Gale
I went downtown to check out the Convention Centre which was hosting Fan Expo Canada, a celebration of popular culture which is described as follows: “The largest Comics, Sci-fi, Horror, Anime, and Gaming event in Canada and the 3rd largest Pop Culture event in North America.” It is a magnet for people of all ages (but mostly the young) who put tons of effort and creativity into creating costumes for the event. I have discovered that if I hang around the entrance I can often get some nice posed street photos of the attendees.
I had not yet arrived at the Convention Centre when I saw this young man with friends in the Sky Walk, an impressive glass-enclosed passageway connecting Union Station to the CN Tower. He was doing some final tune-up on his impressive costume. I met him at the top of an escalator and stopped to compliment the creative outfit. Meet Gale.
Gale explained that he has turned himself into Raiden, the lead character in the Metal Gear video game. He spent most of the summer working on the costume which is made up mostly of common materials, creatively fashioned into this amazing outfit. When I proposed photographing him for my Human Family project he was delighted and I knew that by posing him a few steps away, the atrium behind him would create a dramatic effect. Gale, with the help of his friends, did a quick couple of touch-ups on the costume and we did the photos while his friends patiently sat on the floor waiting.
Gale is just 18 and his family is from the Philippines. He is interested in the arts and looks forward to attending college where he wants to study digital arts. When not studying and creating costumes, he is an avid video gamer. Gale seemed a bit shy but was quite engaging as we chatted. His biggest challenge in life? “I would say it is family. I live in a stressful family situation. That and finances.” His advice to his younger self? “Spend your money more wisely. Honestly, when I look back on where my money has gone I realize it was mostly on crap.” Well, I thought, it’s better to learn that lesson at 18 than later in life. A message you would like to share through the project? “Never give up. I’ve been working on this costume all summer and I had great hopes for it but things kept going wrong. I didn’t give up and now, even though it’s not perfect, I’m quite pleased.” He reached to adjust a strap on his shoulder to cover a gap in the armor where a plate had shifted.
We exchanged contact cards and I told Gale I hoped he would like his photos. I could see through his mask that he was smiling and his eye was sparkling. “Actually, I’m really impressed by the photos. I can’t wait.” I offered to shake hands in parting but told him I didn’t want to get slashed. He laughed and said “Don’t worry. It’s mostly just EVA foam.”
Thank you Gale for taking the time to meet and participate in my project. I hope you have a lot of fun at Fan Expo with your friends. This is my 318th submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.
You can read what Gale has to say about himself here: haiirotori.tumblr.com/.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
Follow-up: I received a very nice email from Gale telling me how pleased he was with the photos. Glad to hear it, Gale. :-)
Gale
I went downtown to check out the Convention Centre which was hosting Fan Expo Canada, a celebration of popular culture which is described as follows: “The largest Comics, Sci-fi, Horror, Anime, and Gaming event in Canada and the 3rd largest Pop Culture event in North America.” It is a magnet for people of all ages (but mostly the young) who put tons of effort and creativity into creating costumes for the event. I have discovered that if I hang around the entrance I can often get some nice posed street photos of the attendees.
I had not yet arrived at the Convention Centre when I saw this young man with friends in the Sky Walk, an impressive glass-enclosed passageway connecting Union Station to the CN Tower. He was doing some final tune-up on his impressive costume. I met him at the top of an escalator and stopped to compliment the creative outfit. Meet Gale.
Gale explained that he has turned himself into Raiden, the lead character in the Metal Gear video game. He spent most of the summer working on the costume which is made up mostly of common materials, creatively fashioned into this amazing outfit. When I proposed photographing him for my Human Family project he was delighted and I knew that by posing him a few steps away, the atrium behind him would create a dramatic effect. Gale, with the help of his friends, did a quick couple of touch-ups on the costume and we did the photos while his friends patiently sat on the floor waiting.
Gale is just 18 and his family is from the Philippines. He is interested in the arts and looks forward to attending college where he wants to study digital arts. When not studying and creating costumes, he is an avid video gamer. Gale seemed a bit shy but was quite engaging as we chatted. His biggest challenge in life? “I would say it is family. I live in a stressful family situation. That and finances.” His advice to his younger self? “Spend your money more wisely. Honestly, when I look back on where my money has gone I realize it was mostly on crap.” Well, I thought, it’s better to learn that lesson at 18 than later in life. A message you would like to share through the project? “Never give up. I’ve been working on this costume all summer and I had great hopes for it but things kept going wrong. I didn’t give up and now, even though it’s not perfect, I’m quite pleased.” He reached to adjust a strap on his shoulder to cover a gap in the armor where a plate had shifted.
We exchanged contact cards and I told Gale I hoped he would like his photos. I could see through his mask that he was smiling and his eye was sparkling. “Actually, I’m really impressed by the photos. I can’t wait.” I offered to shake hands in parting but told him I didn’t want to get slashed. He laughed and said “Don’t worry. It’s mostly just EVA foam.”
Thank you Gale for taking the time to meet and participate in my project. I hope you have a lot of fun at Fan Expo with your friends. This is my 318th submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.
You can read what Gale has to say about himself here: haiirotori.tumblr.com/.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
Follow-up: I received a very nice email from Gale telling me how pleased he was with the photos. Glad to hear it, Gale. :-)