Friday | SPN VanCon 2013

Supernatural conventions in Vancouver are always a big deal. The show is filmed there, and during filming the actors and most of the crew live in beautiful British Columbia. Everywhere you turn there are locations used on the show. People who live in Vancouver will automatically understand when you say that’s the reason you are there. It’s like the Mecca of Supernatural.

Richard Speight Jr, the host of VanCon 2013, dubbed this particular con Porncouver Con. I’m not quite sure why – maybe it was to justify his “pornstache”. But, for the weekend, everyone was to be known by their porno names ( first pet + street you grew up on ) so for the purposes of this post, I am Mindy Subiaco.

I’ll divide the posts up to the the respective days, beginning with Friday.

Porncouver Con kicked off with a panel featuring Emily Perkins (Becky) and Rob Benedict (Chuck). I should have written everyone’s porn names down!

Emily Perkins and Rob Benedict

Emily and Rob were very very sweet and played off well against one another. I love photographing panels with more than one person, because you find so many opportunities for expression coming through – the warmth and depth of a person’s interaction with someone else says a lot about them. It’s no secret that Rob is absolutely one of my favourite people, so I really enjoyed their panel!

Rob Benedict demonstrating why it was called “Porncouver Con”

The next event I photographed on the Friday was the Karaoke Kings “Class of 2013” Party. It’s a tradition every Friday night of a Supernatural Creation Convention. Richard Speight Jr and Matt Cohen are the karaoke kings, and they host the party. It’s free for everyone, and you don’t even have to be attending the convention. People are encouraged to dress up to a theme that Richard and Matt decide on at the beginning of the year – this year it was high-school themed (apart from ChiCon in October, which is always a Halloween party).  Richard Speight Jr came dressed in gym teacher wardrobe worn by Jensen Ackles in an episode of Supernatural, while Matt Cohen came in a skirt. Naturally.

Richard Speight Jr as “Coach”

Cheerleader Matt Cohen

I’ve never really taken photos at the karaoke parties before. I usually just like to watch and sing along. But this year I decided I was going to, which meant fighting my way close to the stage. Which was difficult, and made for a couple of instances where my camera was knocked back into my face! But it was a lot of fun – everyone was getting really into it. These parties get bigger every year, with more and more guests stopping by to see what all the fuss is about.

Emily Perkins, Richard Speight Jr, Ty Olsson and Rob Benedict

And no, I didn’t sing :( One day though! One day I will be confident enough!

When I was editing the photos, I decided to go for quite a muted, almost matte black and white for the panels, while the karaoke is a grittier black and white. It’s subtle and hard to tell unless you’re looking at them side by side. I know I’m probably leaning too heavily on black and white lately but I can’t help it. I think it really lets the subjects shine through.

Matt Cohen and Rob Benedict

Next up: Saturday!

If you would like to see more of Friday’s pictures from VanCon, head over to the galleries here

Dream Kit Additions

Photo via anndrakephotography.com

It’s tempting to think when you’re starting out in any hobby that you need everything. Photography is no exception. Because I’m hoping to do this as a career of some sort, it is especially difficult to let go of that idea that you need the latest and greatest of everything.

Sometimes though, it is nice to think about what you would like to have in your bag of tricks if money was no object.

So what would I add to my kit if I won the lottery tomorrow?

CANON SPEEDLITE 600EX-RT FLASH

Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT front

Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT Back

After my experience at The World’s End premiere, and if I hope to do more premieres (I do!), I really do need to invest in a flash of some kind. The Speedlite 600EX-RT is the newest top-of-the-line flash, with improved durability and power. It has a full swivel head – 180 degrees in either direction – which is good for bouncing light rather than focusing the beam on the subject. The beam itself has a zoom which covers a wide range of 20-200mm. A backlit LCD panel helps with finding settings in the dark.

TAMRON SP 24-70MM F2.8 Di VC USD

Tamron SP 24-70mm f2.8 Di VC USD

This is a “standard” lens, meaning it covers a wide range from true wide angle (24mm) to “short” telephoto (70mm). This wide range means it is suitable for loads of different situations – landscapes, portraits, street photography etc. The maximum aperture of f/2.8 is very fast, and coupled with Tamron’s Vibration Compensation means that it is a great lens to use in low-light situations (lots of light can be let into the lens, without the problem of camera shake).

The Canon manufactured lens of the same range doesn’t come with image stabilisation, so if I were to get a standard lens I think I would go with the Tamron, as I do shoot in a lot of low-light situations (cons, inside exhibition halls etc).

CAMERA FLASH BRACKET

Camera Flash Bracket

I saw a photographer using one of these at the World’s End premiere. It’s used to mount a flash to the side of the lens rather than above it on the hot shoe. This can help reduce shadows and red-eye in the subject.

Flash side mounted on a flash bracket

FLASH BENDER AND DIFFUSER

Rogue Flash Bender and Diffuser

Light from a flash can be extremely harsh and very unflattering, so that’s where a flash bender and diffuser comes in handy! This one from the Photojojo Store is highly flexible and able to bend, flex and roll into any shape required. It works with any brand of external flash, and folds away for easy storage in a camera bag.

Photojojo Flash Bender and Diffuser

LOCHO BAGS DSLR BACKPACK

Locho Bags DSLR BackPack

This last item is functional, but also cosmetic! Locho Bags are a new camera bag company that make “fashionable DSLR camera bags”. They have only just started up, and this backpack hasn’t even been released or priced yet. I saw the test sample on their Facebook page and I would love to know how much it will end up costing! For now I’m just happy to look. So many compartments!

Locho Bags DSLR BackPack

Inspiration | EW Comic Con Portraits

San Diego Comic Con is exciting for many reasons. It’s the biggest pop culture expo in the world, with hundreds of thousands of attendees over the course of four days. Celebrities from movies, television and gaming mix with fans, cosplayers and media.

One of the things I most look forward to is Entertainment Weekly’s Comic Con portraits. Most of the celebrity guests who come through Comic Con stop by EW’s photo studio and pose for photos that always seem to reflect the convention itself – irreverent, laid back, and cool.

Hugh Dancy

Lee Pace

Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart

I find them inspiring because they aren’t your typical Hollywood portraits. They seem a lot less structured, and a lot more honest. I find that a lot of the personality of the subjects comes through, and I love that.

Misha Collins and Mark Sheppard

Norman Reedus

James McAvoy and Sir Patrick Stewart

Matt Smith

Jenna Louise Coleman

Cast of The Sidekick

My favourite of the portraits this year was undoubtedly this shot of Matt Smith and Jenna Louise Coleman. Matt was attending Comic Con for the last time as The Eleventh Doctor. I absolutely loved his portrayal of the Doctor (he was definitely my Doctor) and his chemistry with new companion “Clara Oswin Oswald” (Coleman) was evident in the photo. It kind of felt a little like a goodbye, and it was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I am so sad we won’t get to see more of them together.

Matt Smith and Jenna Louise Coleman

There were so many celebrity portraits this year, which really speaks to just how powerful this idea of pop culture has become in Hollywood. Events like Comic Con aren’t looked down upon – they are treated as a strong gauge of what is popular and what “works”. Blockbuster movies are announced at Comic Con (Man of Steel 2 featuring Batman). Casts of high profile television shows stage panels and drop hints about upcoming seasons. Celebs walk the expo halls (often in disguise) and mingle with fans. It’s become a huge deal.

It’s definitely my goal to attend Comic Con one day and take a million photos. But for now, I’ll have these portraits to keep me inspired.

If you would like to see more of EW’s Comic Con Portraits you can find them here

For more information about San Diego Comic Con itself, you can visit the website here

PAXAus 2013

PAX is a huge convention held every year (since 2004) in North America devoted solely to gaming. Whereas the various comic cons and other conventions do celebrate gaming elements, PAX is laser focused on video games and gaming.

Usually held in Seattle and Boston, this was the first year PAX has been hosted internationally, and this weekend it was in Melbourne, Australia.

Statue of Connor, from Assassin’s Creed III in the Expo Hall, PAXAus

The three day passes sold out quickly, but I was able to snag a Saturday pass. (I did try for a media pass, but I didn’t have any luck, unfortunately. Maybe next time?)

The event was held at the Melbourne Showgrounds, which is a huge space that was host to Supanova Pop Culture Expo earlier this year, and will play host to Armageddon in October. There was a main theatre, satellite theatres, an expo hall and a console/tabletop freeplay hall. I spent the majority of my time in the expo hall, which held all the different exhibits from game publishers and developers, and also seemed to be a general hub for cosplayers.

A wartime pin up at the World of Tanks exhibit, Expo Hall

There was so much for people to do and it was a haven for people who love gaming and video games. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the panels (there was one called “Gamer Rage: Entitlement Issues” that sounded really interesting!) but if the lines for them were any indication they were a roaring success.

Nintendo Signage in the Expo Hall

Gamers relax at the Nintendo area, Expo Hall

I didn’t find as many photographic opportunities as I hoped, but it was still experience and it was still lots of fun. You think after all this time I would be more assertive about asking cosplayers to pose, but it’s still something I have to work on. However, the cosplay highlight for me was this tiny assassin I found in the Expo Hall. I think he wins. Everyone else can go home.

Tiny Ezio Cosplay, Expo Hall

The World’s End Premiere AU

You know how I always try to be honest on this blog? Sometimes painfully so?

This is going to be one of those posts.

I found out a couple of weeks ago that Hoyts Cinema at Melbourne Central was having a premiere for the new Simon Pegg movie, The World’s End. Thinking I could at least go along and shoot like I did the Man of Steel premiere, I contacted the cinema and asked for general information – eg, what time it started, where it would be in the centre, where was the best place for me to take pictures etc.

I heard back from a woman from the PR company who had actually organised the Man of Steel premiere in Sydney. She asked me who I shoot for.

I felt a little deflated, because this is what happened before the MOS premiere, and I ended up being turned away. But I thought I might as well try. I sent along a link to my site, and a link to this blog, and said that I have a Facebook and a Twitter, so I have a social media presence (true) and that I have shot conventions in North America and Europe (also true and sounds quite impressive).

She emailed back and simply said “I have added you to the media list” and gave me information about where to register.

Just like that.

I was so stunned. I didn’t want to tell anyone in case it had been a mistake, or I would stuff something up (I know, I know, confidence). I just kept looking at the email. I have added you to the media list.

So, I dutifully went into the city and registered when I was told to, and then I was ushered to stand in front of the barricades with the other photographers along the red carpet while we waited for the premiere to start. They had decorated the red carpet with a facade to look like a typical English pub.

Backdrop for the red carpet, The World’s End Premiere, Melbourne Australia 2013

View of the red carpet from above

I was right at the very end of the red carpet, just before the guests left to go up to the cinema. I didn’t mind at all though – I was just soaking it all in and mentally taking notes about everything I would do differently if given the opportunity again. I was surrounded by obviously seasoned photographers – most carried two camera bodies, with huge flash guns and wide angle lenses. I have a very, very good camera, and a very good lens, but I have to admit to feeling woefully unprepared and unequipped. I have tried for so long to get away with not getting a flash, but I think If I hope to do this again I need to invest in one. It’s just that much harder without it.

The other photographers were all nice to me, and kind of stunned when they asked who I shot for and I answered myself. I was expecting to be kicked out at any minute as an interloper. It was a feeling that stayed with me for the rest of the evening, but I was so desperate to make this happen. It was scary, and exhilarating and fun. That’s the thing that shocked me the most – that however terrified I was, I was also having a lot of fun.

Nick Frost

I know they are not my best photos by any stretch of the imagination. And I have already seen other photographers work from last night and….mine is completely different. But maybe I’m always going to be different? I don’t know. I just know I have a lot of work to do, but this experience has helped me immeasurably.

Simon Pegg

Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright and Nick Frost

So I have to say a big thank you to Tanja, who gave me the opportunity. And a huge thank you to everyone on Facebook who gave me so much support when I finally told everyone what I was doing!