This Photographer has no quest for you, currently

As someone who LARPs as well as photographs, there are times when one is required to make a choice.  Should I take photographs “in character” or “out of character.”

Not all photographers are comfortable or competent to play a character, but I have met other LARPer photographers who are quite happy to provide the same options as me to organisers.

In case the difference is not clear.  

• An in-character photographer will be posing and costumed as a character that is appropriate to the setting and where it would make sense for them to take photographs.  The character is often, but not always, a journalist.

• An out-of-character photographer stays more in the background and actively avoids participation with the players.  They are not usually costumed.

I do like in-character photography as it provides a little more agency to interact with the player.  The out of character photographer is more like a nature photographer - passively observing, waiting and hoping for something interesting to happen.

There’s a problem though, which is that whether in-character or out-of-character, the LARP photographer is often going to be ignored or looked past anyway.  It’s as though players assume that there is nothing to be gained through interacting with the NPC photographer, even if they are told they can.

There’s certainly been occasions where I’ve been well enough connected with the plot and crew room to have clues or secrets that I could leak, but no-one ever thinks to ask.   I need the equivalent of one of those World of Warcraft yellow exclamation marks floating above my head.

If you see several photographers at a LARP and wonder why they are hanging out together it’s probably a response to being ignored by players for the majority of the time.  The players aren’t mistreating the togs, it's just that they have a reality filter and photographersare not part of their reality.

It would be great to see that one LARP, that actually wants an in-character photographer, step up to the play and provide a character sheet or brief. I am not holding my breath for it to happen.

So this photographer has no quest for you, currently.