I recently created a video from GoPro footage and photos I took at an impromptu trip to Colossalcon North in 2024, which is held at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. It has been a while since I visited this hotel. The convention Daisho Con used this space for years, which I had gone to a few times. It was nice to check it out again!
The weather was nice, which is the main reason I'll decide to go. Considering it was November in the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin area, nice weather is a big factor for me. If it's snowing I'm going to pass.
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| The main lobby of the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. |
My Photography Gear and Settings
For this trip, I was using my usual setup: the Nikon Z5 with the Nikon Z 40mm F2 lens. It's a cost effective combination, especially with how expensive camera equipment is getting. The Z5 isn't perfect, and its autofocus is not amazing, but if you take enough photos and set the camera up properly, it can be pretty decent.
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| The Nikon Z5 camera paired with the compact Nikon Z 40mm f/2 lens. |
This time, I made a small but helpful adjustment to my settings compared to previous conventions. I used a minimum shutter speed of 1/160th of a second, a little faster than the 1/125th I usually had used at the time. This helps because I move around and take photos quickly to not waste anyone's time. A higher minimum shutter speed is ideal in that situation.
I use face and eye detect autofocus in continuous mode (AF-C) and have it set to focus priority rather than release priority. The camera does have sensor based stabilization, but when you are taking a photo of a person, shutter speed is the main thing to consider.
As is typical with cosplay photography, I tap on the screen a lot to set the focus point, because face detect doesn't always work well if the cosplayer has a mask or elaborate makeup on.
At the time of the convention, I was using version 1.43 firmware on the Z5. I do think the newer firmware has helped out a bit with autofocus. I also updated the firmware of the lens to version 1.10. The release notes didn't state any specific improvements, but I feel like the newer firmware helped the combination of this camera and lens.
The Arcade: A Prime Photo Spot
One of my favorite places to take photos at the Kalahari is the arcade. It has a huge skylight, which provides great natural light during the daytime. This, combined with the interesting backgrounds from the games and attractions, makes it an ideal spot for snapshots.
Unrelated to the photography, I especially like the upper level of the arcade. You can get some cheese curds at the bar, hang out, and look down over the lower level. It's a really nice area!
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| The entrance to the Tom Foolery's Adventure Park arcade inside the Kalahari Resort. |
The mixed lighting in the hotel and arcade is the real challenge. Dealing with white balance in post processing is always a long, intensive hassle. But natural light has its benefits in the final look, as long as you can get the white balance corrected properly. In the arcade, with the bright lights from the machines, I do need to occasionally adjust exposure compensation in aperture priority, though manual mode is also an option if you prefer.
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| Cosplayers portraying Donquixote Doflamingo and Buggy from One Piece in the arcade. |
Hallway Photography Challenges and Techniques
Doing hallway cosplay photography is very challenging. I would suggest considering using your own lighting for more consistency, but I prefer to do things quickly and don't want to flash people a lot. It's a give and take with the quality and consistency of the photos versus carrying more equipment and dealing with the downsides of each. I have used flash in the past, but it's been a long time.
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| A cosplayer as Chiaki Nanami from Danganronpa poses in a hallway with challenging mixed lighting. |
Because the autofocus isn't perfect with this camera and lens combination, I always try to take multiple photos of each cosplayer or group. This way, I can account for situations like blinking, especially in groups and anything else like missed focus. I've never had an issue where I didn't get at least one decent photo.
When photographing groups, it's generally a good idea to use smaller apertures. Don't just use your maximum aperture like f/1.8 unless you have to. I often forget and leave the lens wide open, which can result in some people in a group photo being visibly out of focus. Ideally, you want to step back a bit and use a larger f-number to increase the depth of field. Sometimes I'll switch who I'm focusing on in group photos, taking a shot focused on one person and then another focused on someone else. This gives them the option to choose the photo where they are the sharpest.
I even embraced the "Dutch angles" a little bit. It's kind of a joke in the cosplay photography scene, but sometimes it's beneficial. If I have a cosplayer with a large prop and I'm limited on space, I might angle the camera to get the whole prop in the frame. It's not ideal, but it can work out.
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| A cosplayer with large scythes, where a Dutch angle helps fit the entire prop into the frame. |
When it comes to posing, I generally just let the cosplayers do their thing. I will suggest adjustments, especially with martial arts poses, as those tend to not work as well in still photos.
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| Dandadan cosplay photography at the arcade. |
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a very nice convention center for photography. Maybe this year I'll try to check out the actual convention itself. We'll see! It really depends on the weather.
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