What Is LARP?
LARP, short for Live Action Role Playing. In other words, living out a role-playing character firsthand. Moving like them, fighting like them, eating like them, adopting their personality, their virtues, their weaknesses, and of course... their way of dressing. The attention to detail of some enthusiasts is truly impressive, and photographer Boris Leist captured over the last four years the extraordinary effort of the most dedicated and demanding LARPers out there.
LARP vs. Cosplay
Now, many wonder if LARPing is the same as cosplay. Although the line that separates them can become a bit blurry on some occasions, their main characteristics are well defined. The LARPer is inside a game that takes place in real life, exploring entire worlds, each with its own rules, advantages, and restrictions, while the cosplayer does not follow a rigid structure, prioritizes the visual, and the roleplaying of their character is completely optional. Of course, this interpretation of mine is not enough, and on the Web you can find dozens of debates dedicated to exploring differences and similarities between cosplayer and LARPer, but one thing is certain: The images you will see below, from the German photographer Boris Leist, show us characters that could compete in any convention, and end up in the top positions.
