PhotographyBanzai.com

I decided to put another one of my books on this website. I wrote this back in 2010 – 2011. I’ve evolved as a (convention/cosplay) photographer a lot since then, but it is still worth a read. Check it out on Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4g0A7eC As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases!  I took this photo at Otakon. Description: Learn all about the exciting subculture that is convention photography! Straight from the experiences of a long time convention attendee, He has spent years improving his skills in all aspects of photography and how that relates to the convention scene. From tips and techniques to the best practices of cosplay photography, everything is here for your reading pleasure!  Whether you are interested in conventions in general or want to get into either cosplay or photography, this book is a great fit to help you further your goals or just expand your knowledge on the subject. 

We recently had a moderately sized meetup at a local garden. One of the photographers there also does videography and decided to put together a video featuring all of the photographers at the event.  The videographer is Charles R. and he goes by the handle “Hikikomorisama.” You can see more of his video work here .  EDIT: On the off chance cosplayers or photographers see this... know that you need permission, likely in the form of paid access to the garden. Especially true with a group. Over the years they had issues with this, so please respect the garden and its staff if you consider visiting with the intent of photography.  I was interviewed in the video.  Video created by Hikikomorisama. I’m featured around the 1 minute mark ( direct link to that time here ). Well done! I’ve tried a few convention scene related interviews in the past, but nothing with that level of production quality.  Here is the photographer interview on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19nHd-NCtlQ

I attended Anime Central 2013. A few hours on Friday, all of Saturday, and Sunday until around 2pm. Facebook gallery (tag-able) Here are a few of my favorite photos of ACEN 2013: I think I might start focusing more on private photoshoots at future conventions. 

I have an overview view of this reflector on YouTube. I have a small 12 inch Promaster reflector that has silver on one side and gold on the other. I also have a few Rogue filter gel rubber bands (2 work a lot better than one in this case). Put them together and it makes a pretty serviceable flash bounce. If you are interested in this product, find it on Amazon here . As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases!  Why I had never tried this before I don’t know… Basically strapping the reflector to the flash. Makes it multi-purpose. Check out the image below for a quick test of the setup: The Promaster reflector in its case. There are a lot of options added with a simple small reflector. A few things to note: The built-in bounce card also had the plastic diffusion panel covering the flash. In this case with a small room I think it worked a bit better than it would in most circumstances. The cloth diffuser/reflector has been my go-to accessory for the flash. I have used that ...

A friend and I went to a large cosplay related gathering last weekend. It was located at Navy Pier in downtown Chicago. Here are the photos I had taken: Facebook Gallery (tag-able after “liking” the page)  Navy Pier Overall, the meetup went well. We had quite a few hours to take photos and enjoy what the location had to offer. There were some issues toward the end, but that related to what one would expect from Chicago and how they treat a large group of people with many in costume. I’m not fond of Chicago and their policies related to photographers, so it is better I don’t get into ranting mode and will leave it at that. The weather was somewhat drab and cold, but not bad enough to hinder anything. Actually, the overcast clouds are good for photography because you can avoid having harsh contrast you would expect to get in the middle of the day this time of year.  The event group. My camera gear consisted of: Nikon D600 Nikon 50mm f1.8 Nikon SB-800 flash   I did have two...

I attend Katsucon with a friend. This convention is located in National Harbor Maryland, which is at least a 13 hour drive from Northern Illinois. The main draw of this convention has been cosplay making it a good convention to visit. My decision to go was really abrupt, but it worked out pretty well. Check out my convention report for more general talk about the convention! Facebook  (you can tag yourself after liking the main page): Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday National Harbor Katsucon is a convention that is appealing to a person who likes photography. The event location is amazing with both great indoor and outdoor locations. The hotel has a large open area with a glass roof, so sunlight is amply available and the outdoor harbor location is also great for photos (as long as the weather hold up). Cosplay is especially big here, which means you have a large number of potential photo ops and should stay busy throughout the entire convention if that’s what you like doing. ...

I ended up with around 715 photos and a few video clips. My technique was varied and depended on the level of effort at any given point in time. I didn’t bring my manual flash and RF triggers. They take a certain level of effort I don’t find that enjoyable for quick hallway cosplay photos, so moving forward, I probably won’t use them that often for this purpose. I was lucky enough to turn my remaining consignments into a 1-to-1 trade-in for a SB-800 flash unit. I am very happy with the results and simplicity it brings to the table.  Facebook Galleries (tag-able):  Friday ,  Saturday ,  Maid Cafe ,  Masquerade , and  Sunday The SB-800 was used to create a balanced foreground and background exposure. Friday: I arrived pretty late to Arizona and only attended the convention around two hours. I decided to go simple with the Nikon D600, SB-800 flash, and 50mm f1.8 lens. This combination allows for a large amount of general versatility and especially good at nigh...

Another convention done with more photos to show everyone! This time I was fully loaded with equipment. Two camera bodies, a number of lenses, and two flash units. I managed a pretty elaborate setup for 1 1/2 days, but eventually pared it down to less than half. I’ll get to the technical side of things after a few example photos. A few photos with information on how they were made: I had a photoshoot with a cosplayer that I know well. This was one of the many photos I had taken. I like the back-lighting and overall contrast of the image. I probably was using wireless flash from the upper right. (D600, 50mm, f2, ISO 800, 1/90th)  This photo was taken in the hallways of the convention. I like the “in your face” perspective as well as the bright colors. The 28mm lens on full-frame is still capable of nice background blur in many situations. (D600, 28mm, f2.4, ISO 800, 1/90th) This photo was taken at the cosplay contest. I decided to go with the 85mm lens instead of the 70-210mm becaus...

I’ve started doing off-camera lighting practice outside with the Nikon D600 and fully manual flash units. The sessions consist of self portraits with various styles of lighting and settings. I’ve done two so far and have plans for more. If you find my settings odd, take note that I have been shooting with half-stops instead of third-stops. It is easier because I don’t have to scroll through a bunch of values and more importantly, the notches on the meter are easier to understand. I shoot at least one stop under exposed, but more than likely between that and three stops. Even more so with the shots at f8 in my second session. Session #1: Two position-able lights on tripods. Flash were bare most of the time, but I also used the built-in wide angle diffusers and bounce cards at times. The lens I used was the Nikon 28mm f1.8g. Session #1 Example photos:  f3.3, 1/180th, ISO 50 f3.3, 1/180th, ISO 50 f3.3, 1/180th, ISO 50 You should be able to tell how I setup lights pretty easily with those ...