Happy Summer Solstice!
Hello and welcome to the first day of summer 2023 as of this post!
I'm very excited to share with you one of my latest ventures from May: Tidewater Comicon, located in my hometown in Virginia Beach, VA. This is probably one of the most anticipated blog entries in a while, and I'm already stumbling over my keyboard from the excitement!
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Tidewater Comicon
I participated at Tidewater Comicon as a cosplayer and photographer. On Saturday, I cosplayed as Princess Mononoke, and took the majority of my photography during that day. Saturdays at conventions are typically the busiest days of the weekend. Since this was a 2-day event, naturally the biggest events happen on the first day. I feel that with the slots I had, I spaced out the timings well. I was able to have a balanced schedule where I could cosplay, take pictures, window-shop the vendors, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the event. On Sunday, I only took a few hall photos while cosplaying as Sakura from Street Fighter II, and enjoyed my time catching up with friends and did some shopping that I didn't have the opportunity to do the day before.
I learned from my last convention experience that if I were to take a hall photo, I asked for the person's character, reference source, and their social media handle on Instagram or Twitter. It saved a lot of time and effort when I added their names onto my social media, and I gained an influx of followers too!
Another thing that helped tremendously was wearing costumes I knew would be fun, but also comfortable for me to maneuver in while taking pictures. In order for me the get the right angle for the shot while in cosplay, I have to be flexible in my positioning, even if it meant lying on the ground. My Princess Mononoke outfit was meant to be worn and be dirty, while Sakura was sporty and functional. Staying comfortable while wearing both cosplays were important to me - it's nice to be able to have fun and do what you love!
Overall I had a wonderful time at Tidewater Comicon. The venue had a lot of potential inside and outside the convention center for locations to take pictures as you'll see in the following. One of the most memorable shoots actually occurred OUTSIDE the event at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. One client in particular, @lemonlaurr, requested for photos of her Makima (Chainsaw Man) cosplay to be taken while at the beach of the Oceanfront. The beach was about a 15 minute walk (there were blocks due to construction along the way), and thankfully the weather became partly cloudy with pleasant warmth of the sun.
Here are some of the photos from the event that I hope will inspire you for your next visit to the Virginia Beach Convention Center:
K.M. cosplaying as Motoko Kusanagi of Ghost in the Shell in one of the stairwells inside the convention center. The natural light from the windows, modern wall design, and glass from the stairwell gives this image a futuristic feel.
@crabcosplays as Asuka Langley-Soryu from Neon Genesis Evangelion; here they pose in the upstairs floor leaning against the railing across where the panel rooms are located.
@crabcosplays again looking across the way to the dolphin scupltures via the second floor, giving another futuristic look suited for the theme of their cosplay.
@crabcosplays once more using the glass window panels outside the convention center, looking back at their reflection.
@rurounichan_cosplay as Aoba Seragaki from Dramatical Murder; we utilized the greenery of the artificial ponds inside the convention center to give a natural look to balance the modern interior.
@rurounichancosplay again using the faded reflection from the escalator.
@rurounichan_cosplay took advantage of the slotted window panels from the upstairs hallway with the sunlight coming through to make a really cool background.
Don't forget to use even the simplest things for location for photos. This was taken near one of the many entrances/exits of the convention center.
There are artificial ponds that surround the convention center that can give a pop of greenery and color. Here is @makochancosplay with their cosplay as Penny and Sylveon from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
I had a great time with @lemonlaurr for their requested photoshoot at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront - it's about a 10-15 minute walk from the convention center with vast beach and rolling waves.
With gratitude.
I'd like to thank the following people for helping make this event a wonderful one:
Instagram:
-@daddi.patti
-@makochancosplay
-@colorfulami
-@rurounichan_cosplay
-@lemonlaurr
-@crabcosplays
Others:
-K.M.
Thank you for a wonderful Tidewater Comicon! It's always a pleasure to be able to enjoy a convention in my hometown. I can't wait to come again next year, and I'll be back at the Virginia Beach Convention Center for the next event in August: Superstar Anime!
With love,
xo Jenni
