The Munchkin's Notebook

ISO 100, Aperture F9, Shutter 1/250s, Focal Length 29mm This was the first year I attended Once Upon a Con, a fantasy book convention previously held in Pennsylvania.   I had heard good things about the convention and was looking forward to attending it, especially since it had been relocated to the Gaylord in National Harbor, Maryland.  I also liked that, based on their outward-facing websites, you could register to be an approved photographer for the event and receive a special badge.  This is different from a media badge.  So, I was looking forward to attending and photographing lots of fantasy characters (elves, fairies, pretty princesses, etc.) and lots of ball gowns, which really is my sweet spot.  I was also looking forward to some of the panels they were hosting, as well as their vendor area, which was 90 percent authors.   Overall, I thought this convention was going to be a pleasant diversion from the standard anime/comic conventions I h...

On August 23, I attended a DC Cosplay Photoshoot group event at 3Mi Studio in West Virginia.  The group has used this studio before, and it is known for its rain room set, which I believe was the main draw for several people attending this event.   While I like the rain room (not as big a deal since I've made my own), I do appreciate the availability of sets the studio has and try to maximize their use. For this event I used: Canon R6 2 Speed light Trigger 24 - 105mm lens 1 light stand Umbrella Gels Camera Settings: Even though this shot was in a studio, I still varied my camera settings based on the set design, set lighting, and minimizing interference with other photographers.    My ISO varied from ISO 100 to ISO 1600, with ISO 100 being the most common, followed by ISO 1600 for shooting the rain set.  My aperture ranged from f/4.5 to f/9, with f/8 being the most common.  My shutter speed varied from 1/60s to 1/320s, with...