I Made A Badass Photoshoot For A Constantly-Bullied Boy So His Bullies Could Only Get Jealous
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My name is Lance Reis and I am a portrait and creative art photographer based in Portland, Oregon. For my shoots, I bring my subjects to life with a mixture of natural light and creative cinematic concepts. For me, the most important elements of my shoots are the connection I make with my subjects and the ability to make anyone feel comfortable in front of the lens.
My friend Andrea came to me because her son, Race, who is eight years old, was being bullied in school and is having a hard time right now. She follows my work and knows I shoot a lot of cosplay photography so she said getting a photo with the Joker would mean the world to him because he is his favorite comic-book character to which I replied, “of course we could do that BUT what if we took it a step further and made HIM the Joker instead.” So with my extremely talented makeup and hair stylists, we did just that.
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My friend asked me if I could photograph her son with the Joker so we took it one step further and transformed him
Race was ecstatic throughout the whole shoot. We have actually been planning this shoot for over a year but had to keep pushing it off due to scheduling conflicts so he’s been excited about this for a long time. The day his mom showed him the photos I took on Instagram of Batman and Joker he was determined to meet the local superhero and villain. He does a really good job at hiding it in these photos but he was all smiles between takes.
I know many cosplayers. And I will tell you their confidence goes through the roof when they put on that costume. It’s actually beautiful to see someone so shy come out of their shell and feel The freedom to be themselves. I think it’s something we can all relate to as we’ve all been children during Halloween and put on that costume of our favorite superhero or a villain. I think my favorite thing about people my age who cosplay is the fact they haven’t lost their imagination. I wish more people were willing to dress up and feel like a kid again.
Seeing the pain in his eyes completely took me back to when I was his age and relentlessly bullied. That was the roughest time of my life and I’m devoted to impacting children who are bullied. I would certainly say by the end of the photo shoot he walked a little taller smiled a bit bigger and held his head a little bit higher. I could see a shift in confidence from beginning to end. And that’s exactly what photography is all about isn’t it?
According to his mom, following the shoot Race wouldn’t stop talking about the photo shoot and plans on blowing up the photos and hanging them in his room. And after the big reaction from the shoot, he’s already talking about wanting to model or get into acting. And judging by his performance considering it was his first photo shoot I would absolutely encourage that.
If I can give these kids even just a fraction of their confidence back and empower them through my photography I’ve done my job. As I told him and every child I’ve worked with, we can get past it and grow up to do great things. Look, now he easily has the coolest photos of anyone in his school, so suck it bullies.
I’ve done a few other empowering shoots with children, including Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty. I also have a passion for bringing awareness to hard-hitting topics like addiction, depression, homelessness, racial discrimination, and domestic abuse.
Model: Race | MUA: Jordan D | Hair: Kaylee S | Batman: Collin J
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Troubled youth whose favorite character is the Joker... uh.... Maybe there should be a bit more than a photo session. The Joker is interesting and fun, but maybe he needs a more positive role model than a murderous psychopath who’s life mission is to cause chaos.
The Joker is not his role model. He likes the character Heath Ledger played so brilliantly in the Dark Knight - please don't turn this great thing into something it shouldn't be. He's a great kid if you only knew him - Race's mom.
yes, Andrea! Exactly. i am so glad your son got to do this photoshoot....and i hope the little turkeys that made him feel small feel small in their turn. People who are WAY TOO INTO comics and take them so very seriously need to lighten up. PS....did it work? are the bullies leaving him alone? hugs to you both.
I think it's awesome, and I hope Race carries the happiness he had during the shoot with him for a long time.
Don't listen to those idiots, they clearly have an incredibly low IQ
I thought it was awesome. I was bullied as a kid and would have loved something like this. Ignore the detractors & trolls.
He looks amazing, Andrea. I love the Joker too and have the Heath Ledger one tattooed on my arm. It's plain to see that he really enjoyed the photo shoot and it really bolstered his confidence. I have also suffered bullying when I was a kid and I really hope that the kids now treat him like the star he is. Good luck to you all.
I agree it's okay as long as the character of the Joker in The Dark Knight does not become an obsession for him. If he were to isolate into that character, and shy away too much from more positive role models, well then I'd probably get worried. He should perhaps eventually be able to turn more towards the lighter role models and heroes, at least to some extent, so that there is a balance. I guess what I'm saying is, this should be a temporary thing, and not become an obsession, so that he can hopefully grow into something else, once he starts to feel stronger and more confident when facing his peers and the rest of the world.
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I’m glad to hear it. I’m not trying to turn it into anything. I’m showing concern for potential issues. I know that vulnerable people can take inspiration from various places and not all of them are healthy.
This does come off as more than a little disturbing.
For your information, I actually make costumes for cosplayers. There is a big difference between dressing up in a Joker outfit to win a costume contest, and dressing up in a Joker outfit because pretending to be an insane murderer gives you a sense of self-confidence.
Plenty of people dress up as Harley Quinn or Maleficent. Plenty of kids dress up Joker for halloween. So when they come around trick-or-treating am I going to tell their parents they need help? No! A friend of mine dressed up as him awhile ago. Why? Because as an actor, he really admired Heath Ledger in it. I see no problem in that.
You clearly have no idea what cosplay is. Spend your weekend educating yourself about it.
Good counseling is great and he may already go. You don't know the boy or his thoughts so there's no need to be so judgmental.
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No legitimate counselor would think dressing up and acting like a muderous psycopath to build confidence is a good idea.
Oh please man! He's 8.*its not Charles Manson. It's the joker. Leg the kid have fun
@Zero Yet the kid's frame of reference seems to be the movie.
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You clearly know nothing about the Joker. Go read Death in the Family, The Killing Joke, Brian Azzarello's "Joker", Detective Comics #741, Death of the Family, and the first two issues Injustice Gods Among Us, just to name a few stories with some of the Joker's most horrific crimes. Once you've done that, then get back to me. If your only frame of reference for the character comes from movies and television, then you have no clue how disturbing this is to see. While he may be fictional, the Joker is not a character who should be looked up to or taken lightly.
The bullies are the troubled ones.... SMH
I think it’s pretty irresponsible from you to even pretend to know the kid. The fact that he likes the Joker tells you nothing of his psychological state. Bad guys in movies are by far the most interesting characters there are. That’s it, I think you are reading the situation from an adult perspective which is usually the wrong way to understand this.
He likes a well written, complex character, he's not confusing that with a role model. He isn't a "troubled youth", he's a young person who's being bullied. And liking a well written, complex character is vastly different from emulating that character's actions. It's a cosplay photo shoot, not a bank robbery. Those of you who think this is "disturbing" really need to get a grip.
So you moralize over what "Hero" a bullied boy has? I had a badass hero-antihero too when bullied at school, and I turned out fine, it's empowering to feel that you don't have to be perfect to be strong, but rather strike from below. Extremely few grow up to be criminals, you know, it's rather the bullies who turn out bad in the end.
I dressed as a victim of a car accident one Halloween..... I was 7. I turned out fine
Kinda different.
This is why I hate people. The kid was inspired to model and act not kill and burn everything. But. sure, Karen.
Oh for goodness sake. He's a kid having a great time. Don't project your crap onto this. Maybe YOU need a little more positivity into YOUR life.
Im shaking my head in disbelief reading this shitty comment. Ya know I tried to ignore this comment, but the more I tried to forget about it, the more and more it got under my skin. First off Jace your comment needs to be deleted because it's fucked up in so many ways. How dare you down a child, a fucking CHILD and insinuate that he might grow up to be mentally unstable. The poor kid is trying to find an outlet to express him self and it's assholes like you, other negative commenters and the asshole kids that bully him, that would probably put an end to this completely innocent and positive way to express himself, before he even got a chance to try. How dare you say anything other than something positive to a child thats being bullied. And for the record my son's middle name is Jace, you are now the reason I wish I could change it. With your female ass hair. I'm sure your parents predicted you were gonna grow up to be an asshole. Congrats for living up to it and not letting them down.
Yeah... so reread the article.
because football players aren't? (or, you know any of the hundred of the murderous bastards with a hero-complex in most action flicks.)
therealpixie you can't spell latter correctly, so don't go around saying oh I my grammar just I like I know buttholes like no. stop.
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It's purrrrfect..except toss out that last photo. It kinda kills the mood.
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He's receiving chaos already, why does it matter what character he likes? And learn to use proper grammar, it's whose not who's
@Therealpixie: I prefer the term “grammar patriot”, myself. I don’t think proper grammar should ever be associated with, or compared to Nazi behaviors. :-)
Donna Webber: thank you for correcting my grammar. I’ve edited my post to replace “who’s” with “whose”. I’m normally pretty damn good with my spelling and grammar. It’s a shame you couldn’t be polite about it, though. [shrug] As for the “why does it matter part”, I think I made that clear in my original comment.
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There's being a grammar nazi, and then there's being an a**hole; you are the later. (As you see, I know my grammar as well as I recognize a**holes.)
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He is too you to watch the film to begin with. I'm sure if it's his idol it's not because of who the joker is.
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It doesn't say he watched the film you moron, he reads the comic books dumbass
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I agree with Jace. How about dressing up instead as an abortion doctor? At least they have a positive mission. Wait.....what!?
having a favorite comic book character doesn't have to mean the kid idolizes the joker. plenty of people are slytherin fans. does that mean they're death eaters in their hearts?
I mean a few of us are but I don't think it matters. Then again I'm going to highschool.
I am not very familiar with Harry Potter but I’m fairly certain that Slytherin House is entirely different from the Joker, especially the one portrayed in numerous Batman comics, or by Heath Ledger(?) in the semi-recent Batman films (which seems to be the style this boy was dressed up to emulate).
You can't compare Slytherins and The Joker, Joker is a psychotic murderer and Slytherins are a group of people; that are not all bad by the way. Good lord!
Good thing Slytherins aren't all evil, and especially are not all Death Eaters. Did you read the books or even watch the movies?
Handsome boy and wonderful project <3
Troubled youth whose favorite character is the Joker... uh.... Maybe there should be a bit more than a photo session. The Joker is interesting and fun, but maybe he needs a more positive role model than a murderous psychopath who’s life mission is to cause chaos.
The Joker is not his role model. He likes the character Heath Ledger played so brilliantly in the Dark Knight - please don't turn this great thing into something it shouldn't be. He's a great kid if you only knew him - Race's mom.
yes, Andrea! Exactly. i am so glad your son got to do this photoshoot....and i hope the little turkeys that made him feel small feel small in their turn. People who are WAY TOO INTO comics and take them so very seriously need to lighten up. PS....did it work? are the bullies leaving him alone? hugs to you both.
I think it's awesome, and I hope Race carries the happiness he had during the shoot with him for a long time.
Don't listen to those idiots, they clearly have an incredibly low IQ
I thought it was awesome. I was bullied as a kid and would have loved something like this. Ignore the detractors & trolls.
He looks amazing, Andrea. I love the Joker too and have the Heath Ledger one tattooed on my arm. It's plain to see that he really enjoyed the photo shoot and it really bolstered his confidence. I have also suffered bullying when I was a kid and I really hope that the kids now treat him like the star he is. Good luck to you all.
I agree it's okay as long as the character of the Joker in The Dark Knight does not become an obsession for him. If he were to isolate into that character, and shy away too much from more positive role models, well then I'd probably get worried. He should perhaps eventually be able to turn more towards the lighter role models and heroes, at least to some extent, so that there is a balance. I guess what I'm saying is, this should be a temporary thing, and not become an obsession, so that he can hopefully grow into something else, once he starts to feel stronger and more confident when facing his peers and the rest of the world.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I’m glad to hear it. I’m not trying to turn it into anything. I’m showing concern for potential issues. I know that vulnerable people can take inspiration from various places and not all of them are healthy.
This does come off as more than a little disturbing.
For your information, I actually make costumes for cosplayers. There is a big difference between dressing up in a Joker outfit to win a costume contest, and dressing up in a Joker outfit because pretending to be an insane murderer gives you a sense of self-confidence.
Plenty of people dress up as Harley Quinn or Maleficent. Plenty of kids dress up Joker for halloween. So when they come around trick-or-treating am I going to tell their parents they need help? No! A friend of mine dressed up as him awhile ago. Why? Because as an actor, he really admired Heath Ledger in it. I see no problem in that.
You clearly have no idea what cosplay is. Spend your weekend educating yourself about it.
Good counseling is great and he may already go. You don't know the boy or his thoughts so there's no need to be so judgmental.
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No legitimate counselor would think dressing up and acting like a muderous psycopath to build confidence is a good idea.
Oh please man! He's 8.*its not Charles Manson. It's the joker. Leg the kid have fun
@Zero Yet the kid's frame of reference seems to be the movie.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
You clearly know nothing about the Joker. Go read Death in the Family, The Killing Joke, Brian Azzarello's "Joker", Detective Comics #741, Death of the Family, and the first two issues Injustice Gods Among Us, just to name a few stories with some of the Joker's most horrific crimes. Once you've done that, then get back to me. If your only frame of reference for the character comes from movies and television, then you have no clue how disturbing this is to see. While he may be fictional, the Joker is not a character who should be looked up to or taken lightly.
The bullies are the troubled ones.... SMH
I think it’s pretty irresponsible from you to even pretend to know the kid. The fact that he likes the Joker tells you nothing of his psychological state. Bad guys in movies are by far the most interesting characters there are. That’s it, I think you are reading the situation from an adult perspective which is usually the wrong way to understand this.
He likes a well written, complex character, he's not confusing that with a role model. He isn't a "troubled youth", he's a young person who's being bullied. And liking a well written, complex character is vastly different from emulating that character's actions. It's a cosplay photo shoot, not a bank robbery. Those of you who think this is "disturbing" really need to get a grip.
So you moralize over what "Hero" a bullied boy has? I had a badass hero-antihero too when bullied at school, and I turned out fine, it's empowering to feel that you don't have to be perfect to be strong, but rather strike from below. Extremely few grow up to be criminals, you know, it's rather the bullies who turn out bad in the end.
I dressed as a victim of a car accident one Halloween..... I was 7. I turned out fine
Kinda different.
This is why I hate people. The kid was inspired to model and act not kill and burn everything. But. sure, Karen.
Oh for goodness sake. He's a kid having a great time. Don't project your crap onto this. Maybe YOU need a little more positivity into YOUR life.
Im shaking my head in disbelief reading this shitty comment. Ya know I tried to ignore this comment, but the more I tried to forget about it, the more and more it got under my skin. First off Jace your comment needs to be deleted because it's fucked up in so many ways. How dare you down a child, a fucking CHILD and insinuate that he might grow up to be mentally unstable. The poor kid is trying to find an outlet to express him self and it's assholes like you, other negative commenters and the asshole kids that bully him, that would probably put an end to this completely innocent and positive way to express himself, before he even got a chance to try. How dare you say anything other than something positive to a child thats being bullied. And for the record my son's middle name is Jace, you are now the reason I wish I could change it. With your female ass hair. I'm sure your parents predicted you were gonna grow up to be an asshole. Congrats for living up to it and not letting them down.
Yeah... so reread the article.
because football players aren't? (or, you know any of the hundred of the murderous bastards with a hero-complex in most action flicks.)
therealpixie you can't spell latter correctly, so don't go around saying oh I my grammar just I like I know buttholes like no. stop.
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It's purrrrfect..except toss out that last photo. It kinda kills the mood.
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He's receiving chaos already, why does it matter what character he likes? And learn to use proper grammar, it's whose not who's
@Therealpixie: I prefer the term “grammar patriot”, myself. I don’t think proper grammar should ever be associated with, or compared to Nazi behaviors. :-)
Donna Webber: thank you for correcting my grammar. I’ve edited my post to replace “who’s” with “whose”. I’m normally pretty damn good with my spelling and grammar. It’s a shame you couldn’t be polite about it, though. [shrug] As for the “why does it matter part”, I think I made that clear in my original comment.
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There's being a grammar nazi, and then there's being an a**hole; you are the later. (As you see, I know my grammar as well as I recognize a**holes.)
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He is too you to watch the film to begin with. I'm sure if it's his idol it's not because of who the joker is.
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It doesn't say he watched the film you moron, he reads the comic books dumbass
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I agree with Jace. How about dressing up instead as an abortion doctor? At least they have a positive mission. Wait.....what!?
having a favorite comic book character doesn't have to mean the kid idolizes the joker. plenty of people are slytherin fans. does that mean they're death eaters in their hearts?
I mean a few of us are but I don't think it matters. Then again I'm going to highschool.
I am not very familiar with Harry Potter but I’m fairly certain that Slytherin House is entirely different from the Joker, especially the one portrayed in numerous Batman comics, or by Heath Ledger(?) in the semi-recent Batman films (which seems to be the style this boy was dressed up to emulate).
You can't compare Slytherins and The Joker, Joker is a psychotic murderer and Slytherins are a group of people; that are not all bad by the way. Good lord!
Good thing Slytherins aren't all evil, and especially are not all Death Eaters. Did you read the books or even watch the movies?
Handsome boy and wonderful project <3