Daily Inspiration: Meet Paul Umali

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Umali.

Hi Paul, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started photography when I purchased a refurbished Nikon D3200 in 2014. Photography as a hobby seemed to run in the family so I wanted to see if I liked it or not. I eventually began to really enjoy it after doing small photo favors for friends as my gear slowly grew.

As a lifelong fan of anime and Japanese culture in general, cosplay was something I had a great love for, as it was a way that 2D could be translated into the real world. I had always wanted to attend conventions but didn’t make the jump into it until 2015 when I realized cosplayers made great photo subjects. My first convention was Naka-Kon that year. I fell in love with everything and regularly started going to conventions in the area.

In addition to getting hallway shots of cosplays I liked, I would make it a goal for every convention, I attended to take photos of the cosplay contest. At some point, I decided to share them on Facebook and got a heavily positive response from the community, so I always make sure to share as a way to give back for the joy I get from seeing everyone’s work they put into their cosplays.

I treat photographing cosplay contests kind of like the light gun games I used to play in arcades. Each cosplayer is on stage for a limited time, and there are only so many opportunities for good shots, with lighting environment, obstructions, etc. affecting the overall set. The feeling of getting a focus point on the target, squeezing the shutter button for a burst, and finding out you got a perfect, in-focus shot while they were recreating one of your favorite scenes is something else.

Bruised my tailbone a couple of times to get the shot, but it was totally worth it.

After some friends kept bugging me about it, I started an Instagram and Facebook Page in 2018 with the name Timeslip Photoworks as a place to dump my photos. In early 2020, I decided to start doing photo shoots at conventions as a way to improve my photography. Canceled conventions were a bit of a low blow, but cut to 2022 and I feel I’m still at the opening cutscene with some endless exposition beyond the horizon.

I’ll continue practicing my craft to capture cosplays (and non-cosplays) as best I can. There will always be room for improvement. As Goku said to Professor Oak in season 72 of Naruto the Last Airbender: “I wanna be the very best.”

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a first-generation Filipino-American, it’s always been difficult for me to find a good fit, especially with my narrowed interests. Photography has just been a way for me to get different perspectives from the outside looking in and, in a way, self-medicate.

I’ve never had a good enough self-image or self-esteem to get into (serious) cosplay itself, but I figured I could do the next best thing and take as many cosplay photos as possible. This had the added benefit of helping me with some introversion issues since asking random strangers for photos wasn’t a thing I was used to. I’ve discovered that I am able to absorb at least a little bit of the happiness I see from a cosplayer’s immediate reaction to one of my shots.

Any challenges I’ve run into have been (sometimes intentionally) self-inflicted, mostly consisting of powering through thousands of cosplay contest photos in one sitting due to a fear that I’ll procrastinate on them for a long time if I stop, or forget a piece of gear and forcing myself to think on the spot. It all usually ends up working out in the end, though.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Photography is just one of my hobbies.

Professionally, I have been a software engineer for 10 years as of 2022 working in healthcare technology. I’m a proudly-unashamed, stereotypical turbo nerd otaku that dislikes superficial trends. I have never really cared for what is the “current thing”, rather focusing on the “future thing”. I have always been more of an observer, and I find that this lets me appreciate and notice some things more than others.

Prior to a photoshoot, I’ll spend quite a bit of time scouting locations on Google Maps and researching the character(s) being cosplayed–thinking about poses, new techniques to try, etc. I dislike overediting and heavy Photoshopping when subtlety can do a better job emphasizing natural beauty.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Having been born and raised in Kansas City, it’s difficult to notice what’s bad about it without being told about it.

I’m not a big fan of how spread out the city is (across two states, mind you), but there’s a good representation of diverse cultures and interesting people. It could always use more conventions, though. And bring back White Castle.

Contact Info:

• Email: chendehonkhonk@gmail.com
• Website: https://bit.ly/timeslipphoto
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeslip.photoworks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeslipPhotoworks

Image Credits
Paul Umali (Timeslip Photoworks)