Taiyou Con 2013 Photos and Report

Convention Photos:
Facebook (tag-able): Friday, Saturday, Maid Cafe, Masquerade, Sunday

I was able to attend a convention far outside of my usual stomping grounds. I found out the convention existed through a fan page of one of the guests. It seemed like a good way to start a visit with my aunt and uncle that I occasionally see while they are living in Arizona.

I might as well mention the added bonus that I've used twice before. My home city has a smaller airport that has a direct flight to Mesa, AZ. It might be a bit more expensive than O'Hare in Chicago, but it is extremely easy If you are a resident of either the Scottsdale/Mesa, AZ area or Rockford metro, IL area. The Rockford Airport (RFD), for example, has free parking and you can expect the check-in and security screening process to take only a few minutes. There is a flight to Vegas I'd like to try out if I can someday afford the flight and hotel costs for a convention I've heard of near the airport.

Taiyou con (Facebook page link) is a convention in Mesa Arizona that was on its third year for 2013. The convention floor consisted of an area past what I assume was the main lobby of the Hilton. Some of the panel rooms and the dealer's room were a bit small, but the rest of the areas such as the artists alley and main programming rooms were spacious.  The main area with artists booths was the one I spent most of my time in.  It was a good photography area with skylight in the daytime and enough room to not cause any traffic flow issues if I asked for a picture.

The main area with artists booths had enough room to work in.

I need to mention the badge. They had a map of the convention on the back! This is a great idea and I ended up using it a few times before I knew where all of the panel rooms were located. I arrived late Friday and registration was out of program books, so the badge helped. Nicely done.

My time at the convention consisted of about two hours on Friday night and full days on Saturday and Sunday. I ended up with around 715 raw files before my edit and selection process.

I was able to attend a few events and panels such as the Masquerade, Voice actor Q&A, Cosplay for Beginners, and the Maid Cafe to name a few. All of the panels and events that I did attend were interesting and informative. There was one quirk in regard to placement and scheduling that I noticed at the "Cosplay for Beginners" panel. Whatever event was scheduled next to it had extremely loud music playing half of the time, making it hard to follow what the panelist was saying. It is difficult to fault the convention though, because this happens at most to some degree.  Especially with smaller conventions that don't have as many options available to isolate louder events.

The Masquerade award session.

This was my first time attending a maid cafe at a convention. This specific event was $10 for up to an hour of activities such as go-fish, special maid skills like caricature art drawings, general small talk, dancing, and group activities like jan-ken-pon to win a prize. I'll probably try other ones at future conventions in my area. I decided to pay an extra $5 for an instant photo of me with the two maids that handled the table I was at.

My table maids and one of the other customers.

The difficult thing about attending a convention outside of your area (in my case many states apart) is that you probably won't know anyone. I haven't experienced this in a long time, but had that situation at Taiyou Con more than I've ever had before. It's a good and bad thing. Good because I can meet a lot of new people and do some networking, but bad because I'm not exactly the best at doing that. I did strike up some conversation with a few photographers I randomly ran into. It's a bit more difficult to talk with cosplayers for various reasons. Usually, I just ask and then take their photo without even making small talk afterward. I don't want to take more of their time unless they make some type of indication they want to talk. They rarely if ever do that, so I just move on to the next photo opportunity that presents itself. Photography itself is a good way to enjoy the convention, so I use it in that respect and always have a good and busy time. Like many have said before, conventions are what you make them. It's up to you to make them enjoyable.

You can tell the girl in the background knows how to have a good time at conventions.

The one somewhat familiar face at the convention was the photographer of Cosplay in America. I talked with him a bit and also hung around his booth on occasion to take hallway cosplay photos. It was a good location that wasn't usually busy. You can check out his site and the video he made for the convention. If you look closely, you can see I seemed to have "videobombed" his video on two occasions toward the end.

Cosplay in America interviewing a cosplayer.

Overall, I really enjoyed the convention. I never once had any issues with staff and thought things ran smoothly. They did a good job making the convention a success. I'm not sure when I'll be able to visit another convention in the west due to the expense, but I would like to eventually make it out for more.

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Food Excursion: Oriental Dragon

This time we visited a restaurant known for their mixture of Japanese and Chinese styled foods.  They have a reasonably priced sushi buffet to go along with that theme.  Neither of us opted for the buffet, but I did get one order of sushi rolls to try them out.

Oriental Dragon Rockford Website

Our order consisted of:
- Chicken with Mushroom
- Crab Rangoon (8 pc.)
- Spring Roll (2 pc.)
- Hot and sour soup
- Beef with Mushroom
- Spicy Salmon Roll

Prices per entree were around $10 and smaller items such as appetizers were close to $5.  With a tip, this place is in line with similar ones.  It can get a little pricy if you order multiple dishes and are big tipper.  The restaurant is a bit small, but with a nice fit and finish.  The tables had a wood grain finish and everything in the restaurant seemed to be in good condition.

Spicy Salmon Roll

The spicy salmon rolls were very good.  The taste was mild yet still flavorful.  I'm not a fan of wasabi and ginger, so I ate the rolls as is without garnish.  I get to experience the true flavors of the sushi this way.

Beef with Mushroom

The main entree I ordered was the beef with mushroom.  Very similar to what I had at a previous restaurant called Imperial Palace.  Overall, I'd say this was slightly more to my liking, but both were very similar in taste and presentation. 

Rice that comes with the meals.

The bowl of rice, while still not like what is served in Japan, was pretty decent and not too dry.  The Crab Rangoon were probably one of the better preparations of that common appetizer I've experienced in a long time.  The Rangoon's wrappers were soft and fresh, making them much easier to enjoy.  At other places, usually the wrappers are tough and hard.  This might be a matter of how long they are cooked. These seemed like they were cooked enough, but not too much.

Hot and Sour Soup

Chicken with Mushroom

The CVFTA member who ordered the Chicken with Mushroom dish said that it wasn't what he expected.  The chicken was fried, which gave it an unusual texture or taste he wasn't too fond of.

Oriental Dragon is yet another American Chinese styled restaurant in the area worth visiting.  The added benefit is that they have additional menu items like sushi that works well for a group of people with different tastes.

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Convention Report: Anime Apocalypse 2012

Hey there!  CVFTA just visited another convention.  This time it was a new smaller convention in Rockford, Illinois called "Anime Apocalypse" that happened from the 21st to 23rd of December at a hotel called the Clock Tower Resort.  Maybe you can see the Mayan calendar doomsday reference there?  We are still alive, so that didn't pan out for the doomsday theorists, but we did have a nice convention to attend and my photos taken there will be appreciated instead of burned in an apocalyptic world ending cinder.

Anyways, I enjoyed the convention and will certainly be back next year (maybe under a different convention name this time?) if it turns into a reoccurring thing.  For me, it is close enough that I don't have to fork out the expense of a room, which is great.  Not often does that happen, but it is a welcome occurrence.  I was able to attend at least a few hours of all three days.

Facebook (you can tag yourself after liking the page):
Friday General
Cosplay Auction
Saturday General
Cosplay Contest
Sunday General

The convention was one of the smaller ones I had been to, but it still had a nice turnout.

I took a considerable number of cosplay photos and I also attended a few panels and events.  The links to all of the photos are above, but here are a few highlights of the convention:

I met a few members of the photography group called The Enthusiasts that had a photo booth setup.  A nice group of people.  Check them out at conventions for photos if you get the chance.

 
I attended a few panels and events such as the cosplay auction for PAWS benefit, cosplay contest, cosplay photography, Robotech, prop safety and etiquette, foam sword battles, Super Tokusatsu, and intermediate cosplay construction.  All of them were interesting and worth checking out.

Probably the best part of the convention, besides being a short drive for me, was the staff.  They were polite and hassle free.  I never once had any issues and was able to photograph things like the cosplay auction without any restriction.  It was a pleasant change from larger conventions.

Edit:
Here is my convention photography article on this convention.

Here is also a video I put together about my photography there:

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Vito's Ristorante Excursion

For this excursion we went to a place called Vito's Ristorante.  As you can probably surmise from the name, it is an Italian styled restaurant.  This time our crew was three CVFTA members strong!  After an hour or more of deliberation, we decided on a restaurant near Vito's, but ended up going here instead.  While both, I'm sure, would have been good options and we will probably visit the other one someday, I'm glad we checked out this restaurant first.

Their website:
http://www.vitosristorante.net

The restaurant had an intimate and formal atmosphere, but didn't come with the high-end cost you would expect.

We had visited at what appeared to be a low traffic time, which is great for us because we take photos of our food.  I'm glad to say that, so far, not one place has hassled us about that.

Their menu is simple and focused on a few Italian staples like pastas and sandwiches that used Italian breads.

I had the Portabella Sandwich with fries and berry flavored iced tea.

Marinated portabella mushroom, served on ciabatta bread

It looks refreshing, doesn't it?

You might expect the bread that looks like that to be a bit dry, but it wasn't.  It had just the right level of bite and flavor to it to not be a detriment to the sandwich.  The mushrooms were plentiful and flavorful enough to be enjoyed.  The berry flavored tea was simple and unsweetened.  It had a subtle  mild flavor, but was very refreshing. Scott S. aka. Sai had Chicken Bruschetta Sandwich with fries and Linguine Alfredo with salad.

Grilled chicken breast topped with homemade bruschetta, and provolone cheese

Linguine pasta with a homemade garlic cream sauce

Sai's salad that came with the pasta.

Erik had the Bruschetta appetizer , and linguine alfredo with shrimp.  We joked about the massive portion of pasta and how there might be a black hole warp inside that keeps refilling the bowl. 

Linguine pasta with a homemade garlic cream sauce

Bruschetta

Erik shared his Bruschetta, so I had a chance to see what it was like.  It is something simple yet really great once you start eating it.  The bread pieces are hard, but only on the first few crunches.  Along with the salsa, it make a great tasty combination that is surprisingly good from something so simple.

The waitress was extremely helpful and quick to give us refills or see how we were doing.  A nice place for lunch or dinner depending on what style of dining you prefer.

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Imperial Palace Food Excursion

I'm a bit slow with articles lately, but now is a good a time as any to get caught up!  Around two weeks ago, a fellow member of CVFTA and I went to a local restaurant called Imperial Palace.  While researching restaurants, I accidentally named this restaurant as one that had a certain buffet we had heard about.  I was wrong, but it seemed like a good a place as any to check out, so we did.

 Here is their website:
http://www.imperialpalacerockford.com/

Their menu is what you would expect from what I like to call "American Chinese" restaurants.  They have all of the expected dishes and are generally around the same price and usually pretty similar in taste.

I had ordered the Imperial Beef.  It came with the classic supplement of beef, which is mushrooms.

Sai had ordered what I think it might have been Hunan Beef. He also ordered an appetizer of Crab Rangoon.

Each lunch came with fried or white rice, soup, and a single Crab Rangoon.

Some extras with the meal like these fried chips that go well with the soup.

The one benefit of this place is that you have a more traditional restaurant atmosphere compared to most others that are more styled toward the fast food motif.  On the reverse side, that means you will be tipping a waitress.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  It's a nice place to visit for a relaxing lunch. 

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Kollision Con 2012 Photos and Report

I attended Kollision Con 2012 on Saturday and Sunday (24th and 25th of November 2012).  It is a convention in my general area, more specifically it is located in St. Charles Illinois at the Pheasant Run Resort.

Edit, here is a video I put together to go along with the articles:


Please view this article on photographybanzai.com for technical talk.

As you would probably expect, I spent most of my time doing cosplay photography, but I did attend a few panels, most of the Masquerade, walked in on a concert or two for a few songs, and played a some video games.

Props go out to Charles, Kersten, and their crew for hosting the "Posing tips for the Cosplayer" and "Photography advice for the cosplay photographer" panels.  They did a good job touching on specific details and not just a slideshow of their past work like other panels I've seen over the years.  I found both of them informative.

Knowing is half the battle.  Attend panels.

I stopped by both The Pillowcases and V is for Villains concerts for a song or two, though my ability and desire to handle loud music has gone down a bit over the last number of conventions.  Probably from the times I've been up close to powerful stage speakers as I'm taking photos.  Maybe the next time I'm asked to do that, I'll bring a set of earplugs.  I didn't even bother taking photos, because of the potential hassles that come with photographing concerts with no press/media badge.  I don't think I know anyone running this convention, so it wasn't worth the trouble.

It had been a long while since I utilized the game room at a convention.  In the case of Kollision Con, It wasn't too busy, so at one point, Erik of CVFTA and I spent some quality time dispatching zombies on the PS3.  I also tried out the Wii U on Sunday for a few moments.  The controller is novel and has functional benefits, but it won't shake my old school love for the NES and SNES controllers.

The convention, in general, seemed extremely laid back.  Besides having badges checked at a few of the main events and to borrow a game controller, there wasn't much else people attending had to deal with in the form of security.  I much prefer it this way.  Of the few things I did attend, they were on time and well executed.

Samurai Dan doing what he does best.

There were quite a few cosplayers around, especially considering the general size of the convention.  While many of the cosplayers were focused on the given trending costumes of the day like "Homestuck," there were quite a few more elaborate, impressive, and unique cosplays around.

A friend from my hometown with his elaborate costume.

I did some hallway photography, but as you can tell from my photo sets, a lot of the time was spent with people I already know or my photographer and cosplayer friends know.  I'm not sure what to say about that except it is easier to take photos with someone you know because there isn't as much initial effort involved in getting things setup.  It's actually pretty fun to get more into the details of extended photo sessions, because there is room to expand on lighting and framing technique with more time.

A photo taken between taking photos.

I was even able to get a few choice photographing moments outside with one cosplayer on Sunday.  The weather was quite warm for this time of the year, and I'm glad it worked out.  Using completely manual settings on the camera with a manual flash presents special challenges outside.  I won't go into details here (check my related article on photographybanzai.com for details once that is available), but I'll say it worked out well without too much hassle.

I'm glad the weather allow for some shooting outside!

One thing I noticed was that most of the photographers had a lot of camaraderie and teamwork at Kollision.  Some of us helped each other with aspects like holding lights or if we needed something in general.  We also took turns with cosplayers at times when it was more difficult to find someone to work with.  Overall, it was a great demonstration of how Midwest cosplay photographers can work.  I don't really know what other areas of the country are like, but I'll try to find out in the future.

Three photographers, one lighting assistant, and one cosplayer working together.

All things were not perfect.  There was one unusual fellow bothering women by getting a bit too friendly and giving them autographed self-portraits of himself in drag. Also, a new friend of mine had an incoherent drunk quiz her about the convention scene among other things.  I seem to remember hearing his statement about having a beer bottle collection at one point, which seems fitting.  The person wasn't part of the convention, but a guest of the resort for holiday most likely.  I guess bothering young women was on his drunken vacation to-do list.  So that's about it for my report of Kollsion Con 2012.  I'll leave you with the photo below for my rating of the convention. 

Maybe I'll see you next year.  My regards to Erik of CVFTA for the epic bi-level room at Pheasant Run Resort.

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Spider Sushi Bar Excursion

CVFTA decided to visit another local restaurant.  This time we decided on Japanese cuisine in the form of a sushi bar that has pretty much everything from yakisoba and udon to nigiri sushi and bento boxes.

The restaurant itself is easy to access off two well known streets and has a nice atmosphere inside.  They have the bar where the chef does work as well as normal 4-person tables with chairs and 2-person tables with comfy padded seats.  They also have the space for larger numbers of guests.

Their website is located here: spidersushibar.com

Our mutual order consisted of:

Calamari Appetizer

Sauteed squid seasoned with our house ginger sauce.

Rock'n Roll Sushi Roll

 Eel, yellowtail, and cucumber

Chicken Yakisoba

Pan fried noodles with bell peppers and asparagus.

Sushi Dinner

8 pieces of sushi, 4 piece california roll, soup & salad.

Gindara Bento

Black cod marinated in miso, served with soup, salad, 4 piece California roll, orange, white fish, shumai, and steamed rice.

Prices are pretty reasonable, though portions are average in size.  This is mostly a sit-down restaurant, so expect to tip a waitress.  Overall, I liked the flavor of what I had ordered, which was the black cod bento.  The miso soup was tasty and a bit unique compared to ones I've had in the past. It had a slightly sweet flavor to it, which could have been from the large portion of what I assumed to be seaweed and pieces of sweet onion or chives.  The salad had a mild and slightly sweet dressing to it, which was nice and refreshing.  

The bento itself had a small piece of cod along with some vegetables and a few fried items.  The cod reminded me of my time in Nagasaki when my host family dinners usually had a piece of fish marinated like that as the main course.  Probably my favorite part of the bento was the simple yet flavorful California rolls, along with the cod of course.  

My one issue was the state of the bowl of rice that came with the bento, which I've been all too familiar with in my home city.  To put it simply, it was dry.  I've noticed the same thing from similar places like Marc's Fusion restaurant and other rice serving shops like Happy Wok.  If you want a good side-dish of plain rice, try somewhere like Mitsuwa's (Japanese supermarket toward Chicago) food court offerings that serve traditional Japanese style set meals.

Overall, I liked the place and wouldn't mind visiting there again in the future.

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