Skip to main content

My Photography Techniques at Chicago Comic Con 2012

Usually I write a summary at the bottom of my articles that are primarily meant to update viewers about new photographs. This time I’m separating the technical into its own article so that I can go into a bit more detail.

On Friday I had attended a small photo session at Cantigny Garden in the morning and afternoon. Once that was finished, I had around 1.5 hours to spend at Chicago Comic Con. I made the most of it and ended up with around 100 photos of cosplayers and costumers.

Friday at the convention:

  • Pentax K-5 camera
  • Pentax FA* 24mm f2 lens
  • Sigma flash, diffuser, green flash gel placed in the diffuser.

Time was limited, so I used one camera and lens with a focus on covering what cosplay I ran into. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of activity so late in the day. There were plenty of people cosplaying, even more so than I remember seeing on the Sunday of Comic Con 2011. My intention with the flash gel was to equalize the color of the flash light to ambient. The gel wasn’t fully covering the flash, which in retrospect was a good thing. I thought the lights in the convention center had a green tint to them (florescent), but I’m not so sure now. It’s really difficult to judge the color of the light there. I’m seeing more of a yellow tone than anything else. A friend suggested that the lights are high bay metal halide, so I’ll have to research that to see what color temperature they generally are. The results were pretty good and the moderate level of activity in the evening worked out well with the somewhat wide angle lens (24mm + 1.5x crop).

Saturday at the convention:

  • Pentax K-5
  • Pentax DA 14mm f2.8 lens
  • Sigma flash and diffuser

This time I was expecting large crowds and was not let down. The wide angle lens was ideal for the situation and worked well for the most part. On occasion I got a bit too close to my subject with the wrong camera settings, resulting in a washed out photo because the flash put out too much light. The rectilinear nature of the lens gives a flat field even though there is a large amount of information in the frame. Aperture wise, I stayed consistently at f3.2 so that I could get a lot of ambient light in. The convention center, especially the main room conventions use for housing dealers, is dark with oddly colored light. I’m happy with the results, but I knew what to expect because that lens has been a consistent performer for many conventions.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Nikon Z5ii Announced and My Thoughts vs the Original Z5

The Nikon Z5ii was announced recently. I haven't actually used this new camera myself, so keep that in mind. This is going to be mostly me looking at the specs and comparing it to the original Nikon Z5, which I've been using for a few years now. The original Nikon Z5 camera. Overall, the original Z5 isn't a bad camera. I've gotten it to a point where it works how I want it to and it's reliable for what I do.  My main use case is often anime and comic conventions, going there and taking photos of people in cosplay. I usually use the 40mm f/2 lens on the Z5, and it works well for that.  First-person view using the Nikon Z5 at an anime convention. Nikon Z5ii vs Z5: The Spec Sheet Comparison  Nikon has a handy comparison section on their Z5ii page, so let's break down some key differences based on that and my experience with the original. Nikon's website comparing the Z5ii and the original Z5 specifications. First up, the sensor. The Z5ii gets a backside-illumi...
Read more

Nikon D3500 Hands-On And Opinion

Today we are taking a look at the entry level standard F-mount Nikon DSLR in their line-up. This is the latest iteration in their D3000 series of cameras started in 2009.  With lower cost DSLR we can expect certain features like FP sync not being included as well as fewer direct control dials and other buttons. For this iteration it comes with a 24.2 megapixel DX (APS-C) sensor with a sensitivity range of 100 to 25600.  My video on the camera. Get the Nikon D3500 DSLR Camera through my links: Amazon.com , BHPhotoVideo.com , Used on KEH.com , Walmart.com , and eBay.com As an affiliate of these shops, I earn from qualifying purchases!  The D3500’s sensor is visible in cleaning mode. There is no shake reduction in the camera, but the kit lens does have VR. The standard optical viewfinder has 95% frame coverage with a 0.85x magnification.  The DSLR focusing system is the 11-point Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection giving you a detection ran...
Read more

Xenvo Smartphone Lens Kit Overview

I recently took a look at the Xenvo "Ultimate Smartphone Lens Kit," an add-on system designed to enhance your phone's camera capabilities. I purchased this myself; it wasn't sent to me, and I wanted to share my experiences using it. The kit aims to give you both wider angle shots and detailed macro photos using a clip-on lens system. Let's see what's included and how well it works. The Xenvo "Ultimate Smartphone Lens" Kit packaging. What's in the Box? Opening the box reveals the core components: the lens system itself, which consists of a 15x macro lens and a 0.45x wide-angle lens attachment. It's important to note that the wide-angle piece needs to be screwed onto the macro lens to function correctly; using the wide-angle part alone doesn't really produce a usable image. Inside the box: the lens, case, and accessories. You also get a plastic clip mount to attach the lens assembly to your phone. Alongside the lenses, Xenvo includes severa...
Read more