PhotographyBanzai.com

Anime Magic is a relatively small but growing anime convention in the Chicago area, and 2022 marked my first time attending. I was curious to check it out mainly to photograph cosplayers. Even though it’s not as massive as Anime Central, I wanted to get this video edited before the next convention I plan to attend. Entrance to the main area. I have to say, Anime Magic was a pleasant surprise! It had a nice layout and while not nearly as huge as Anime Central, there were some unique aspects that made it stand out, which I’ll go over. A younger crowd. The convention definitely had a younger crowd than I’m used to these days. But hey, whatever works! With the younger vibe, my focus naturally gravitated toward capturing group cosplay photos. Funny enough, the much larger C2E2 convention was happening downtown the same weekend. I would’ve liked to attend C2E2, but getting into the heart of Chicago is such a hassle. Anime Magic ended up being a nice compromise for me. Squid Sisters paintings...

Here’s a video talking about photography at Anime Central 2023. Midway through the video I talk about guidelines I follow and suggest that people wanting to do photography at conventions also follow. This applies to attendees with smartphones as well as general photographers unfamiliar with convention photography. I’d hope that convention and cosplay photographers already keep these considerations in mind! Photography at Anime Central Pretty simple, but a good way to have fewer issues and not accidently make the convention a bad experience for others. In my vertical YouTube Short I condense the video so it’s focused on the guidelines aspect. Ask for a photo. Avoid taking candid photos. I often motion with my camera and they give me a nod or whatever which works too. Don’t ask for a photo when cosplayers are eating, on the phone, or clearly in a rush. I also tend to not ask when they appear to be in a serious conversation with someone. If there is a big group taking photos already, then...

How much does online video and two websites pay a collective viewership of probably a bit over 1 million views/interactions per year? I’m talking all of my YouTube channels, on-site Amazon videos that get commissions, affiliate links I place in descriptions and on my websites. Not bothering to count Instagram and TikTok , but I do post videos on those websites too even though I can’t do click-able links or receive ad revenue sharing due to not meeting their requirements. Plus, only one of my 8 YouTube channels is monetized which accounts for 810k of the total in 2023. The YouTube channel homepage. The largest YouTube channel that is in YPP. You can see a clear downtrend over 2023 in addition to 13% fewer views than 2022. I post normal videos and Shorts on the channel. My best guess is that a lot of my 950+ videos have aged out of relevance besides global trends and YouTube itself.   Channel statistics for 2023. A bit less than $10k USD for the year before tax. My Amazon efforts...

The recently released Nikon DX 12-28mm looks pretty nice! I’d be tempted to go all Nikon if they’d release something with a video focus that’s a step above the Z30. I still have a pair of Canon EOS M6 Mark II cameras for mostly video that basically have the same feature set as the Z30, so little point upgrading sideways in my case.  The new wide angle APS-C Nikon Z DX lens. For people just starting to get into online video creation I do think the Z30 is a fine option. Especially with recent discounts taking the body price down to $607 on B&H (as of the creation of this article). The Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens The lens I use the most with the M6ii is the Canon EF-M 11-22mm. Now that Nikon has something similar in focal length and features like close focus plus optical stabilization, they are on my radar as a future replacement to my EF-M equipment. The Nikon Z30 What I’d like to see in an improved APS-C video focused camera from Nikon: EN-EL15 battery to match most of th...

Viltrox sent me this interesting two sided tube light to check out and make a video on. This overview follows my collaboration terms I’ve defined with brands. I usually keep the devices sent to me, but they have no say in the content of anything I create. If products sent to me are low quality I simply don’t make a video and will return it to the manufacturer at their own expense. The tube light from Viltrox. Watch the overview on YouTube. At the end of this article I have a full transcript if you prefer to read. Introduction: The Viltrox H18 tube light is a versatile lighting tool that offers both RGB and bi-color options. With its compact design and numerous features, this portable light provides flexibility for various lighting needs. In this article, we will explore the key features and specifications of the Viltrox H18 tube light. The light has two 1/4th-20 mounts. One on each end. Dual Lighting Options: The Viltrox H18 tube light features RGB lighting on one side and bi-color lig...

Here’s my full video review of the the Nikon 28mm f/2.8 lens where I talk about using it with a Nikon Z5 camera at multiple conventions, events, and even nature photography.  Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 Overall, it’s a reasonable option if you are on a budget and want a larger aperture range plus internal focus compared to the kit lens. The 28mm on a Nikon Z5 camera body. This lens is compact and has the build quality of their NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 kit lens so that means a plastic mount. Not ideal, but feels sufficient enough. Don’t expect weather resistance from this lens as there is no back gasket. What the lens would look like in the two Z sensor formats. Besides the convenient and compact size, I like that the lens is completely internal focus. Their more recent Z 26mm f/2.8 lens is higher price but smaller and extends its inner barrel when focusing. So now there’s a somewhat difficult decision for Nikon Z owners as to which best fits their needs. For me the more compact nature when not ...

Thanks to the motivation and transportation from a local friend, I was able to attend the c2e2 convention on that Saturday for 2023. Day trips are pretty viable and at least for that convention it’s the only way I’ve experienced it (2011 and 2018 articles are on this website) Here’s the Facebook image gallery. I’ve been trying to think of options to host cosplay photos on other sites besides Facebook. I would be nice if there were backups online so if FB has issues my cosplay photo work would still be available. A while back I cleared my Zenfolio connection on Facebook and it ended up deleting a bunch of photosets. So at the very least I need to re-process and upload those (EDIT: These photos magically showed back up at one point which is good! Saves a lot of time and effort, but I'm still on only the one platform). With the passing of Kevin Lillard  I have definitely been thinking about making sure my cosplay photo work is as accessible as possible. The problem is time and indirec...

I found this little camera bag from Case Logic at a local store on discount so it seemed like it would be worth making an overview video on.  The bag! I could see it being a decent little pack for small digicams and actions cameras. Especially if you are using a larger backpack without padding. You can use this as an added layer of protection. It seems like this pack was designed in the era of old compact digicams. They are not nearly as popular these days but I can see various types of other gear that would fit.   It works well with small digicams like this old Canon PowerShot Digital ELPH S200. I’d say it’s a good option for most action cameras. With the GoPro 9 and max lens mod attached it was difficult to zip up the compartment, but it works well when that isn’t attached. The secondary compartment can fit one or two average sized camera batteries and a few memory cards. This GoPro combination barely fits.  You can take the max lens off and it will fit better. Both the mod with its ...

I attended one of the CosMeetUp Chicago cosplay photography events! This specific event was back in 2022 but I just recently was able to make a video about it. This was my first one since they started in 2019. Their goal is to have safe and friendly events where people in the cosplay scene can share their skills for the sake of creating cool work. A few pictures from the event. Update 9/29/2023: Eddie was removed and/or left the group due to various misconduct allegations. Apparently two additional organizers “Phoebe” and “Troy” left. I don’t know specifics and haven’t been able to fully decipher the various Instagram posts and stories. I would simply be cautious regarding any future events run by this group. Anyways, the entire situation is ironic given the group’s purpose was meant to be a safe alternative to Anime Midwest which is run by an individual with his own set of allegations. My photos Gallery from the event. For this event I used the Nikon Z5 with the Z 50mm f/1.8s lens. It...

I did photography with the Canon PowerShot ELPH 180, Canon EOS M50 plus 15-45mm kit lens, and a Moto G Stylus 5G smartphone at my local Japanese garden to see what differences there are in a real world situation. Does the camera really matter that much if you are posting pictures to a social media website or similar? As with pretty much anything like this, it depends. Let’s talk about it! What's the difference? The video (full transcript at the bottom of this article): This excursion was back in the summer of 2022. The garden I went to has a no tripod policy, so I was juggling the three cameras with every similarly framed photo. I ended up not getting a ton of similar photos to compare. In retrospect I should have tried to get more, but there were enough to show differences. Detail close up between the ELPH 180 (left) and the M50 with its 15-45mm kit lens is not that different here. If the full photo were displayed at a small output resolution it’s possible you couldn’t notice. Che...