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AC2024 - quick overview
a year ago
General
So I'm back and wanted to go over some tidbits from the convention.
--Stuff that went well
*The convention in general was great fun. I saw a lot of people, took a lot of photos, got lots of hugs, and it was a great emotional boost for me personally.
*Met a lot of new friends. Handed out a bunch of business cards to interested parties and I've already been contacted by two of them wanting to see their photos. Always psyched to see people excited for what I do!
*Got invited to be the "unofficial" photographer for a little get-together. It was a lot of fun, I got a lot of great photos, and wanted to get a lot more, but it got cut short by the official photographer showing up. Etiquette demanded I leave at that point and give the official photographer the room to do what he was brought in to do. I couldn't have known it at the time but let's just say that might not have been the best decision for all involved. That will probably end up being it's own journal entry at some point. But suffice to say that I enjoyed the time I got there and I hope to do more stuff like that in the future!
*Finally saw the Bandit Heeler fursuit in person. Although it was only once and very briefly. It's a super adorable suit and I wanted to see more of it both this year and last, but somehow fate just didn't time anything well in that regard.
*But something fate DID time well was running into a certain friend I hadn't seen in five years. I was elated to meet him there; I didn't even know he was going.
*Introduced a few other photographers to the Furtrack website
*Took part in the Furtrack meet & greet, which was nice. Met a fan of my work there :)
*The Purple photoshoot went great!
*Loved the fursuit dance comp! (the one couple made me cry, if you saw the dance comp you know exactly who I mean)
--Stuff that didn't go well
*I had hastily replaced my camera before the convention. Due to a long series of issues with Nikon that are not that interesting to go into, I wasn't able to actually obtain the camera until about three weeks before the convention. I didn't really have time to practice with it.
*Due to a long series of issues with Nikon that are not that interesting to go into, I wasn't able to get a lens for the camera until a few days before the convention. I didn't really have time to practice with it.
*This also meant I was fairly stressed during the convention, because I didn't have the sort of operational experience with my equipment to know if the photos were coming out well at all. Or further, if I was getting the most out of my equipment that I could.
*Furthermore, due to all the issues with Nikon, I didn't have the opportunity to get a secondary lens for my camera. Which meant I had to utilize a 2.8 28mm prime lens for everything. It's a good lens and I think I did well with it, but there was a lot I couldn't do due to a lack of a zoom. I would have gotten an adaptor for my previous zoom lens, but again, issues with Nikon would have meant immense delays and I wouldn't have it for the convention anyway.
*I found that I really didn't need my external flash for most of the photos I wanted to take. I used it a bit Weds/Thurs and found that it does not work well AT ALL, no matter the angle I use, if I'm close to the target. And with only having a 28mm prime, I was pretty close to the target most of the time. So I started just leaving the flash behind, which worked well MOST of the time, until I came upon a situation where I really needed filler flash and didn't have that handy. Lesson learned, unfortunately - should have kept the flash with me regardless.
*I found out only a few days before the convention that I had accidentally killed off two of my camera batteries, leaving me with just two other batteries to work me through the convention. Having to juggle their use and ensure at least one was charging at all times was annoying but I mostly worked through it. I only really ran into dead battery issues twice over the 5-day weekend which isn't bad considering the circumstances. I did order more batteries when I found out about the issue, but again, was not able to get them before the con.
*Due to a recurring glitch in the SCHED app, I missed an event I would have liked to see. But...it did afford me the opportunity for a photoshoot that went well, so it feels a bit like an even trade.
*New camera has massive picture size. And the old way I used to store photos is not really viable. I'll need more external HD's in the future and all that, but in the future I'll need to change how I store my photos long-term.
Speaking of photos-
By the numbers
*Total space taken up by photos: 448 GB
*Photos taken
Weds: 685
Thurs: 1420
Fri: 2263
Sat: 2093
Sun: 1737
Typically my editing process culls roughly 90% of the total. This is for good reason - for one good shot, I'm typically zooming in and out a few times, taking several shots to make sure autofocus does not screw me over again, adjusting F-stop perhaps, and taking a picture of the name tag for reference. So yes, about each one "shot" that gets posted has around 9 that are not posted. So for all those photo numbers, move the decimal point over one space, and that's roughly how many finished photos we should expect from each grouping.
--Stuff that went well
*The convention in general was great fun. I saw a lot of people, took a lot of photos, got lots of hugs, and it was a great emotional boost for me personally.
*Met a lot of new friends. Handed out a bunch of business cards to interested parties and I've already been contacted by two of them wanting to see their photos. Always psyched to see people excited for what I do!
*Got invited to be the "unofficial" photographer for a little get-together. It was a lot of fun, I got a lot of great photos, and wanted to get a lot more, but it got cut short by the official photographer showing up. Etiquette demanded I leave at that point and give the official photographer the room to do what he was brought in to do. I couldn't have known it at the time but let's just say that might not have been the best decision for all involved. That will probably end up being it's own journal entry at some point. But suffice to say that I enjoyed the time I got there and I hope to do more stuff like that in the future!
*Finally saw the Bandit Heeler fursuit in person. Although it was only once and very briefly. It's a super adorable suit and I wanted to see more of it both this year and last, but somehow fate just didn't time anything well in that regard.
*But something fate DID time well was running into a certain friend I hadn't seen in five years. I was elated to meet him there; I didn't even know he was going.
*Introduced a few other photographers to the Furtrack website
*Took part in the Furtrack meet & greet, which was nice. Met a fan of my work there :)
*The Purple photoshoot went great!
*Loved the fursuit dance comp! (the one couple made me cry, if you saw the dance comp you know exactly who I mean)
--Stuff that didn't go well
*I had hastily replaced my camera before the convention. Due to a long series of issues with Nikon that are not that interesting to go into, I wasn't able to actually obtain the camera until about three weeks before the convention. I didn't really have time to practice with it.
*Due to a long series of issues with Nikon that are not that interesting to go into, I wasn't able to get a lens for the camera until a few days before the convention. I didn't really have time to practice with it.
*This also meant I was fairly stressed during the convention, because I didn't have the sort of operational experience with my equipment to know if the photos were coming out well at all. Or further, if I was getting the most out of my equipment that I could.
*Furthermore, due to all the issues with Nikon, I didn't have the opportunity to get a secondary lens for my camera. Which meant I had to utilize a 2.8 28mm prime lens for everything. It's a good lens and I think I did well with it, but there was a lot I couldn't do due to a lack of a zoom. I would have gotten an adaptor for my previous zoom lens, but again, issues with Nikon would have meant immense delays and I wouldn't have it for the convention anyway.
*I found that I really didn't need my external flash for most of the photos I wanted to take. I used it a bit Weds/Thurs and found that it does not work well AT ALL, no matter the angle I use, if I'm close to the target. And with only having a 28mm prime, I was pretty close to the target most of the time. So I started just leaving the flash behind, which worked well MOST of the time, until I came upon a situation where I really needed filler flash and didn't have that handy. Lesson learned, unfortunately - should have kept the flash with me regardless.
*I found out only a few days before the convention that I had accidentally killed off two of my camera batteries, leaving me with just two other batteries to work me through the convention. Having to juggle their use and ensure at least one was charging at all times was annoying but I mostly worked through it. I only really ran into dead battery issues twice over the 5-day weekend which isn't bad considering the circumstances. I did order more batteries when I found out about the issue, but again, was not able to get them before the con.
*Due to a recurring glitch in the SCHED app, I missed an event I would have liked to see. But...it did afford me the opportunity for a photoshoot that went well, so it feels a bit like an even trade.
*New camera has massive picture size. And the old way I used to store photos is not really viable. I'll need more external HD's in the future and all that, but in the future I'll need to change how I store my photos long-term.
Speaking of photos-
By the numbers
*Total space taken up by photos: 448 GB
*Photos taken
Weds: 685
Thurs: 1420
Fri: 2263
Sat: 2093
Sun: 1737
Typically my editing process culls roughly 90% of the total. This is for good reason - for one good shot, I'm typically zooming in and out a few times, taking several shots to make sure autofocus does not screw me over again, adjusting F-stop perhaps, and taking a picture of the name tag for reference. So yes, about each one "shot" that gets posted has around 9 that are not posted. So for all those photo numbers, move the decimal point over one space, and that's roughly how many finished photos we should expect from each grouping.
Yeah, the paid photographer came in at the end of the event, snapped a few group shots, then we ran out of time and he left. l wasn't impressed. I hope their photos come out acceptable.
I enjoyed being behind the camera for a change this year, the lens I'm using now is much easier to use than the one I was using. Wish we'd crossed paths while I was out of suit and carrying it so I could have shown it to you. I didn't take nearly as many photos as you did, and like you, I take multiples of the same subject. I still need to upload them to my computer for post processing.
I even swung by the block party several times to see if you were there, since I recall you saying you really liked doing it. Unfortunately I didn't see you any of the times I went out there :(
I really should have stayed for that photoshoot. I was having so much fun, and I feel like everyone else was too! There was one point when I turned around and I saw you standing behind me, and it almost felt like you were waiting to get my attention. I was going to ask if you had a pairing you wanted photos with, but then the photographer showed up so I bowed out. But again, I'm going to be making a journal entry about just that event because I've got some feelings to express about that.
I saw you once or twice, but you were focused on your current subject, and I either wasn't wearing a fursuit at the time, or in the one case I was, it was a fursuit you had all ready photographed..
Next year I'll make sure to have a better idea of photo locations and poses for whomever you catch me in.
I do somewhat agree with you about the "maybe it's too big now". Then again, AC has always been that way. The DLCC is a large venue, and you never know if or when someone you are looking for is out and about. I always try and pause in more populated areas, (Near con ops, the bridge over the dealer's den, near the south escalators on the second floor) and see if I catch people passing by.