UPDATED ON JUNE 9th to add images.
I was lucky enough to be accepted as a photographer for the Phoenix Comicon this year being held in downtown phoenix at the Phoenix Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency Hotel. This year was my first year shooting at the Con and first year attending (it has always been to far for me), and let me say it was a hell of an experience. I’ve never dealt with all the many things and issues and complications shooting that I did these past 4 days. I’m going to break this down into a Thur. post (this one), a Fri. post, a Sat. post, and a Sun. post. After the images appear on the conventions website I will then post them on my own Flickr site, as well as my photography website, and on here.
I shot many things, peoples, people as things, and things as people. Sounds insane don’t it? Well it was, and it was also great! Ok now lets talk about Thur.
Thur. I had to work in the afternoon so I did not get to the Con until about 5:30pm. I entered quickly (glad to have been volunteering as the line for regular people not volunteering was down the side of the South building of the convention and it was hot) and was able to get my badge without an issue and the little blue ribbon that stated “Convention Photographer” that went under it, I had heard from my roommate at the Hyatt Jedi Bunny (I’ll post a pic of him later) that the line had started forming around 1:30pm or so… now remember its now the summer, and its also Phoenix, Az… outside, and costumes just should not mix. I felt bad for all those people who waited in line forever to get their badges and get it (yes that was a looong run on sentence, I know). I was anxious to get started and called one of the lead photographers as per instructions. I was then told what was needed as mentioned in an email I had received earlier and was then told “have fun, and good luck.”
The first thing I did was enter the exhibitor’s room and saw many MANY things. Everything you could think of from the comic and manga world was there. It was insane, but in a good way. I saw so many things I would have liked to buy, so many things I wanted that were not for sale but part of people’s costumes, and things I would never want lol.
What did I do? I started shooting pictures as that is what I volunteer’d for; I had been accepted as a photographer for the convention. We were given free range as to what to do with a bit of criteria. Big on the list was kids in costume, which you think would be easy there right? Nope. Thursday night they were about non-existent in costume and out. The few kids that I did see, I felt so awkward sort of following trying to get their pictures lol. I will say that at first the entire thing was a bit intimidating, it got better as the weekend went by but at times I still felt a bit I don’t know, out there, as this was a new experience.
The hardest shoot that night for me was the Anime Rave, it was almost pitch black aside from the glow sticks and a few party lights casted on the walls and floor. The images I shot in there I tried to capture using the light from the glow sticks and the lights being projected. I’ll post a few images in this post once the convention posts my images, if they like any that is lol!
I had stated to write this past last night but since I had about 10 hours if lucky the past 4 nights I crashed early and slept a lot today. I needed to refuel in the sleep department. I had hardly ate as well these past 4 days, just not any time to do anything because you don’t want to miss that shot, ya know. Well thats it for now, I’ll post Fri, Sat, and Sun, accounts later this week.
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