Cosplay, a portmanteau of “costume play”, is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Then watch highlights of the fashion show in the video after the break. Welcome to a guide on the cosplay photography tips. INTRODUCTION RECOGNIZING COSPLAY PHOTOGRAPHY. Cosplay is actually nothing new, and it has probably been around since the 1970s. But somehow, batman costumes the world of photography doesn’t seem to recognize cosplay photography as a legit “school” on its own yet.