you’ll have to block the boulder. My insurance only covers blowgun darts, bamboo spears and the annoying French antiquities thief.

Have fun.

Photograph: Michael Rivera
Makeup: Emily Coughlin

Filed Under: Costumes, Uncategorized Tagged With: lara croft, lara croft cosplay, tomb raider, tomb raider cosplay

Rey and Kylo Ren Photoshoot

August 31, 2018 by The Lady Nerd Leave a Comment

As the 2018 weekend of Dragoncon is upon us, I thought it’s high time I share another good cosplay shoot on here. One of the great things about being part of the geek community is, well,…the community! While there are certainly some negative gatekeepers and nasty folks on the fringes, they are not the norm. Most of the time we support each other, lift each other, and help each other with projects. So when my friend Stephanie told me her partner had just done his very first cosplay ever and wanted to do a photoshoot, I gladly jumped in.

Stephanie and Jeremy worked hard to create as screen accurate of a Kylo Ren as they could. We partnered up with David Leo and Patrick Sun for Jeremy’s very first photoshoot (so many firsts!), wandered on down to a local park, threw up some smoke bombs, and got to modeling!

“Forgive me, I feel it again…the pull to the light.“

Awkward Prom photo of Kylo Ren (Jeremy Berry) and Rey (The Lady Nerd). Photographed by David Leo Photography“You need a teacher. I can show you the ways of the Force.”

Show my the ways of the force. Kylo Ren by Jeremy Berry. Rey by The Lady Nerd. Picture by David Leo Photography.“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”

Kylo Ren (Jeremy Berry) and Rey (The Lady Nerd). Photography by David Leo.Kylo Ren and Rey fight. Kylo Ren by Jeremy Berry. Rey by The Lady Nerd. Photo by David LeoRey with Lightsaber. Rey by The Lady Nerd. Photography by David Leo“Madness is like gravity. All it takes a little push to ascend into darkness.”
(Sidenote: Many of you know of my bad complex about my jaw/profile. So you’ll understand why I flipped out over how amazing this picture is. Dramatic lighting FTW!)
To Have and to Hold. Rey by The Lady Nerd and Kylo Ren by jeremy Berry. Photography by Patrick Sun.“Where once was light, now darkness falls.
Where once was love, love is no more.”

Kylo Ren and Rey by Jeremy Berry and the Lady Nerd. Photography by David Leo

Filed Under: Costumes Tagged With: kylo ren, kylo ren cosplay, rey, rey and kylo ren, rey cosplay, star wars, star wars the force awakens, the force awakens

Allon Book Series – Shannan Costume

May 13, 2018 by Briana 8 Comments

6078727060_0b43ecd4fc_b Since today is Mother’s Day, rather than sharing the typical “I love my mom!” (which, obviously, I do), I thought I’d switch things up and share of the fun work my mom has done. Did you know she’s a published, legit author? True story! She has written screenplays for children’s television (Bravestarr, anyone?), historical fiction novels, and an ongoing allegorical fantasy series called Allon.

A few years back, Mom asked me to create a tangible costume for one of the lead characters to accompany the artwork in publicity. For background on the character, Shannan is the female heroine from the first 4 books. From birth, she is destined to bring back the return of the mysterious Guardians and help Prince Ellis take his rightful place as ruler of Allon. She is a strong, but caring girl, wise beyond her years (and needs to be to deal with a young, hot-headed Ellis!) and an expert hunter. Her grandfather whisked her away upon her birth as she was marked for death by the Dark Way (Why, you ask? Well, you’ll just have to read the book! 😉 ). As such, Shannan lives in the secluded forest of Dorgirith away from prying eyes and invasive questions.

IMG_0465This was actually my first attempt at creating a full costume from start to finish. But being the costume enthusiast I am, I was quick to take up the task. I knew that I wanted to make a movie-level costume (or as I like to say, a “Weta-level” costume, named for the illustrious Weta Workshop in New Zealand). This particular costume is from the beginning of the book where Shannan’s character is introduced. It a forester’s costume in basis, but with it being in the world of Allon, we tred to stay away from the cliched medieval look. The era of costume I designed for Allon is patterned roughly around the renaissance period, but with a fantasy aspect as well (as Allon is a fantasy world not unlike Middle Earth). Stealth and ease of movement in Shannan’s clothes  are essential. So I designed the costume to keep with a utilitarian fashion.

Then comes the icing on the cake – the photography. Lauren Athalia is one of the most top-notch photographers I’ve ever met. Not only does she know how to wield a camera to maximize the beauty of a naturally-lit scene, but also knows how to use that light to bring out the best qualities of her models. (I have a difficult time with photographers not lighting my face properly and thus my weak jawline becomes my undoing – i.e. my face and neck tend to appear to blend into one another in most photoshoots. I know when I look in the mirror I have a jaw! It’s probably a minor point to most, but Lauren managed to capture my usually elusive jawline on camera and I  couldn’t be happier.) I wanted to give both my mom and Lauren the best pictures I could and boy did I get them.

IMG_0367The really special treat with this photoshoot was that I had a co-star, and a four-legged one at that. One of Shannan’s companions in Allon is a wolf named Torin. Lauren has a knack for procuring incredible sets, props, and animals. So my co-star was a full-blooded Timberwolf named Breeze. Now Breeze is not a pet. I’m not sure about all the details, but she was a rescue. She was a bit skittish at first around us, as wolves usually are around strangers. It took about 30 minutes for her to warm up to me, but it wasn’t long before we started to call her Miss Kiss-n-Run, as she’d quickly lick my face off and then bolt away. I hate to sound cliched, but it was a dream come true for me to be playing alongside a real wolf. I’ve always had a deep loves for wolves. (I think one of the first jobs I ever wanted was to be a zoologist just so I could work with wolves. It was a sad sad day when they got rid of them at the Nashville Zoo.) But before I get sappy, here are Lauren’s beautiful photographs.

IMG_0542IMG_0184(2)IMG_0458IMG_0406IMG_0396IMG_0225IMG_0290IMG_0308IMG_0249IMG_0255IMG_0324-2IMG_0258IMG_0244IMG_0362IMG_0500IMG_0279IMG_0498IMG_0585IMG_0549IMG_0551For those interested, I have older blog posts written of how each piece of the costume was created.

The Concept: http://theladynerd.com/shannan-costume-the-concept/

The Cowl: http://theladynerd.com/shannan-costume-the-cowl/

The Undershirt: http://theladynerd.com/shannan-costume-the-undershirt/

The Jerkin: http://theladynerd.com/shannan-costume-the-jerkin/

The Sleeves and Bracers: http://theladynerd.com/shannan-costume-the-sleeves-and-bracers/

The Pants & Boots: http://theladynerd.com/shannan-costume-pants-and-boots/

The Quiver & Belt: http://theladynerd.com/shannan-belt-and-quiver/

The Pouch & Wineskin: http://theladynerd.com/shannan-costume-pouch-and-wineskin/

The Wig: http://theladynerd.com/shannan-costume-wig-and-winter-shoot/


Filed Under: Costumes Tagged With: allon, allon book, allon shannan, shawn lamb, shawn lamb allon

Dark Rey Cosplay

May 5, 2018 by The Lady Nerd 2 Comments

Dark Rey on Jakku by Kyle Matthew Williams. Cosplay by The Lady Nerd2018 is the year I’m catching up on The Lady Nerd blog. I am woefully behind…(but on the bright side, it gives me lots to post when I’m unable to come up with new content! #silverlining). I just realized while I’ve shared these pictures on social media, I have never posted them here. This photoshoot is from 2016. 2 YEARS AGO! Oi…While I could heave a heavy sigh about this timing travesty, instead I’m going to finally post this shoot on this particular day because yesterday was May the 4th…

Today is Revenge of the Fifth.

Behold Dark Rey.

Dark Rey Pose by The Lady Nerd. Photograph by Kyle Matthew WilliamsThis outfit was a last minute decision, borne out of an unfortunate circumstance. I had just endured a traumatic breakup and hadn’t left the house yet. After a week, my dear friends at Kuiosikle Props did what they do best – cheer me up with cosplay. Our local geek bar, Battle and Brew, was having a cosplay night with the theme of villains. I didn’t have anything for it, but they brainstormed helping me put together a dark version of Rey from Goodwill pieces. It took a minute for me to get into it, but soon I realized the challenge was exactly what I needed.

Dark Rey cosplay by The Lady Nerd. Photograph by Kyle Matthew WilliamsSo off to Goodwill we went! For $10 we found a dress to mimic the original wrap dress and a second dress with Kylo Ren-esque sleeves that we cut off to make gauntlets. I added my paltry attempts at dark eye makeup and set off to the event. So many of my friends were there and surrounded me with such love that Villains’ night turned into Hero night for me.

Villains Cosplay Night at Battle and Brew in Atlanta, GAThen comes Kyle Matthew Williams.

“I HAVE to shoot your Dark Rey!”
“What? That was just a crappy thing I threw together for a couple bucks for cosplay night at B&B. It’s not a thought out design wise…”
“I don’t care. I HAVE TO SHOOT IT.”

My attempts to argue fell on deaf, but excited ears. Soon after we met at Mount Arabia to shoot. This is when I learned that when you have a good photographer who really knows their craft, they can make even a cheap, haphazard Goodwill costume look amazing.

Dark Rey Pose by The Lady Nerd. Photograph by Kyle Matthew Williams So….Did anyone else think Rey was going to go dark in The Last Jedi?

Filed Under: Costumes Tagged With: dark rey, rey, rey cosplay, star wars rey

The Last Jedi Rey Cosplay

May 4, 2018 by The Lady Nerd 9 Comments

This post contains affiliate links

The Last Jedi Rey cosplay by The Lady Nerd. Photography by FotoMike.

December 2017 premiered one of my favourite Star Wars films to date (more on that later. I’ll be doing a video with a friend on this particularly controversial statement). I had no intention of doing another Rey cosplay, but I loved The Last Jedi so much that I knew I had to pay tribute to it in some manner.

I sat on the idea for a while as summertime Georgia doesn’t lend well to Skellig Island-esque views. But an opportunity presented itself in the form of a cross-country trip to the mountainous misty regions of the Pacific Northwest. What a perfect location to mimic Ahch-to, right?! Well, so I thought…alas, due to me being relegated to a tight cruise schedule and ever-changing weather, I was not able to do a photoshoot with the outfit I had put together specially for the occasion.

I was devastated.

I had excitedly told followers this shoot was happening as well as folks I had bought pieces from. I wasn’t able to hold up my end and so I sat on the outfit for months. But all was not lost. In a rare sequence of events, everything lined up just right to the epic pictures that follow.

Rey Cosplay by The Lady Nerd. Photographed by FotoMike. While I was still feeling bummed out, I knew I still had to shoot the outfit. So, I approached one of my favourite photographers, Michael Rivera (who did my Bride of Frankenstein shoot, Spider-girl, etc.) to try to figure out how to shoot this look with the less-than-ideal locations we had locally. We decided on Stone Mountain and hoped for the best. Little did I know what was waiting for us at the shooting location…

Stone Mountain Fog

We arrived at Stone Mountain on a quiet grey day and were greeted with the most stunning fog. I was beside myself with joy! While it didn’t necessarily look like coastal Skellig Island, fog always makes for interesting pictures.

Rey contemplating on Ahch-to. Cosplay by The Lady Nerd. Photographed by FotoMikeTruth be told, grey days have never been my favourite – those sullen days devoid of colour, of happy light, and lacking warmth. Being a creature that seems mainly solar powered, rainy days usually worsen my depression and keep me chained with lethargy away from being productive. I loathed rainy days.

That is, until recently.

Thanks to a combination of shows like Outlander and Game of Thrones, with their ethereal locations to dreamily sighing over beautiful misty aesthetics on social media, and finally my own trip last year through the snow-laden Rockies and glacier covered Alaska, I have come to love misty days. There’s something truly fantastical about them; the way fog descends onto the treetops and eerily kisses the ground.

Contemplation. Rey cosplay by The Lady Nerd. Photographed by FotoMike. Staff by the Helpful NerdRey cosplay by The Lady Nerd. Photographed by FotoMikeUse the Force! Rey cosplay by The Lady Nerd. Photographed by FotoMikeNow that the epicness has been addressed, let’s rewind to the outfit, shall we?

Rather than doing a full cosplay, I decided to go the ‘inspired-by’ fashion route. (Of course, once I put the pieces together I realized it looked like a cosplay and not an everyday outfit. Ah well…Rey closet cosplay!) I bought the vest and fingerless gloves from Elhoffer Design‘s first run of the Galactic Scavenger Sweater (she has a  cropped version up now). The material is incredibly soft and fits me like a glove!

Galactic Scavenger Sweater by Elhoffer Design. Worn by The Lady Nerd. Photographed by FotoMikeElhoffer Design Scavenger Vest detail. Worn by The Lady Nerd. Photographed by FotoMikeI purchased the shirt off Amazon from a lovely lady with her own clothing line. The hunt for pants was a bit frustrating as I had terrible luck finding anything remotely like brown capris at the time. Thankfully, my friend Kayla came to the rescue and gave me her old Rey pants as she worked on a new pair. Coupled with my Rey belt from 2 Player Game Cosplay and Props, scavenger bag donated by another friend, and the amazing 3D printed staff from The Helpful Nerd, the look completely came together!

Rey staff by The Helpful NerdLast but certainly not least are my beloved Po-Zu boots. I was blessed to be among the first to get the Piper brown boots when some of us steely-eyed cosplayers discovered the boots from this small London shoe company. They’ve gone on to get a license with Disney and have a whole line of new Star Wars footwear! I’m so happy for them! They certainly deserve it with their wonderful customer service and did I mention RIDICULOUSLY comfy shoes? Wearing my Rey boots are like walking on clouds (memory foam insoles are the best!). They’re made of all sustainable materials – tweed, cork, natural rubber, and coconut fibre. I can’t recommend them enough.

Po-Zu rey boots. Photographed by Foto Mike

May the Fourth be with you!

Rey derp by The Lady Nerd. Photographed by FotoMike
Photograph: Michael Rivera
Hair: Gina Rivera (because I’m HORRIBLE at those stupid buns…)
Vest & Gloves: Elhoffer Design
Top: Amazon – Ooh La La
Cape
: Elhoffer Design
Pants: Elendriel
Belt: 2 Player Game Cosplay and Props
Bag: Gifted
Shoes: Po-zu
Staff: The Helpful Nerd

Filed Under: Costumes, Uncategorized Tagged With: rey cosplay, star wars rey, the last jedi, the last jedi rey

Female Tony Stark

May 2, 2018 by The Lady Nerd 9 Comments

Natasha StarkEnter Femme Tony Stark.
 
Also known as Natasha Stark in an alternative universe labeled as Earth 3490. (In comic lore, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four went searching alternate realities for a universe in which the Civil War did not happen, thus avoiding the atrocities that came after.)

Natasha StarkBut how would a female version of Iron Man look? I imagine fairly similar, with the same air of arrogant sex appeal that Tony Stark does. As my makeup artist for the shoot put it, “Stark looks like he bought a $5,000 Armani suit, went home and slept in it. Then got up the next morning and walked into a photoshoot. All that money, a bit of bedhead, marinated in scotch.”Natasha StarkAlas, I don’t have Stark’s bank account (or Marvel’s movie financing division either) so I had to settle for a little less on the expensive scale. I will fully admit being a fan of the store H&M as their clothes almost always fit my oddly proportioned body (loooooong torso, short legs. Heels are my proportionate friend). The prices are on the lower end, which my wallet is grateful for.

I’m always on the lookout for a well-cut blazer on my meager budget. H&M didn’t fail to deliver. I went to simply browse the store’s summer collection only to walk out with not one, but two sharp blazers (I’ll feature the second one in tomorrow blog post).

Natasha Stark “…What are you?”
“Genius, billionare, playgal, philanthropist.”

I’m female.
FE = Iron.
Male = man.
Therefore, I am IRON MAN.
Photography: RBC Image
Hair: Abraham Saucedo
Makeup: Courtney Walters
Khaki Blazer with Leather Sleeves: H&M
Black Blazer: H&M
Arc Reactor: Custom made by Pixelbash Props
White tank top: Forever 21
Black tank top: H&M
Watch: Target
Belt: Target
Pants: Express
Shoes: Aldo via DSW Wharehouse

Filed Under: Costumes, Modeling, Outfits Tagged With: female ironman, female tony stark, femme ironman, femme tony stark

Vogue Loki

April 27, 2018 by The Lady Nerd 3 Comments

10514826_10204453179834236_1714115788_n
It is here.

The moment we’ve been waiting 10 years for – the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Infinity War! I’m excited to see it this weekend! For the obvious reasons of course, but also because I had the pleasure of being cast as an extra for two different alien races. Apparently I was specially requested for my “chameleon face”. D’aww, shucks…though I suspect it was because I made them laugh at the stifling 2am call times.

*arrives on set a little too bouncy from early morning adrenaline*
“Ooo, Avengers facial time!” *snuggles into the chair with a dopey smile*
“She just called the next 4 hours of us putting makeup and prosthetics on her “relaxing…”
“Yeah, and?”
“Can we work with you all the time?”

With that I got to check off one of my bucket list experiences – undergoing body makeup and prosthetics on a movie or TV show. Can’t get any bigger than Avengers: Infinity War!

Alas, I didn’t have the resources to pull together an Infinity War inspired outfit in time (story of my life, eh?), so instead I thought I would do a throwback to one of the favourite villains of the MCU.

Shortly after the first Avengers film came out, a friend suggested that, in no uncertain terms, I should do a female version of the title trickster, Loki. After a few rounds of online research, I came to the conclusion that the only femme designs created at the time were cocktail dresses or short Lolita-esque frocks (not that I mind anyone wearing these sorts of things, mind you. The designs just didn’t quite jive in my head). Loki has a flair for theatrics, so I figured if everyone showed up somewhere in cocktail dresses, Loki would show up in a full-fledged gown. Why? Because she could. So I quickly sketched out a two-piece gown inspired by both the film and comic version of Loki. My representation is not as exact as I wanted to keep a high fashion element to it. Thus Vogue Loki was born.

IMG_9076

The biggest deviation on this costume design was that I pulled from my experiences as a model and love for high fashion to craft an haute couture look. This ended up being the main influence for the photoshoot, to push it more towards looking like a magazine editorial.

IMG_9162IMG_9227IMG_9219IMG_9126 IMG_9156  IMG_9165   IMG_9279

COSTUME NOTES:

Hair: My own hair simply blowdryed, brushing the hair back from the face then spraying the heck out of it for sheen and staying power.

Makeup: MAC makeup artist Aisha Daly did the honours. She did a mixture of black and green eyeshadows with green glitter eyeliner on the top and gold glitter eyeliner on the bottom, complete with false eyelashes and black glossy lipstick. (We also opted to go for a “no eyebrows” look, common on high fashion, but also because that is the look Female Loki in the comic sports!)

Dress: All one piece made by Angelica of Angelly Cosplay – https://www.facebook.com/angellycosplay?fref=ts (I designed it completely, but I can’t sew to save my life, so I left that in her much more capable and talented hands). The green fabric is 100% polyester made to look like silk dupioni (we used the wrong side because it had a nicer sheen to it). The skirt has 13 panels in it to give it that wide, flowing look. The black material is actually a polyurethane psuedo-leather skirt from the 80s we hacked up for the vest-like piece. On the shoulder, we put in a brass zipper from Hobby Lobby, pulled apart with separate strands on each shoulder.

Necklace and cuff: Forever 21

Tights: DKNY

Shoes: Aldo

**********************************************************************************************************

Picture 1: Brownlee of RBC Image (https://www.facebook.com/RBCIMAGE)
Pictures 2-6: Kyle McLaughlin (http://www.studiokgm.com/)

Filed Under: Costumes, Geek Couture, Modeling Tagged With: female loki, lady loki, loki cosplay, vogue loki

Tomb Raider – The Photoshoot

March 19, 2018 by The Lady Nerd 4 Comments

As mentioned in the previous post, in May 2013, I teamed up with Dim Horizon Studios to do a photoshoot of my Tomb Raider costume. But being the oddball sort I am, I couldn’t just do a standard shoot. Oh no, I had to make it like a mini film project, complete with location scouting and script.

The story is basically a one-day diary entry (which I came up with from one of the early videos of the new game where Lara is writing in a journal). It takes place a few days after the initial shipwreck as I wanted to keep it early on in the game. I didn’t want to go too far into the game to avoid spoilers (well, that, and less props to deal with it. Had to make it easy on myself somehow!). In the spirit of the game, the story is basic survival (with a little dash of humour thrown in as my little rebellion against the game being so dark. That’s my only personal gripe with the new Tomb Raider is the shift to more survivalist horror than Indiana Jones/Bond-style adventure. But that’s just my own personal preference.). Without further adieu, here is the photoshoot!

It happened so fast…My ship, the Endurance, is gone, torn in half like a broken toy.

20130413-IMG_7032-Edit-Edit1As I climbed up the river bank, I laughed because I survived, and laughed until I cried. I wanted adventure, but this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.

20130413-IMG_7157-Edit-EditThey don’t ever tell you how cold the nights are, how…sticky blood is, or that no matter how many times you throw your clothes in a river, the dirt never really comes out.

20130413-IMG_7432-Edit-EditWhen I first crawled up the bank and into the woods, I left a trail of blood behind me.

20130413-IMG_7390-Edit-EditMy wounds had long since gone numb, but that hadn’t stopped the blood from dripping out. I put a stop to it in the only way I could: bandages, as tight as I could make them, and then some.

20130413-IMG_7641-Edit-EditI remember screaming with pain, but the hoarse shouts sounded like someone else’s voice.

20130413-IMG_8035-Edit-EditIf I didn’t find fresh water soon, I knew I wouldn’t live to scream again.

20130413-IMG_8089-Edit-Edit-4When you’re truly alone, all you can think about is the next step. Your mind screams for home, for a safe place, but in a place like this, the next step is all you have.

20130413-IMG_7374-Edit-EditPutting one foot in front of the other, I began to explore my surroundings, determined to find any source of water this god-forsaken island could offer.

20130413-IMG_7912-Edit-Edit1At first I thought I was imagining the roaring sound in my ears….

20130413-IMG_7616-Edit-Edit…but when I came across a waterfall, it was as if my prayers had been answered.

20130413-IMG_8152-Edit-Edit1What a beautiful sight that water was to behold.

20130413-IMG_8179-Edit-EditI drank all I could manage and more, trying in vain to fill a vast emptiness inside me. It was the sweetest water I’ve ever tasted; I think I’ll carry the memory of that taste for the rest of my life. I had no bottle though, so I couldn’t take any with me. Note to self: Look for a thermos tomorrow at the wreckage site.

20130413-IMG_8285-Edit-EditAs I rested, basking in the cool refreshment, I became lost in the dark thoughts plaguing my mind since the wreck. A noise in the forest brought me back to reality.

20130413-IMG_8367-Edit-EditFor a moment, all I could hear was my heartbeat, when sudden movement nearby had me up on my feet, bow in hand.

20130413-IMG_8460-Edit-EditThat’s when I heard it, a terrible, echoing howl….I didn’t stay to find out what manner of creature that unnatural sound belonged to.

20130413-IMG_8552-Edit-Edit20130413-IMG_7849-Edit-Edit-4I ran as fast as I could back to the safety of camp. It took me a long time to catch my breath afterwards, but I left the howling far behind.

20130413-IMG_8537-Edit-EditNow I use the last bits of sun to write in my journal, one of the few things that miraculously survived the wreck. Alone, hurt, but unbroken, I will survive on this island no matter what. I dare not venture back into the jungle in the dark; one wrong step could break a leg, or a neck. I have no food or water left, and I’m so very, very hungry…

20130413-IMG_8703-Edit-Edit…but I know I have to be strong. I can do this. This island will not defeat me.

20130413-IMG_8718-Edit-Edit
Photograph: Dim Horizon Studio
Makeup: Matt Silva
Costume and props by: Me, Meredith Placko, Austin Sirkin (holster), Adam Greene, Carter Eastis, Kristen Anne
Hair: Gregory Dobrasz
Script: Me, Austin Sirkin, Philip Maddox

Filed Under: Costumes Tagged With: lara croft, lara croft cosplay, tomb raider, tomb raider costume

Tomb Raider 2013

March 13, 2018 by The Lady Nerd 3 Comments

TombRaider_hero_SurvivorIn April of 2013, there was a reboot of one of my favourite video games of all time – Tomb Raider. I grew up with the games, first playing the games at a friend’s house, then becoming obsessed with the movie versions (In middle school I ran around in black tees and shorts with my hair in a French braid. I was meticulous about getting those two bangs in place). I had a great love of adventure stories and games, so here was this seemingly perfect combination of a female Indiana Jones and James Bond, yet still a character in her own right. I couldn’t help but like her and for lack of a better phrase, BE her.

I grew up with a very devil-may-care attitude that I cultivated from Tomb Raider, watching too many adventure/sci-fi movies, and being in paramilitary programs (CAP, JROTC). So I had a habit of running off to do things like four-wheeling, gun ranges, multiple forms of martial arts, fencing, almost getting my pilot’s license at 15, search and rescue exercises, survival training, and obstacle courses.

Fast forward to adulthood, whereupon I discovered both cosplay. I was so excited that as soon as concept artwork was released, I went to town to begin my costume. Truth be told, I wasn’t confident that I could pull off classic Lara Croft with her sexy, grown-up woman face (I feel like I tend to look more like a kid). So when I saw her new look, I just about jumped out of my skin. Now here was a version I could pull off! There was no question. I had to do it.

I poured my all my years of yearning to do a Tomb Raider costume into it. I researched for 2 years on the screen-accurate materials, colours, and props. Friends taught me how to distress, make the props, and basic archery form to take it to the best level of realism.

Tomb Raider The Lady NerdTwo years later, I had the costume finished despite eBay mishaps and it being one of the first major costumes I had done. I was so proud of the work that had done that I was chomping at the bit to photograph it. But I didn’t want to do just the same ol’ cosplay portraiture. I wanted to do something different. Being a storyboard artist, my brain naturally went to creating a story. I decided to run with this idea of narrative and wrote up a script. Then it was time to figure out who would be crazy enough to shoot it…

Enter Dim Horizon Studios.

Dim Horizon BioshockI had stumbled across Dim Horizon Studios while searching Dragoncon photos the year before. I saw their iconic Bioshock photograph was blown away. So I immediately found their Facebook page and started following them. When I put up the casting call for a photographer, they shot me a message to throw his name in the ring. I was giddy to oblige as I had been wanting to work with them quite badly. In addition to photographic talent, Matthew and Nicole Nicholson are some of the loveliest folks you’ll ever meet. Add in Matt Silva of Black Tie FX for special effects makeup (of Face-off and insanely good hair fame) and Adam Greene of Pixelbash Props for various assisting duties (he made the necklace I’m wearing out of real jade!). Hard-working, easy going, loveable geeks, the lot of them. They listened to my harebrained scheme, put up with my desire to trek all the way down to the pools of Cloudland Canyon, Georgia to shoot (bless you, Nicole), and even fed me afterwards.

Hungry Lara Croft(Lara was a bit hungry after surviving that island….)

20130413-IMG_7546-Edit Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post of the photoshoot (complete with script!)
20130413-IMG_7550-Edit 20130413-IMG_8641-Edit(Seriously, can I have his hair?)

Filed Under: Costumes Tagged With: lara croft, lara croft costume, tomb raider, tomb raider 2013, tomb raider cosplay

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Greetings programs! I'm Briana - artist, model, and avid costumer. Welcome to my little corner of the blogosphere.
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